‘MJ’ : Myles Frost. Photo: Matthew Murphy

MJ
Book by Lynn Nottage
Directed & choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon
Neil Simon Theatre
250 West 52nd Street
(800-755-4000), https://mjthemusical.com

By Scott Harrah

Jukebox musicals that attempt to tell the story of a superstar while weaving hit songs into a narrative are always problematic in nature.  Sometimes jukebox bio-musicals work brilliantly (such as Tina and Jersey Boys) or they miss the mark completely.  Attempting a jukebox bio of an artist as iconic, enigmatic and controversial as the late Michael Jackson is inherently an ambitious effort, particularly with a book writer as first rate as Lynn Nottage.  However, while MJ fails as a solid bio-musical, it has enough of his hits to please MJ fans and tourists and is a crowd-pleaser, if nothing else.

One wonders why the producers chose to include a book and story when Michael Jackson has enough of a classic songbook to fill an entire show as a revue.  Think of past Broadway revues of songs that were huge hits like Smokey Joe’s Café (featuring the songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) and Ain’t Misbehavin’, starring the late Nell Carter. More recently we had After Midnight in 2013 as well as the long-running Michael Jackson revue Thriller Live on London’s West End, featuring hits by the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson.  All that would be needed for MJ could have been a recreation of all his iconic hit songs spanning the decades and that would certainly have sufficed, without the need for a book or story line.  The show, if simply a revue, would have thrilled his fans and easily run for years.  Instead, what we have here is another messy jukebox musical with an awkward book that sanitizes the truth.  MJ is not the first bio-musical to sugarcoat a music legend’s life.  Remember the Janis Joplin musical A Night with Janis Joplin a few years ago?  That show, “approved” by her estate, portrayed Joplin as an almost saintly figure and barely mentioned her pesky little heroin addiction.

MJ was produced “by special arrangement with the Estate of Michael Jackson,” so there was no way the show ever intended to give anything resembling the “real” Michael Jackson.  Here, he is portrayed as a “victim” of the media.  The story focuses on his Dangerous Tour in 1993 as he tells everything to an MTV reporter interviewing him for a documentary.  We have three versions of Michael here: Early Motown Michael (Christian Wilson), who is perfect in voice and movement. Next is “Thriller” Michael (Tavon Olds-Sample), impressive in voice and manner, if a bit too terrified of his father Joe (Quentin Earl Darrington) by that point. Finally, we have the 1993 “victimized” Michael (Myles Frost).  Mr. Frost has some of the physical qualities of Michael Jackson down well, from his wispy voice and quirky mannerisms to his famous “robot” and “moonwalk” dances.  However, Mr. Frost lacks Michael Jackson’s magnetism.

As a biographical musical that attempts to encapsulate a certain time in the superstar’s life, MJ fails. Derek McLane’s set (mostly a dreary rehearsal hall) is often drab, Christopher Wheeldon’s direction is all over the place, and Jason Michael Webb’s musical direction and orchestrations are inconsistent.  Granted, recreating Michael’s iconic pop songs and videos is no easy task, but it is difficult to know what is prerecorded here and what is live.  MJ is a true “thriller” for diehard Michael Jackson fans who simply want to see covers of his classics, such as recreating the Jackson 5 singing “ABC” on TV’s “Soul Train.”  The show works best when it aims for pure nostalgia.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published February 6, 2022
Reviewed at February 3, 2022 press performance.

‘MJ’: Myles Frost & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MJ’: Myles Frost & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MJ’: Myles Frost & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MJ’: Tavon Olds-Sample & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: (left to right) Alex Newell, Lea Salonga & Merle Dandridge. Photo: Joan Marcus

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND
Book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy
Directed by Michael Arden
Choreographed by Camille A. Brown
Circle In The Square
235 West 50th Street
212-239-6200, www.OnceOnThisIsland.com

By Scott Harrah

Tales of star-crossed lovers might be nothing new, but director Michael Arden offers a unique twist in this charming, innovative revival of Once On This Island, the 1990 Lynn Ahrens and Steven Flaherty musical, based on a Rosa Guy novel. Set on an island in the French Antilles, this Caribbean fantasy is beautifully re-conceived by Mr. Arden, with clever sets by Dane Laffrey, lavish period costumes by Clint Ramos and imaginative lighting design by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer. With the help of his scenic and lighting team, Mr. Arden offers a vivid “theater in the round” experience that works well in the confines of Circle in the Square, totally enveloping the audience and making us feel as if we are there on a windswept tropical island, complete with sand, a live goat, water, etc.

The rhythmic score by Ahrens and Flaherty transports us to a mythical time and place with a story paralleling Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Instead of the Montagues and Capulets, we have a beautiful Afro-Caribbean native girl, Ti Moune (the outstanding Hailey Kilgore), rescued from a near-fatal accident during a storm. She is adopted by two islanders, Mama Euralie (Kenita R. Miller) and Tonton Julian (Phillip Boykin), both of whom raise the orphan child as their own. Later, Ti Moune falls for the lighter-skinned, aristocratic native Daniel (Isaac Powell), an upper-class guy from the other side of the island who lives in a gated community.

Once On This Island relies heavily on the mystical superstition, voodoo and folklore of the French-speaking Caribbean, offering an endless parade of Calypso-infused songs like “We Dance,” “And the Gods Heard Her Prayer,” ‘The Sad Tale of the Beauxhommes,” and more. The songs propel the story forward like any well-made musical should, filled with the faith and rituals of the islanders. Granted, there’s a lot of confusing talk about gods and sorcery, but all one needs to believe in is the magic of the music while marveling at Camille A. Brown’s winning choreography.

