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.

Tootsie

B+

The tag line in the ads for the Broadway adaptation of this 1982 film is “The Comedy Musical.” The inversion of the usual term is apt, because this is one of the few musicals more likely to be remembered for its savvy book by Robert Horn (13 The Musical, “Designing Women”) than for its competent, but not stellar, score by David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit, The Full Monty). It’s not that the score is bad — Yazbek displays his usual facility for matching song to character and his lyrics are often clever — but there are no songs that jump out as something you are likely to want to hear again very soon. The book, on the other hand, very cleverly updates the basic story to the age of #MeToo, successfully changes the setting from the world of soap operas to the Broadway stage, and regularly provides a barrel of laughs. The strong book is matched by a superb cast and first-rate production values. Santino Fontana (Cinderella, Sons of the Prophet) deftly negotiates the dual role of Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels, singing well in both ranges. Lilli Cooper (SpongeBob SquarePants, Spring Awakening) is lovely as Julie Nichols, Dorothy’s co-star and Michael’s love interest. Sarah Stiles (Hand to God, On a Clear Day…) pulls out all the stops as Michael’s neurotic former girlfriend Sandy Lester and Andy Grotelueschen (Cyrano de Bergerac, Into the Woods) is droll as Michael’s roommate Jeff Slater. John Behlmann (Significant Other, Journey’s End) is a riot as the buff but dim Max Van Horn who takes a shine to Dorothy. The always enjoyable Julie Halston (On the Town, Hairspray) scores as the wealthy producer Rita Marshall, who promotes Dorothy’s rise. Michael McGrath (The Front Page, She Loves Me) makes the most of the small but important role of Stan Fields, Michael’s agent. Reg Rogers (The Royal Family, Holiday) is wonderful as Ron Carlisle, the director who has blackballed Michael but is forced to work with Dorothy. The choreography by Denis Jones (Holiday Inn, Honeymoon in Vegas) is lively with a memorable faux-Fosse number that we gratefully get to see a second time during the curtain call. David Rockwell’s (Kiss Me Kate!, She Loves Me) attractive, flexible sets are beautifully lit by Donald Holder (The Lion King) and William Ivey Long’s (Prince of Broadway, It Shoulda Been You) costumes are marvelous. Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, On the 20th Century) directs with aplomb. The implausible progression from the awful show “Juliet’s Curse” to the hit “Juliet’s Nurse” is fun to watch. There is so much to admire that one regrets that the score is not up to the high level of everything else. Nevertheless, it offers a very entertaining evening with far more laughs than you can expect from today’s typical musical. Running time: two hours 35 minutes including intermission.