‘TWO STRANGERS’: Christiani Pitts & Sam Tutty. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)
Book, music & lyrics by Jim Barne & Kit Buchan
Directed & choreographed by Tim Jackson
Through July 5, 2026
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
https://twostrangersmusical.com/

By Scott Harrah

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York ) is a rare gem indeed. It’s an original “rom com” Broadway musical that’s realistic, poignant, and never sappy or corny. After a successful run in London’s West End, the two-hander has opened in New York. Let’s look at why it works so well.

Unlikely match

The entire story takes place over a 36-hour time period. Dougal (Sam Tutty) is a bright-eyed, naïve British tourist who has traveled to New York and the USA for the first time to attend his father’s second wedding.

He soon learns that life here is nothing like the Hollywood depiction of our city as portrayed by Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in Singin’ in the Rain. By the same token, it’s also not exactly Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra pursuing Vera-Ellen and Betty Garrett in On the Town. Dougal says he especially loves Home Alone 2 and believes that in New York “everything comes with a smile, a high five, and a slice of cheese.”

However, even if New York was actually like anything in those classic films, Dougal is so broke that he can’t afford the entrance fees to most tourist attractions, let alone a proper date with a woman.

Robin (Christiani Pitts) is the baby sister of the bride Dougal’s father is marrying. A spunky, no-nonsense New Yorker, she works as a barista and wastes no time giving the cold shoulder to Dougal both at JFK Airport and later at Bump and Grind, the café where she works.  She tells him she needs to take the subway out to Flatbush, Brooklyn, to pick up her sister’s wedding cake, and Dougal insists on going with her.

Carrying the cake across New York

Dougal soon learns that Flatbush isn’t just where the wedding cake is being created. It’s also the part of Brooklyn where Robin grew up, reminiscing to him about her childhood there and regaling him with nostalgic stories of her youth.

What makes everything work is the dynamic chemistry between Mr. Tutty and Ms. Pitts. On the stage, they seem like an odd couple indeed, but sparks ignite slowly and not in a hackneyed way like so many rom-coms.

Nevertheless, although Two Strangers has all the formulaic elements of a standard romantic comedy—a guy pursuing a girl and the girl isn’t immediately interested—this show isn’t like some half-baked Hallmark movie or schmaltzy Harlequin romance novel. Composer Jim Barne’s lush melodies and Kit Buchan’s true-to-life dialogue and emotionally powerful lyrics are full of realism and grit. One may have to suspend disbelief that Dougal and Robin would fall for each other in just 36 hours, but just go with the story. Everything simply works beautifully.

Innovative scenic, sound design & lighting

Soutra Gilmour’s unique, simplistic set, great lighting by Jack Knowles, and Tony Gayle’s sharp sound design also make Two Strangers especially innovative. The set features two rotating heaps of airline luggage that are designed to resemble the Manhattan skyline. The luggage piles also serve multiple functions, including a place for the actors to climb on or sit.

Ms. Gilmour’s costumes are also delightful, especially the glamorous dresses Robin wears in Act Two.

Dynamic duo

Turning to performances, the two young leads are perhaps the show’s greatest asset. Together, Ms. Pitts and Mr. Tutty are a brilliant “misfit” couple, as unlikely as Satine and Christian in Moulin Rouge or Sandy and Danny in Grease. Ms. Pitts portrays Robin with the perfect arc of the character, starting out as a jaded, overworked, and cynical woman who eventually sheds her hard shell and opens up to Dougal. Mr. Tutty brings the right mix of guileless charm and sincerity to Dougal, a young lad who at first seems annoying but ultimately shows he has a big heart. The duo are pure magic together singing such songs as “On the App” and “New York/What’ll It Be.”

With seamless direction by Tim Jackson, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) shines throughout. The haunting score and strong book by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan help make the show a “sleeper” surprise delight and one of the year’s best musicals.