Although the narrative conflict is fairly standard (dark-skinned Ti Moune can never truly be accepted by lighter-skinned Daniel’s family), the message still packs an emotional punch, considering the current political climate in America. However, under Michael Arden’s trenchant direction, the musical is more about the celebration of life and the gorgeous Afro-Caribbean songbook than anything else, so the story never seems heavy-handed.

This revival works so well thanks to the near-seismic energy of the cast, all brimming with talent. The multi-ethnic cast members gel together marvelously, but a few stand out. Ms. Kilgore gives a vivacious, sincere and truly heartbreaking performance as Ti Moune, the “peasant” girl, but Mr. Powell as Daniel is somewhat forgettable in comparison. Mr. Powell’s Daniel doesn’t always convince us that he’s someone Ti Moune would risk her life for, but without this notion there would be no story. Love perpetuates life, it seems.

Some of the show’s greatest performances are given by supporting cast members, like Tony winner Lea Salonga, bewitching us with her mellifluous voice as goddess Erzulie in such songs as “The Human Heart.” Kenita R. Miller, as Mama Eurlie, is often haunting as she sings of the love she has for Ti Moune, while Alex Newell, as gender-bending Asaka, has the whole house grooving as she belts out the rousing “Mama Will Provide.”

Once On This Island is a colorful, immersive experience for everyone, giving audiences a helluva joyful ride, making it one of the season’s freshest surprises.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 5, 2017
Reviewed at December 4, 2017 press performance.

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: Hailey Kilgore. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: Lea Salonga. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: Hailey Kilgore. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: Kenita R. Miller. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: Quentin Earl Darrington. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: Phillip Boykin. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: Isaac Powell & Merle Dandridge. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: (left to right) Emerson Davis, Lea Salonga, Alex Newell, Quentin Earl Darrington & Merle Dandridge. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: Isaac Powell & Quentin Earl Darrington. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’: The cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘CATS’: British pop sensation Leona Lewis as Grizabella. Photo: Matthew Murphy

CATS
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot
Choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler
Based on original choreography by Gillian Lynne
Directed by Trevor Nunn
Neil Simon Theatre
250 W. 52nd Street
877-250-2929, http://www.catsthemusical.com/broadway/

By Scott Harrah

Back on Broadway after a 16-year absence, this spectacular yet scaled-down reboot of the Andrew Lloyd Webber mega-hit will definitely thrill Cats aficionados, but may irk some purists. The show, first mounted on Broadway in 1982, was one of the original British import musical phenomena of the era and ran for 18 years at the Winter Garden here in New York. The fact that it’s now playing at the much smaller Neil Simon makes it obvious the show isn’t as extravagant as the original, but it’s still a visual feast, thanks to John Napier’s elaborate kitty junkyard set, the famous 1980s aerobics-style cat suits and updated choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler (based on Gillian Lynne’s original, ballet-style movements).

This reviewer never saw the original, but most of us have at least seen vintage footage of Betty Buckley on the Tony Awards singing “Memory” or have heard the soundtrack, rented the DVD or watched snippets on YouTube.

Although hardly Mr. Lloyd Webber’s best musical, Cats is a classic regardless. It’s easy to see why. Although there really isn’t any plot, the action revolves around T.S. Eliot’s “Jellicle Cats” in a junkyard, each telling their story in song, and everything is simplistic enough for kids from age three to 93 to comprehend. This is a show for the whole family, and most kids love cats, so it never needed a strong narrative. Still, this remains a musical that often draws “love it” or “hate it” reactions from audiences. It has none of the soaring, haunting melodies of Mr. Lloyd Webber’s far superior works The Phantom of the Opera and Evita except for one song that is now one of the most renowned show tunes of the past three decades: “Memory,” of course.

This brings us to the controversial casting of British pop singer Leona Lewis as Grizabella, the aging “glamour cat.” At age 31, the singer, famous for such hits as “Bleeding Love,” seems too young and chic to be convincing as the worn-out Grizabella, a cat yearning for her lost youth. Her voice is good, and her range is perfect for pop but not always powerful enough for the live stage. In addition, Ms. Lewis’s costume is far more elegant and stylish than the one worn by Betty Buckley (and Elaine Paige in the original London production).

This 21st century version is mostly notable for the first-rate performances of many other cast members, including Emily Pynenburg as Cassandra; Christine Cornish Smith as Bombalurina; Tyler Hanes as Bill Bailey/Rum Tum Tugger; Kim Faure as Demeter; Andy Huntington Jones as Munkustrap; Quentin Earl Darrington as Old Deuteronomy; and Christopher Gurr as Gus, the Theatre Cat. Director Trevor Nunn brings out the best in nearly all the actors and makes the cast gel cohesively.

One wonders if Mr. Nunn’s revival might have been more powerful had he put a modern, fresh spin on the show. Perhaps different costumes (although the Lycra leotards are the show’s trademark) or some tweaks to the set might have given this Cats a different kind of new life. However, gimmicky revivals almost never work (think of all those John Doyle retoolings of Stephen Sondheim shows in which actors also played instruments), so Mr. Nunn was wise not to tamper too much with Mr. Lloyd Webber’s winning formula. It is debatable whether this production will win over new generations, but if you enjoyed Cats before and want to relive the “Memory” again, there is plenty to enjoy here.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published August 7, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on August 4, 2016

‘CATS’: Andy Huntington Jones as Munkustrap. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Tyler Hanes as Rum Tum Tugger. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Quentin Earl Darrington as Old Deuteronomy. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Georgina Pazcoguin as Victoria. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Kim Faure as Demeter & Christine Cornish Smith as Bombalurina & company. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: The company. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Leona Lewis. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Leona Lewis. Photo: Matthew Murphy

FLASHBACK TO ORIGINAL PRODUCTION: Betty Buckley as Grizabella in ‘Cats’ back in 1982. Photo: Martha Swope

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