Once Upon a Mattress

B+

The widely acclaimed Encores production of this 1959 Broadway show with music by Mary Rogers, book by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer and Dean Fuller, and lyrics by Barer has transferred comfortably to the Hudson Theatre. The book, which sometimes seems patched together and a bit padded, is a sly retelling of the fairy tale of The Princess and the Pea. Sutton Foster, with the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of Carol Burnett, who created the role of Princess Winnifred, is a resounding success. Her madcap physical humor raises slapstick to astral heights and her voice is fine too. She is the main reason to see the show. Until she appears well into the first act, things are becoming a bit draggy, but when she is onstage, the audience is fully engaged. One of the main reasons I wanted to see the show was because Michael Urie was playing Prince Dauntless. Unfortunately, he was out for my performance. His understudy, Daniel Beeman, was perfectly respectable, but lacked the extra spark that Urie brings to his roles.  Ana Gasteyer makes a fine strong-willed Queen Aggravain and David Patrick Kelly does well as King Sextimus the Silent. Will Chase and Nikki Renee Daniels are appealing as the young lovers, Sir Harry and Lady Larken. Brooks Ashmanskas is droll as the wizard. Daniel Breaker does what he can with the underwritten role of the jester. The scenic design by David Zinn is typical for a show that originated at Encores, with a few platforms deep enough to hold chairs and other props in front of the orchestra filling the back of the stage. There are lots of banners, some with anachronistic pictures, e.g. a NYC taxi, for which I did not see the point. The costumes by Andrea Hood are bright and colorful. The choreography by Lauren Latarro is lively. The direction by Lear deBessonet keeps thing moving smoothly. The music serves the show well and the lyrics are often clever. If your funny bone could use a good tickle, this is the show for you. Running time: two hours fifteen minutes including intermission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                 

Oliver!

 A

 By coincidence, the two finest musicals in New York right now are both set in the underbelly of 19^th-century London. My previous review was devoted to one of them, Sweeney Todd, which is essentially tragic with comic undertones. Oliver!, on the other hand, is basically good-natured with a touch of tragedy. Lionel Bart’s score has a super-abundance of delightful songs that, in this Encores! production, receive their due both from the orchestra and the actors. The voices, starting with 12-year-old Benjamin Pajak (The Music Man) in the title role, are superb. He stopped the show with “Where Is Love?”, as did the excellent Lilli Cooper (Mack & Mabel) as Nancy with “As Long As He Needs Me.” Raul Esparza (Company, Seared) creates an almost sympathetic Fagin, a far cry from Dickens’ creation. Tam Mutu (Moulin Rouge) is a properly menacing Bill Sikes. Julian Lerner’s Artful Dodger was more subdued than usual. Brad Oscar (The Producers) and Mary Testa (Oklahoma!) go well together as Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney. Thom Sesma (A Man of No Importance) and Rashidra Scott (Company) are fine as Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry. Michael Siberry (INK) is a sympathetic Mr. Brownlow. One of the show’s biggest treats is its young ensemble who are triple threats with first-rate singing, acting and, especially, dancing. Lorin Latarro’s (Into the Woods) ample choreography is inventive and makes the most of the stage’s shallow performing space. David Rockwell’s (She Loves Me) efficient set places the orchestra on a platform of rough wooden beams, with a backdrop of the London skyline at night, and two stairways that get lots of use. The score sounds wonderful under the baton of Encores! musical director Mary-Mitchell Campbell. Director Lear DeBessonet (Into the Woods) shows a real affinity for this material; The future of Encores! looks promising under her artistic direction. The production runs until May 14. Running time: two hours 20 minutes including intermission.

Miss You Like Hell

C

Take some social issues — an unforgiving immigration policy, a broken justice system, suicidal teenage depression, Latin pride, same-sex marriage — add music, shake lightly, sprinkle with a dash of feminism, and you might end up with something like the new musical at the Public Theater. The book by Pulitzer winner Quiara Alegria Hudes (In the Heights, Water by the Spoonful) is actually a reworking and musicalization of her earlier play 26 Miles. The two principal characters are Beatriz (Daphne Rubin-Vega; Daphne's Dive, Rent), an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, and Olivia (Gizel Jimenez; Party People), the 16-year-old daughter she had with an Anglo-American. Olivia lives with her father in Philadelphia and has not seen her mother in four years since Beatriz took off for California. Beatriz suddenly shows up in the middle of the night, allegedly to spend a week with her daughter after reading her suicidal threats on her blog “Castaways.” Her ulterior motive is to get Olivia to California to testify as a character witness in her final hearing before possible deportation. How a 16-year-daughter who hasn’t seen her mother in four years could serve as a plausible character witness is one of the weakest plot points. Olivia reluctantly agrees on the condition that they stop at Yellowstone so she can meet Pearl (Latoya Edwards; Polkadots), a young park ranger who is a loyal reader of her blog. Along the way they meet Higgins (David Patrick Kelly; Once) and Mo (Michael Mulheren; Kiss Me, Kate), a gay couple who are on a mission to renew their vows in all 50 states, and Manuel (Danny Bolero; In the Heights), a widowed tamale vendor. The diverse ensemble cast also includes Marinda Anderson, Andrew Cristi, Shawna M. Hamic and Marcus Paul James. Ms. Rubin-Vega and Ms. Jimenez are both quite strong in their roles. The music by Erin McKeown, in a variety of generic styles, is serviceable. The scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez (Indecent, The Invisible Hand) reconfigures the Newman Theater to offer a deep square stage platform with two rows of audience seats on the sides and seats for the performers at the rear. Emilio Sosa (On Your Feet!, Sex with Strangers) has costumed the characters aptly. The lighting design by Tyler Micoleau is important to varying the mood. Lear deBessonet (The Tempest, Venus) directed. I really wanted to like it, but was disappointed that it did not offer any real illumination on the many issues it touched on. Honesty requires that I report that most of the audience seemed quite enthusiastic. Running time: one hour 40 minutes, no intermission.