Published November 20, 2025
Reviewed at press preview on November 15, 2025

‘TWO STRANGERS’: Christiani Pitts & Sam Tutty. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘TWO STRANGERS’: Christiani Pitts & Sam Tutty. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘TWO STRANGERS’: Christiani Pitts & Sam Tutty. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘TWO STRANGERS’: Christiani Pitts & Sam Tutty (top left & bottom); (top right) Sam Tutty. Photos: Matthew Murphy.

‘TWO STRANGERS’: Sam Tutty & Christiani Pitts (top left & bottom); (top right) Christiani Pitts. Photos: Matthew Murphy.

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‘MACBETH’: Daniel Craig, Ruth Negga & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

MACBETH
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Sam Gold
Through July 10, 2022
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
New York, NY
(212-239-6200), www.MacbethBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Director Sam Gold contemporized, bastardized and overblew the 2019 revival of Shakespeare’s King Lear with Glenda Jackson. He is now minimalizing beyond recognition this epic debacle, Macbeth, so there should be a law that director Sam Gold must never be allowed to come near another Shakespeare play for fear of criminally destroying yet another classic.

Lord, spare us from false prophets and pretentious “visionary” directors who think they have new ideas to infuse into classic Shakespeare for new audiences. Sitting through this version of Macbeth, in almost complete darkness, except for the use of flashlights, green and red blinding laser lights, and a handheld bright light torch under Lady Macbeth’s chin in her hallucinated state, one can’t help but wonder—what the hell is going on here? It is hard enough traversing through gender-bending roles, and then having these players play multiple characters in the same outfits and try to disseminate who they are at that moment. Then you have to ask why is everyone doing different accents? Also why are there so many distracting sound effects? There is absolutely no cohesion.

I’ll fast-track it for you: Macbeth (Daniel Craig) and Banquo (Amber Gray) have defeated Scottish rebels in a civil war. On the way back, they encounter a coven of witches (who are always making soup and scrambled eggs—please, don’t ask— and also play various other roles). The witches tell Macbeth he will be the Thane of Cawdor and then be King of Scotland. Duncan, the current King of Scotland, rewards Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Poor Duncan comes to the Macbeth’s home to celebrate the end of the civil war, only to be murdered by them. Then Banquo gets murdered. Macbeth gets haunted by the ghost of Banquo and starts ranting. More prophecies: Lady Macbeth (Ruth Negga) who’s been sleepwalking and hallucinating, goes mad with guilt and claims “all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten these little hands” and kills herself. MacDuff (Grantham Coleman), friend of old King Duncan, avenges him by killing Macbeth, and crowns Malcolm (Asia Kate Dillon) Duncan’s son, as the rightful heir to Scotland.

With such minimalism, and a mostly bare stage, you would think you are watching the third day of rehearsal of a college production. With so much ranting and raving, the same actors in different characters overacting, it makes the dreadful 2013 version of Macbeth with Ethan Hawke at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre seem like a masterpiece.

If you are still inclined to see this Macbeth because of Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga, I urge you to watch the 2021 film The Tragedy of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington first, just to give you a sense of what’s going on here.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published June 2, 2022

‘MACBETH’: Ruth Negga. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MACBETH: Maria Dizzia, Daniel Craig & Amber Gray. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Roe Hartrampf & Jeanna de Waal. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

DIANA, THE MUSICAL
Book & lyrics by Joe DiPietro
Music & lyrics by David Bryan
Choreography by Kelly Devine
Music arrangement & supervision by Ian Eisendrath
Directed by Christopher Ashley
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(866) 302-0995, https://thedianamusical.com/

By Scott Harrah

By now, many of you have read the vicious reviews this show received from the critics.  It’s as if everyone released all the pent-up venom they had stored for other shows this season (but couldn’t or wouldn’t say a bad word about) and pounced on Diana, The Musical because it was an easy target. Despite all the naysayers, Diana is not as horrific as you may have heard and the musical has at least one element that may make some actually want to see it.

