Company

B

The much-anticipated London production of this Sondheim classic, which was shut down by the pandemic on the day it was supposed to open, has finally started previews on Broadway. The attention-grabbing gimmick of this version, under the direction of the renowned Marianne Elliott (Angels in America, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, War Horse), is to change the central character Bobby to Bobbie (Katrina Lenk; Indecent, The Band’s Visit). While I would have no problem with this change if it somehow enriched the experience, I thought it added nothing except novelty. As if that were not enough tinkering with George Furth's book, Amy has become Jamie and the impending wedding is now a same-sex one. This change did add something: it made the story more contemporary and gave “Getting Married Today” to the wonderful Matt Doyle (The Book of Mormon, War Horse), who aced it. I suppose it is politically incorrect to make note of it, but three of the five married couples are interracial. Because of the gender bending, we are able to witness that rare species, the straight male flight attendant, who is delightfully played by Claybourne Elder (Road Show, One Arm). The rest of the cast is generally strong. It’s a treat to see Christopher Sieber (The Prom, Shrek, Spamalot) and Jennifer Simard (Mean Girls, Disaster!), as Harry and Sarah, go at each other. The trio of Bobby Conte (A Bronx Tale), Manu Narayan (My Fair Lady) and Elder deliver a top-notch ”You Could Drive a Person Crazy.” Conte also delivers a first-rate “Another Hundred People,” undaunted by Liam Steel’s hyperactive choreography. Unsurprisingly, Patti Lupone’s (War Paint, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd) “The Ladies Who Lunch” brought half the audience to its feet. And then there’s Lenk’s “Being Alive,” which I regret to report is underwhelming . Much as I have enjoyed her elsewhere, I must confess that I found Lenk generally disappointing. She did not demonstrate why her diverse group of friends found her so special, so there’s a hole at the center of the show. And then there’s Bunny Christie’s (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TIme, Ink) lavish set, which seemed to be based on the idea that more is more. It moves side to side, forward and backward, up and down, with pop-ups and restless 8-foot-high illuminated brightly colored letters that get shoved around the stage. It’s impressive to the point of distraction. Despite my reservations over many details, I found the evening enjoyable. The audience went wild, so I expect most people, particularly those who haven’t seen it before, will enjoy the show. As for me, it made me want to rewatch John Doyle’s streamlined version starring Raul Esparza on YouTube. (Running time: two hours 55 minutes including intermission.)

Merrily We Roll Along

B+

In view of the success of their production of Into the Woods a few years ago, it is not surprising that Roundabout has again turned to Fiasco Theater to apply their magic touch to another Sondheim show. A 1981 Broadway flop that has become a cult classic, Merrily has been revised numerous times for productions around the country as well as in London, where it won an Olivier in 2001. In this version, Fiasco has reduced the cast to six performers playing 11 roles. The streamlined book hews more closely to Kaufman and Hart’s 1934 play than George Furth’s original. What makes the story of three show business friends over a 22-year period unique is that it is told backwards from fame and prosperity in 1979 back to humble beginnings in 1957. Frank (Ben Steinfeld; Into the Woods) is a talented composer who gives up his talent to become a successful Hollywood producer. Charley (Manu Narayan; My Fair Lady) is his lyricist and buddy who, after a rupture with Frank, goes on to win a Pulitzer Prize. Mary (Jessie Austrian; Into the Woods), authors a best seller, gives up writing to become a film critic, harbors unrequited love for Frank and becomes an alcoholic. We also meet Frank’s first wife Beth (Brittany Bradford; Bernhardt/Hamlet), her parents (Paul L. Coffey and Emily Young; both in Into the Woods), his second wife Gussie (Young again); Joe (Coffey again), the husband she leaves for Frank; and Frank’s latest fling Meg (Bradford again), the star of his new movie. From a Hollywood party celebrating Frank’s latest film, we move backward in time and eventually end up on a New York rooftop watching Sputnik fly by. Along the way there are such strong songs as “Old Friends,” “Not a Day Goes By” and “Our Time.” The staging is very creative. The acting is first-rate; the singing leaves a bit to be desired in a case or two. The set by Derek McLane (The Price, Noises Off) is a show all by itself and worth arriving early to examine in detail. Recalling his cluttered set for “I Am My Own Wife,” he gives us the world’s largest prop shop with shelves laden with a multitude of objects reaching the highest levels of the stage. The shelves are punctuated by a window here and a chimney there and two enormous doors in the center which occasionally part to reveal backdrops that set the scene. I am not sure what relevance the crowded shelves have to the production, but they are something to behold. The costumes by Paloma Young (Time and the Conways) and Ashley Rose Horton help set the period. Noah Brody’s (Into the Woods) direction is fluid and assured. While I doubt that I will ever include Merrily among my favorite Broadway musicals, I grant that this production makes a strong case for it and provides an entertaining experience. Running time: one hour 50 minutes; no intermission.

NOTE: For an entertaining, informative look at the experiences of those in the original Broadway production, I highly recommend the 2016 documentary “Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened,” which is available to stream on Netflix.

Gettin' the Band Back Together

D+

It isn’t often that a musical with an original book makes it to Broadway these days, so I decided to buy a deeply discounted ticket for this Jersey import that garnered respectable reviews at the George St. Theater a few years ago. I wish I hadn’t.

First warning sign: the list of producers was much longer than the cast list.

Second warning sign: the lead producer, Ken Davenport, is also the author of the book, along with an improvisational group called The Grundleshotz.

Third warning sign: Davenport hops up onstage to give a pep talk before the show begins.

By the time the show began, I already knew that it was going to be a long night.

The silly plot revolves around Mitch Papadopoulos (Mitchell Jarvis; Rock of Ages), an unsuccessful stockbroker who is fired on his 40th birthday and forced to return home to Sayreville, NJ to live with his widowed mother Sharon (Marilu Henner; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, “Taxi”). His former high school rival Tygen Billows (Brandon Williams) browbeats him into reviving his old band to compete against his in The Battle of the Bands which he lost to Mitch 20 years ago. His former bandmates are Bart Vickers (Jay Klaitz; Rock of Ages), a math teacher who isn’t good at math; Sully Sullivan (Paul Whitty; Once), a cop who really doesn’t want to be one; and Rummesh “Robbie” Patel (Manu Narayan; My Fair Lady), a dermatologist on the verge of an arranged marriage. To replace their deceased guitarist, they hold auditions and choose Ricky Bling (Sawyer Nunes; Matilda), a rapping high school student. We also meet Dani Franco (Kelli Barrett; The Royal Family), Mitch’s former sweetheart, who is now going with Tygen, and her teenage daughter Billie (Noa Solorio), as well as some of the colorful local characters. The first act spends a lot of time on exposition with most of the big production numbers filling the much livelier second act. I’m not a good judge of rock music, but I found the score by Mark Allen uninspired. Chris Bailey’s choreography catches fire in the second act. Derek McLane’s (The Parisian Woman) functional set recalls drawings from a comic strip. Emily Rebholz’s (Dear Evan Hansen) costumes are amusing. I am puzzled what motivated Tony winner John Rando (On the Town, Urinetown) to direct. The cast is uniformly enthusiastic. Brandon Williams steals every scene he is in. Ms. Henner looks too young and sexy to play Mitch’s mother. The audience was clearly determined to show they were having a good time, occasionally shouting out retorts to the actors. Any mention of New Jersey was met with loud approval. I had to wonder how this show ever reached Broadway. Running time: two hours 30 minutes including intermission.