‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: (Left to right) Tony Yazbeck, Harry Hadden-Paton & Carmen Cusack. Photo: Joan Marcus.

FLYING OVER SUNSET
Music by Tom Kitt
Lyrics by Michael Korie
Book & direction by James Lapine
Through February 6, 2022
Vivian Beaumont Theater
150 West 65th Street
(212-239-6200), www.FlyingOverSunset.com

By David NouNou

Flying Over Sunset is a musical that is both intriguing and manipulating. It is intriguing due to the subject matter, the use of LSD, and it is manipulating because of the subjects who are using LSD. Had it been you, me, and a random third person, there would be no intrigue, plot or point. However, Cary Grant (Tony Yazbeck), a movie star from 1932 to 1966; Clare Boothe Luce (Carmen Cusack), a playwright who wrote The Women, a Republican Congresswoman from Connecticut, and a U.S. Ambassador to Italy; and Aldous Huxley (Harry Hadden-Paton), author of the 1932 dystopian classic novel Brave New World—all using LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)— manipulates us to care about who and what is going on.

All three used LSD at low points of their lives. Cary Grant was trying to connect his movie-star persona to his childhood poverty-stricken self, Archie Leech; Clare Boothe Luce, after the death of her daughter, Ann, in a car accident; Aldous Huxley wanted to experiment and get in touch with his inner self, and after the death of his wife, Maria. They all needed to come to their point of self-realization. Their mentor who helped them through their journeys was Gerald Heard (Robert Sella), the grandfather of the “new age.”

The book by James Lapine is provocative in a manipulating way. Although the three subjects never had a collective session, it is interesting how Mr. Lapine wove together these three brilliant lives into a cohesive narrative.

As a musical, Flying Over Sunset at best is a very iffy proposition. As a drama, it would have been superior with all the insights thrown into these characters. The characters are compelling and do hold our interest. As a musical, the songs and the musical numbers tend to interrupt the proceedings. That being said, the music by Tom Kitt is beautiful and haunting, while the lyrics by Michael Korie are often pedestrian and forgettable.

Never having known Cary Grant, Clare Boothe Luce, or Aldous Huxley personally, of the three, most of us are familiar with the movies of Cary Grant. Thankfully, Mr. Yazbeck doesn’t impersonate Mr. Grant; he gives us the flavor of the self-doubting, dashing leading man, Ms. Cusack imbues a lot of tragedy to her Ms. Boothe Luce, and Mr. Hadden-Patton delves into Mr. Huxley’s persona with passion. They all have their moments to shine, but Ms. Cusack stands out for the beauty of her voice, and her vocals are gorgeously melodic, particularly when singing the show’s title song “Flying Over Sunset” in act one.

The major drawback to all the proceedings is the cavernous Vivian Beaumont Theater; not even Mr. Lapine’s expert direction and the great assistance of Beowulf Boritt’s beautiful and often hallucinogenic scenery can overcome this drawback. What will keep you in your seats and help you overcome this hollowness are the gifts of Carmen Cusack, Harry Hadden-Paton and Tony Yazbeck.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 20, 2021
Reviewed at December 19, 2021 press performance.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: (Left to right) Michele Ragusa, Carmen Cusack & Kanisha Marie Feliciano. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: (Left to right) Michele Ragusa, Harry Hadden-Paton, & Kanisha Marie Feliciano. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET”: Carmen Cusack (center) & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: Robert Sella & Carmen Cusack. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: Tony Yazbeck. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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‘WAR PAINT’: Christine Ebersole & Patti LuPone. Photo: Joan Marcus

WAR PAINT
Book by Doug Wright
Music by Scott Frankel
Lyrics by Michael Korie
Directed by Michael Greif
Choreography by Christopher Gattelli
Nederlander Theatre
208 West 41st Street
(877-250-2929), www.warpaintmusical.com

By David NouNou

Due to a scheduling mix-up, I had the good fortune to see War Paint as the last show of the season. After seeing so many movies turned into mediocre musicals, I can honestly say it was a thrill to enjoy this gem of an original musical. I am not saying it’s perfect, but for an audience that can remember the wonderful musicals of the 1950s and 1960s, this is as close as you can get to such wonderful heights.