As a “Second Night” critic, this reviewer doesn’t often get the chance to say anything about a Broadway show until the “major” critics who see a production in previews have already given their verdict.  This is one of the few times I must admit some went too far in panning a show.  Is it a great musical?  Of course not.  Is it the worst thing you’ll ever see on Broadway? No.  Let’s start by talking about someone nearly all the critics overlooked: Jeanna de Waal as Princess Diana.  A leading lady is supposed to anchor a show, and that’s exactly what Ms. de Wall does here so well.  She is the only one in the show who truly transcends the material she’s been given and does what any good actor must:  She gives shading and multiple dimensions to Diana, a complicated, deeply troubled woman mired in gossip, myths and misunderstandings.  We see the arc of Diana’s life, starting out as “shy Di,” as the Fleet Street Brits once called her, a 19-year-old Protestant virgin born into nobility, with the title Lady Diana who worked as a kindergarten assistant.  Young Lady Diana Spencer was considered the perfect prospective wife for Prince Charles (Roe Hartrampf), who was already in his 30s at the time and the most eligible bachelor in the world.  As the show progresses, Ms. de Waal displays the transformation from sheepish Lady Di to the adult Princess Di, her frustration as a young wife and mother as Charles carries on an extramarital affair with “the Rottweiler” Camilla Parker Bowles (Erin Davie).  Finally, she evolves (with many changes featuring William Ivey Long’s lavish costumes) as Diana, the “People’s Princess” who emerged from scandal and a very public bad marriage to win everyone’s hearts as a humanitarian. Ms. de Waal’s portrayal of Diana the media sensation is always realistic and sincere, no matter how preposterous the material gets.  Diana’s every move was tabloid fodder and front-page news, from charity work ranging from visiting and actually touching gay men in hospital AIDS wards at the apex of the crisis (something few would do back then) to raising awareness about the dangers of landmines in Africa. She was a princess with a purpose indeed and redefined what royalty should do with their fame and influence.

Remember the dreadful Broadway musical Scandalous back in 2012, written by Kathy Lee Gifford?  Scandalous was a true train wreck—and even worse than Diana because it was pointless, amateurish and dull—but it also had a leading lady that rose above the material: Carolee Carmello, portraying evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson.  Ms. Carmello got a Tony nomination for being brave enough to go onstage each night to give a great performance in a horrible musical.  Diana, The Musical may not last long but Jeanna de Waal should be remembered during next spring’s award season because, like Carolee Carmello, she prevailed.

Now, let’s address the obvious shortcomings of the show.  The story of Princess Diana is a true tragedy, and it might have been done better as an opera or even a pop opera like Evita, but it simply does not work as a musical comedy.  Joe DiPietro’s book is a hot mess of hokey, cringeworthy dialogue and head-scratching narrative choices.  Mr. DiPietro tells the story of Diana with all the basic factual elements of her life, but both his and David’s Bryan’s music and lyrics are beyond absurd.  There’s no need to quote any of the mind-numbingly bad lyrics (every critic has already done that), but one wonders why Mr. DiPietro and Mr. Bryan chose to use so much profanity, automatically giving what should have been a “PG-13” family musical an “R” rating (if Broadway shows were actually rated).  The same four-letter words are used repeatedly to rhyme in a couple songs, as if they are dirty limericks being sung by preteen boys.  Another song, “The Dress,” overuses the “F” bomb in one of the show’s many lame attempts at humor.

Besides Ms. de Waal, one other noteworthy performance is by Erin Davie, who is wonderfully catty as Camilla Parker Bowles (and much prettier than the real Duchess of Cornwall).  The Diana and Camilla verbal catfight in the production number “The Main Event” is sublimely ridiculous.   As for the rest of the cast, the real Prince Charles has more charm than Roe Hartrampf, but Mr. Hartfampf is far better looking than the real-life Prince of Wales ever was.  Most of the performances seem like caricatures of the royals, especially Judy Kaye, doing a dual role of Queen Elizabeth II and pulp romance novelist Barbara Cartland (please, don’t ask).  Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley (Come from Away) directs everyone haphazardly, but even more puzzling is two-time Tony Award nominee Kelly Devine’s ludicrous choreography.  The dance routines are so spastic and over the top that they are both distracting and laughable—especially when set to such a dreadful score and silly songs.  Regardless, Diana, The Musical is never boring and no worse than the 2017 musical Anastasia. The show was filmed for posterity for Netflix during the height of the 2020 pandemic, so even when it closes on Broadway, it already has the potential to be a campy cult classic that fans can enjoy via streaming.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 21, 2021
Reviewed at November 19, 2021 press performance.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Roe Hartrampf, Judy Kaye & Jeanna de Waal & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jenna de Waal & Roe Hartrampf & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Roe Hartrampf & (on couch) Holly Ann Butler & Jeanna de Waal. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Cast & (center) Roe Hartrampf & Judy Kaye. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal & Erin Davie. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal & Anthony Murphy. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Publicity still from the Netflix film of the Broadway musical. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF-THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL’: (left to right) Kristin Stokes, Chris McCarrell & Jorrel Javier. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL
Adapted from the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Book by Joe Tracz
Music & lyrics by Rob Rokichi
Directed by Stephen Brackett
Choreography by Patrick McCollum
Through January 5, 2020
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(212-239-6200), www.lightningthiefmusical.com

By David NouNou

Knowing that this show is aimed at younger/teenage boys or Generation Z, all day long I have been channeling my inner 13-year-old self to be able to fairly assess The Lightning Thief. Within five minutes of the show, that poor boy withered away and the monstrous adult in me emerged full-blown. As in the earlier debacle by director Stephen Brackett, Be More Chill, which also had adults playing young teenagers, the ability to suspend disbelief vanished into thin air.

Not only the boy in me had problems comprehending the ancient Greek Gods and myths; the adult in me was confounded by all the machinations on earth, Mt. Olympus, and Hades, all taking place from Long Island, New York, random names in New Jersey, to somewhere in Los Angeles and places in between.

Percy Jackson (Chris McCarrell), your typical misunderstood “teenager,” gets expelled from school for killing a “gorgon” or something while on a school outing. His mother (Jalynn Steele) sends him to Camp Half Blood in Long Island accompanied by his best friend Grover (Jorrel Javier). Camp Half Blood is the place where misplaced children go to find their prospective Greek God parents. Annabeth (Kristin Stokes) befriends him there. She shows him powers to enable him to go down to the underworld where they both get to find their “God” parents. This is part one of the convoluted plot.

Part two gives us the trip to Hadestown—oh, sorry, that is another musical playing across the street at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Well, they are in Hades, fight all sorts of monsters, among them Medusa and other foes. In the end, Percy or Percius finds out that his father is Poseidon and must return the lightning bolt found in his nap sack; he then must decide whether he wants to live at Camp Half Blood and go on more quests or go into the real world and fight for meaningful things. At this point I was yearning to be at the Lyric Theatre revisiting the far superior Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, both Parts 1 and 2 being less convoluted.

Harry Potter has the proverbial cast of thousands, while The Lightning Thief has a scant lackluster cast of seven portraying a cast of thousands, except for Percy; the remaining six players portray multiple roles, which further adds to the mayhem.

Young people may have enjoyed the books of the adventures of Percy Jackson, but as a musical with a banal one-note pop-rock score that doesn’t help the convoluted book, it is a dud, and the amateurish direction by Stephen Brackett is shameful.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is yet another example of how many empty theatres there were this fall/winter season that needed to be filled with whatever came their way.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 22, 2019
Reviewed at October 21, 2019 press performance.

‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF-THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL’: Chris McCarrell. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF-THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL’: Chris McCarrell. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF-THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL’: (left to right) Chris McCarrell & James Hayden Rodriguez (bottom); Sarah Beth Pfeifer &  Jorrel Javier (top). Photo: Jeremy Daniel #

‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF-THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL’: Chris McCarrell & Jalynn Steele. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF-THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL’: (left to right) Jorrel Javier, Chris McCarrell (top), Kristin Stoke & James Hayden Rodriguez. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF-THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL’: Chris McCarrell. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF-THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL’: The company. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

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‘THE PROM’: The cast. Photo: Deen van Meer

THE PROM
Book by Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin
Music by Matthew Sklar
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(212-239-6200), www.theprommusical.com

By David NouNou

To say that The Prom is the best musical of the season may not sound like much of a compliment, considering some of the dreck that has opened since June. However, this musical would stand tall in any season with stiffer competition.