With a witty book by Doug Wright, an excellent melodic score by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie (all three of Grey Gardens fame) and deft direction by Michael Greif, they have created a highly entertaining musical about world-renowned cosmeticians Helena Rubinstein (Patti LuPone) and Elizabeth Arden (Christine Ebersole).

Rubinstein was from a Polish shtetl and Arden came from a poor farm in Ontario, Canada. Both women came to America and reinvented themselves as the prima donnas of beauty. Madame Rubinstein, as she became known, catered to wealthy European immigrants, while Arden catered to New York society. They competed with each other for more than 50 years, never having met, but they revolutionized the beauty industry. In addition, they were the only females who owned their own businesses at the time. They had their ups and downs and unfortunately for them, they didn’t know when it was time to change with the times. When things were being re-branded for the young market, they clung to their “exclusive” roots.

I did mention earlier this is not a perfect musical and that’s because the two protagonists never met.  You have these two magnificent titans and there is no conflict between them; they just refer to each other as “the other one.”When you think of Grey Gardens, the two women were constantly together, thus creating the friction. Here you have two giants who live parallel lives and they don’t intersect, thus creating a vacuum.

However, when you have two legendary actresses the likes of Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole, there is little to fret about the vacuum. These women know how to manipulate a line and an audience. Their presence and outstanding vocal gifts fill any gaps in the story line. Their performances are award worthy; they recently both received Tony nominations for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, and deservedly so. I only wish that the score was nominated as well. Mr. Greif, the director, got the nomination for Dear Evan Hansen.

War Paint earned two additional nominations for the lovely costumes by Catherine Zuber and a sublime set by David Korins. Thanks to Mr. Korins, audiences finally get to see a realized set that moves like a Swiss watch and not some tacky cheap set that is moved by actors or stagehands. That was the norm back in Broadway’s golden years, with sets that moved effortlessly and transported you to another world. Thanks to War Paint and its creators and designers and especially to Ms. LuPone and Ms. Ebersole, we are transported again.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 4, 2017
Reviewed at performance on May 3, 2017

‘WAR PAINT’: Christine Ebersole, Patti LuPone & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WAR PAINT’: Pattil LuPone. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WAR PAINT’: (left to right) Jennifer Rias, Steffanie Leigh, Christine Ebersole, Mary Claire King, Stephanie Jae Park. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WAR PAINT’: Douglas Sills & Patti LuPone. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WAR PAINT’: Christine Ebersole. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WAR PAINT’: Douglas Sills & John Dossett. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WAR PAINT’: Christine Ebersole & John Dossett. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WAR PAINT’: Christine Ebersole & John Dossett. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WAR PAINT’: Christine Ebersole. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WAR PAINT’: Christine Ebersole. Photo: Joan Marcus

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LARA & DOCTOR ZHIVAGO: Kelli Barrett & Tam Matu. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
Book by Michael Weller
Music by Lucy Simon
Lyrics by Michael Korie & Amy Powers
Based on the novel by Joseph Pasternak
Directed by Des McAnuff
Choreographed by Kelly Devine
Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway at 53rd Street
(212-239-6200), www.DoctorZhivagoBroadway.com

By David NouNou

1957 introduced us to the epic Russian novel Doctor Zhivago. Simply put, it’s the Russian version of our Gone With the Wind. Then in 1965, David Lean gave us the epic grandiose motion picture version; both of them by today’s standards border on the tedious. Now in 2015, we have the granddaddy of them all, the musical version is the epic version of boredom and tedium. Here the definition of those two words is Doctor Zhivago.

Set against a background of war and revolution, where an eternal love is formed might sound like an ambitious and a tempting idea to some writers and composers. After all, an epic Victor Hugo novel was turned into an epic musical. What the creators here failed to realize is the book and score in that musical propelled the storyline forward and kept the action constantly moving. The book here is sophomoric and the score is about as exciting as listening to wallpaper paste dry. It turns into almost three hours of unrelenting drab tedium. Inserting the now famous song “Somewhere My Love” or “Lara’s Theme” from the movie sung by nurses on the battlefield in the middle of Act I makes the scene so absurd and ludicrous that one yearns just to hear the entire magnificent melodic Maurice Jarre score from the movie and dispense with the entire abysmally dreary repetitious songs sung here.