This is the perfect antidote for these harsh times we live in. A musical that is joyous for the holidays and delirious for the winter doldrums ahead. A musical with a heart, a message that is not preachy, a hysterical book, a memorable score, direction and choreography that are expertly paced and placed and the expertise of three of the best Grade A hams on Broadway: Brooks Ashmanskas, Beth Leavel and Christopher Sieber make this the perfect gift for Christmas, Valentine’s day and every holiday thereafter.

Four Broadway veteran narcissists (is that really possible?); two of whom who have just closed on opening night in the musical Eleanor, a romp with Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt replete with hip-hop. They closed due to a drubbing they received from the New York Times (as if that is possible)? That was possible in the 1950s and 1960s but unfortunately not today.

Dee Dee Allen who portrays Eleanor (Beth Leavel) and Barry Glickman playing Franklin (Brooks Ashmanskas) are devastated by the reviews they received and are commiserated by their good friend Angie (Angie Schworer), a woman who has been in the chorus of Chicago for the last 20 years. They meet up that night with a fellow thespian that is a Julliard graduate but now works for cater waiter, and once was a TV star in the 1990s in a show called “Talk to the Hand.”

All four are in desperate need for image rehabilitation, so what do they do? They go on Twitter to look up worthy charitable causes to improve their public image. Along with their PR man, Sheldon Saperstein (Josh Lamon), they find their worthy cause. She happens to be a teenage lesbian, Emma (Caitlin Kinnunen) who can’t take a date to her high school prom due to the bigotry and homophobia of the town and its proclaimed leader of morality, Mrs. Greene (Courtenay Collins). Thus the prom is being cancelled.

So what do these Broadway angels of mercy decide to do? They go on a bus touring company of Godspell, thus bringing religion and pizzazz to the Midwestern town of Edgewater, Indiana in defense of uplifting their image and a town in desperate need of a makeover.

The plot may seem familiar but it does have some twists and the approach is different and refreshing. The book by Mr. Martin and Mr. Beguelin is grounded and hysterical. They bring the right amount of message, frivolity and a grand time. The score is relatable and Casey Nicholaw has done the same brilliant job he always does with his direction and choreography. As in Something Rotten, he has touched on his Broadway roots and no one does it better than him.

As for Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas, Christopher Sieber and Angie Schworer, they are at the top of their game. They all have show-stopping numbers, which are another dividend and a source of delight for the audience. You just can’t help but root for these lovable self-promoters (in this case they are the good people) and have these angels earn their wings.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 12, 2018
Reviewed at December 11, 2018 performance.

‘THE PROM’: (left to right) Josh Lamon, Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas & Angie Schworer. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Isabelle McCalla & Caitlin Kinnunen. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Christopher Sieber & cast. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Beth Leavel & Michael Potts. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Angie Schworer & Caitlin Kinnunen. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Isabelle McCalle & Courtenay Collins. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: The cast. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: (left to right) Christopher Sieber, Angie Schworer, Beth Leavel & Brooks Ashmanskas. Photo: Deen van Meer

The post ‘The Prom’ is best musical of season appeared first on StageZine.

‘A BRONX TALE’: The cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

A BRONX TALE
Book by Chazz Palminteri
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Directed by Robert DeNiro & Jerry Zaks
Choreographed by Sergio Trujillo
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(212-239-6200), www.abronxtalethemusical.com

By David NouNou

I can honestly say A Bronx Tale is the first truly, thoroughly enjoyable show of the 2016 fall season and we are very close to the end of it. That should give you an idea of how exciting this fall season has been. This is not to undermine the show but to totally praise it. Who else could have written the book as well as Chazz Palminteri? After all, it is about his life and who should know it better? The music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater capture the mood, feel, and essence of the 1960s doo-wop and rock-and-roll sound to perfection. It distills the 1960s and transports us to the Bronx, Belmont Avenue and an Italian neighborhood where there was right from wrong and rules were still obeyed.

In 1960 young Calogero (Hudson Loverro) witnesses Sonny (Nick Cordero) kill a guy outside his building, but in a lineup, he refuses to rat Sonny out. A trust and bond develops between Calogero and Sonny; this undermines the bond Calogero has with his father, Lorenzo (Richard H. Blake). Lorenzo knows his son has talent and doesn’t want to see him waste it. Come 1968, Calogero (Bobby Conte Thornton) is grownup, almost a wastrel, and still is torn between his father’s values and Sonny’s flash. Thrown into the mix is Jane (the lovely Ariana DeBose) who is black and lives on Webster Avenue and the two inevitably fall for each other —which does not sit well with the two neighborhoods because races did not mix even if you lived in the same community. Each few blocks were an entity unto themselves.

Sure, the story seems familiar, but it is done in a fresh way, and that fresh thing is sincerity. There is a story here and it tells it from the heart with no artificial fillers. Robert DeNiro and Jerry Zaks have taken the story and directed it without any frills, just fine-tuned it to let the tale unfold in the most simplistic and realistic of ways.

The standout performance is Nick Cordero; he was a showstopper and Tony nominee in Bullets Over Broadway, the only good thing in that dreadful musical. He is sensational here as Sonny the gangster. It is a thrill to watch this man dominate and command a stage and watch his talent grow with each succeeding show. Richard H. Blake is admirable as Lorenzo. As the young Calogero, Hudson Loverro is an adorable child actor doing his job well without being cloying. Ariana DeBose—who just left Hamilton—as Jane is a joy to see and hear. Bobby Conte Thornton has a nice voice and tries to be sincere but lacks the stage presence to bring any dimension to the older Calogero; the role calls for a more seasoned actor to dominate the stage.

The show is a tribute to another time. It brings back to life a moving, stirring, delectable Americana morsel that preserves a period, time, place, sound, and people that is part of American history now.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 8, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on December 7, 2016

‘A BRONX TALE’: Nick Cordero & Richard H. Blake. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A BRONX TALE’: (left to right) Rory Max Kaplan, Keith White, Dominic Nolfi, Joe Barbara, Hudson Loverro, Cary Tedder. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A BRONX TALE’: Bobby Conte Thornton & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A BRONX TALE’: Arianna DeBose (center) & Gilbert L. Bailey II & Bradley Gibson, Trista Dollison & Christiani Pitts (L-R). Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A BRONX TALE’: (left to right) Hudson Loverro, Richard H. Blake, Lucia Giannetta. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A BRONX TALE’: (left to right) Trista Dollison, Ariana DeBose & Christiani Pitts. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A BRONX TALE’: Nick Cordero & Hudson Loverro. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A BRONX TALE’: Hudson Loverro & Richard H. Blake. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A BRONX TALE’: Bobby Conte Thornton & Nick Cordero. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘ALLEGIANCE’: George Takei & Lea Salonga. Photo: Matthew Murphy

ALLEGIANCE
Book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo & Lorenzo Thione
Music & lyrics by Jay Kuo
Directed by Stafford Arima
Choreographed by Andrew Palermo
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(212-239-6200), www.AllegianceMusical.com

By Scott Harrah

There are so many powerful, interesting, dynamic, heroic tales in Allegiance that it is a shame the musical score bogs them all down. The theatrical axiom states that a musical score should propel the story forward. Sadly, in the case of Allegiance, it brings it to a halt. That’s a shame because otherwise, this is truly an epic drama about a World War II aspect we rarely hear about: The cruel treatment of an estimated 120,000 Japanese Americans in “internment” camps, and Japanese-American soldiers, unsung heroes who proved their loyalty to the stars and stripes by joining the fight against the enemy.