We have the orphaned Yuri Zhivago going to live with the Gromekos. Yuri (Tam Mutu) grows up and marries Tonia Gromeko (Lora Lee Gayer), his childhood friend, and on the eve of his wedding a revolution is going on outside. He leaves the wedding to tend the wounded and while on this mission of mercy, he meets the love of his life, Lara (Kelli Barrett). She is on her way to find Viktor Komarovsky (Tom Hewitt), who during her youth took advantage of her maidenhood and taught her the pleasures of lovemaking and she carries this guilt throughout her life. On this particular night, she is out to kill him and he is attending Yuri’s wedding party. She bursts into the party tries to shoot him but misses, no charges are pressed, and Yuri is totally enthralled by Lara and seems to have forgotten he is getting married that night. Lara ultimately marries the revolutionary, Pasha Antipov (Paul Nolan Alexander). On their wedding night, Pasha tells her he’s a virgin and she tells him about her life of sin with Viktor. In a furious fit, Pasha goes to war, climbs up the ranks and becomes the feared and dreaded Strelnikov (he’s even more sinister than Inspector Javert; you know, from the other epic musical).

Yuri, now a celebrated poet and doctor, is off mending the wounded at the war. Viktor is also there fighting for the overthrow of the government; he is very adaptable. He switches allegiances at the drop of a hat. Madness is all around, uprisings, starvation, famine communism, cannons being fired, people getting killed all over Russia, and you know that Russia is a humongous place but Yuri and Lara keep bumping into each other in all parts of Russia and their love is eternal as mentioned in the song “On the Edge of Time.” I’ve told you enough. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the pleasures that await you.

All this could be accepted, not forgiven, had the leads had any charm, charisma, personality anything appealing. Was there a shortage of leading men in America that they had to get Tam Mutu from England? Three men in love and obsessed with Lara, in this case Kelli Barrett; what did she possess that just never came across the footlights? Paul Alexander Nolan, who was quiet good as Jesus in the recent revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, starts out pleasant enough as Sasha but as Strelnikov is shrill and ludicrous barking out orders and shooting people. Oh, the revolution does take a toll on people. I must admit that Tom Hewitt had a grasp of his character, Viktor, and played him well.

I know all directors can have a misfire, but when it happens to one someone the likes of Des McAnuff, it is mind boggling how this musical was so out of control. After all, he was the visionary who was responsible for such musicals as Tommy, Jersey Boys, Big River and a splendid revival of How to Succeed...I know it’s a challenge to tackle the impossible, but even Mr. McAnuff must have sensed the odds against this pointless travesty.

Even the design aspects of this show are at odds with themselves: the sets represent nothing but stacked-up chairs and sometimes they are on fire; the costumes are too lavish for the impoverished Tonia and the Gromekos after the fall of the Czar when they didn’t even have enough food to set on the table. Just look at the picture of her in that gorgeous beige suit and hat; what woman wouldn’t kill for that outfit? And that is the show’s representation of a poor woman. The sound effects were too loud, I guess to try to keep us awake. So it goes, one misfire after another: story, book, score, players, direction, all forms of designs. Enough said, I think you get the picture.

ONE DREARY EVENING: Sophia Gennusa & Kelli Barrett in ‘Doctor Zhivago.’ Photo: Matthew Murphy

THE GOOD DOCTOR: Tam Matu as Doctor Zhivago. Photo: Matthew Murphy

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION SET TO MUSIC: (left to right) Paul Alexander Nolan, Kelli Barrett, Tam Matu & Lora Lee Gayer. Photo: Matthew Murphy

IMPOVERISHED, BUT ABLE TO AFFORD THAT CHIC SUIT & HAT: Lora Lee Gayer. Photo: Matthew Murphy

VIKTOR: Played well by Tom Hewitt. Photo: Matthew Murphy

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 25, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 24, 2015

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