The story is so intense that one is genuinely invested in these characters and their plight and outcome. The uninteresting and banal score could have many songs trimmed and instead used the words as dialogue. The authors should have kept six or seven essential songs and eliminated the rest, because they start sounding the same after awhile and none rises to the occasion of the dialogue. The show, based on real-life events, is so epic that it would make either a fine film or stage drama. Was Allegiance done as a musical to give it more commercial appeal? Perhaps, but by doing so, the creators squandered an opportunity to create a straightforward historical saga about a chapter of American history and World War II that needs to be told. There is enough somber, fascinating substance here to make the material stand on its own, so why all the songs? Other than the moving anthem “Gaman” (meaning “patience” in Japanese), most of the musical numbers just seem distracting. In addition, Andrew Palermo’s choreography is downright pedestrian at times, adding zero to songs that already go nowhere.

Inspired by the true experiences of the show’s star George Takei (Sulu of “Star Trek” fame), the story spans 60 years of the Kimura family, starting out in San Francisco in 2001 and then Salinas, California in 1941 to the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming during World War II, with scenes in Italy and France and stops in Washington, DC before and after the war. In 2001, Sam Kimura (Mr. Takei) is an elderly man and is visited by a woman bringing a mysterious envelope from his sister Kei (Tony Award winner Lea Salonga), whom he hasn’t seen in decades. Allegiance is ambitious indeed in its sheer scale and timeline. We see the rural farm areas of California in which Japanese Americans thrived, but had their homes sold for next to nothing and their livelihoods and possessions taken from them as they were placed in internment camps. Japanese Americans were held as prisoners by the U.S. military, with their freedom taken away, not given proper medical care, and forced to claim loyalty to the U.S. on questionnaires.

In the camp, young Sam Kimura (played by Telly Leung) wants to prove his family’s loyalty to the USA by joining the war. Sam befriends and falls in love with nurse Hannah Campbell (Katie Rose Clarke). Hannah understands the unjust ways the military treats the Japanese Americans in the camp, such as denying them badly needed medication, but there is little she can do.

Sam’s loyalty, however, isn’t shared by everyone in the camp. Sister Kei supports and loves Frankie Suzuki (Michael K. Lee), a man who is against Japanese Americans being drafted and is vociferous about the way the U.S. military treats his people. Kei also worries about their ailing grandfather Ojii-chan (played by Mr. Takei in a dual role), a man that loves working in his garden.

However, most of the performances are top notch. One has to marvel at 78-year-old George Takei. Here, he is at his best playing Ojii-chan, a charming old man who brings badly needed levity to the folks in the internment camp. It is his final scene as Sam the war hero—a man who earned a purple heart but lost nearly everything important in his life—that really shows us what a consummate actor Mr. Takei truly is as he breaks down emotionally in the most heartbreaking moment of Allegiance.

Lea Salonga brings multiple layers to the character of Kei and is consistently superb and in fine voice, so it is a pity she is given such mediocre material to sing.

Some of the best performances come from supporting cast members. As Hannah, the bighearted blonde nurse from Nebraska, Katie Rose Clarke is outstanding, giving a naturalistic portrayal of a woman who risks everything to stand up for what is right. Equally evocative is Michael K. Lee as Frankie Suzuki.

Director Stafford Arima gets effective performances from everyone else, but as a whole, he had a tall order indeed, overseeing a project with the best of intentions but, because it was made into a musical, was misguided from the get-go. The timing was more than right for Allegiance with all the current talk about immigration and what it means to be an American. Many stories about World War II and the plight of Japanese Americans remain untold. With some heavy script doctoring, Allegiance could have been a modern classic but as is, it is one big missed opportunity.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 15, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on November 14, 2015

‘ALLEGIANCE’: (left to right) Michael K. Lee, George Takei & Lea Salonga. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘ALLEGIANCE’: Telly Leung & Katie Rose Clarke. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘ALLEGIANCE’: Telly Leung (center) & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘ALLEGIANCE’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘ALLEGIANCE’: Lea Salonga. Photo: Matthew Murphy

The post ‘Allegiance’: Japanese Americans in WWII USA appeared first on StageZine.

LA DIVA & HER GHOSTWRITER: Renée Fleming & Jerry O’Connell in ‘Living On Love.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

LIVING ON LOVE
Written by Joe DiPietro
Based on the play Peccadillo by Garson Kanin
Directed by Kathleen Marshall
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(212-239-6200), www.LivingOnLoveBroadway.com

By David NouNou

As comedies are very rare on Broadway these days, one has to be grateful for Living On Love, a play that has been rebooted by Joe DiPietro and has the feel of comedies of the 1950s. A lot of those comedies had a paper-thin plotline; not very taxing on the stars that portrayed those characters. The trials and tribulations were set up, but they all sorted themselves out in the end. Their objective was to please an audience. They were usually written for married celebrity couples like Rex Harrison and his then-wife Lili Palmer, and the show would have a large advance due to the marquee star power and usually lasted between six to nine months, or the entire season if lucky. This way, the actors could display their grand living albeit via the stage, the customers were happy seeing stars playing themselves or facsimiles, though some critics may have groused over the skimpy storyline. But best of all, the producers recouped their money and everybody went home happy.

Peccadillo by Garson Kanin (on which this show is based) is such a play. Mr. Kanin wrote it in 1985 but the setting and time is New York City in 1957. The characters in Peccadillo would have been the kind of people he came in contact with; after all, he did work in the theater. He was married to Ruth Gordon and they were best friends with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

In Living On Love, Vito De Angelis, a conductor, known to his nearest and dearest as Maestro (Douglas Sills), a cross between Leonard Bernstein and Steve Martin, is married to La Diva, Raquel De Angelis (Renée Fleming) for over 30 years. Their egos precede them wherever they go. They have both fallen on hard times, meaning they are getting older and their demand is less, so now they are in the process of writing their biographies and have been assigned ghostwriters to assist them. Maestro has a spunky junior editor, Iris Peabody (Anna Chlumsky). La Diva has the fawning writer Robert Sampson (Jerry O’Connell). And the best thing any household can have is a pair of harmonious butlers who have been serving the Maestro and La Diva for over 30 years: Bruce (Blake Hammond) and Eric (Scott Robertson). Needless to say, in the quest to see who finishes the book first, flirtatious goings on take place, with a lot of preening and boasting taking place.

Renée Fleming not only entices her protégé writer, Robert, but the audience as well, with her trilling of various arias from the operas she’s appeared in and what a voice. Ms. Fleming, a multiple Grammy Award winner, is making her Broadway debut. She has the diva down pat, but her inner actress for Broadway has to find its center. Douglas Sills, with a heavy Italian accent as the Maestro, is hysterical with himself as the center of the universe. He knows how to squeeze every line and leer for all it’s worth.

Jerry O’Connell, as the spineless ghostwriter, has the perfect bumbling and cuteness to make Robert believable. Anna Chlumsky, with her perky self-doubt, is the perfect foil to give Mr. O’Connell the spine he has been lacking. Together they would be the adorable younger couple. As the two butlers, Blake Hammond and Scott Robertson are synchronistic perfection; second bananas that steal the show.

Kathleen Marshall’s direction keeps things moving at a fast pace, which keeps the audience alert when the script lags. Living On Love is a nugget from yesteryear; you don’t go to peel off its veneer, you go to enjoy it, have a few laughs and go home relishing Ms. Fleming’s voice and presence, Mr. Sills’ eccentric, over-the-top behavior of a narcissist, Mr. Hammond & Mr. Robertson’s synchronicity, as well as enjoy Mr. O’Connell and Ms. Chlumsky finding their way through the mayhem. All in all, an enjoyable, harmless old-fashioned comedy whose purpose is to be entertaining and diverting for a couple of hours.

THE MAESTRO & LA DIVA: Douglas Sills & Renée Fleming in ‘Living On Love.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

MADCAP MOMENT: (left to right) Renée Fleming, Jerry O’Connell & Douglas Sills in ‘Living On Love.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 24, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 23, 2015

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