Scotland, PA

C

Although Billy Morrisette’s 2001 film of the same name received mostly negative reviews, it nevertheless became a minor cult classic. It was a parody of Shakespeare’s Scottish play that reset the locale to a greasy spoon diner in a sleepy Pennsylvania town. Now Roundabout Theatre is presenting a musical version with a book by Michael Mitnick (Sex Lives of Our Parents) and music and lyrics by Adam Gwon (Ordinary Days). The results are mixed. Mac (Ryan McCartan; Heathers) and Pat (Taylor Iman Jones; Groundhog Day), a couple working at the diner, feel unappreciated by owner Duncan (Jeb Brown; Beautiful) and decide to go after what they feel they deserve. Their dream turns out to be very much like a certain chain with golden arches. Mac is goaded on by three stoners, led by the delightful Alysha Umphress (On the Town), who replace the traditional three witches. The couple’s dimwitted friend Banko, played by Jay Armstrong Johnson (On the Town), is a hoot. Will Meyers plays Duncan’s unhappy son Malcolm who has a surprising secret. When the bodies start to pile up, detective Peg McDuff (Megan Lawrence; Holiday Inn) investigates. The music and lyrics are serviceable with only a song or two that stands out. The book gets most things right but muddles the stoners’ prophecies. Anna Louizos’s (School of Rock) set is clever and Tracy Christensen’s (Sunset Boulevard) costumes are spot on.  Lonny Price (Sunset Boulevard) directs with assurance. There is nothing specifically wrong with the show; it just is instantly forgettable. The two leads are adequate but are upstaged by Umphress and Johnson. If you want an evening that isn’t too taxing and are a musical fan, you might enjoy this show. Running time: two hours 15 minutes including intermission.

Head over Heels

B

The idea hardly sounds promising: take a 16th-century English pastoral, “The Arcadia” by Sir Philip Sidney, revise it and marry it to a score made up of songs by the all-female 80’s rock group, the Go-Go’s. Nevertheless, it was sufficiently well-received at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival three years ago that a group of producers including Gwyneth Paltrow and Jordan Roth signed on to shape it up and bring it first to San Francisco and now to Broadway's Hudson Theatre. Against all odds, it mostly works. James Magruder (Triumph of Love) adapted Jeff Whitty’s (Avenue Q) original concept and book and the producers assembled a fine cast and a very talented creative team including Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) as orchestrator, Spencer Liff (Spring Awakening) as choreographer and Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) as director. The sumptuous set design by Julian Crouch (Hedwig), the wonderful costumes by Arianne Phillips (Hedwig), the hyperactive lighting by Kevin Adams (Hedwig) and the clever projections by Andrew Lazarow (Privacy) all add greatly to the production. The eight leads — Jeremy Kushner, Rachel York, Bonnie Milligan, Samantha Pollino (u/s for Alexandra Socha), Tom Alan Robbins, Taylor Iman Jones, Andrew Durand and Peppermint — are all talented performers. Durand (Spring Awakening) is delightful in the dual role of shepherd and Amazon. It’s good to have Rachel York (City of Angels) back on a New York stage. Peppermint (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”) is notable for being the first transgender woman to create a role on Broadway. For me, Liff’s choreography is one of the strongest aspects of the show. l confess that I had never heard a Go-Go’s song before and would not feel deprived if I did not hear one again. Nevertheless, they fit reasonably well into the show. The GoGo’s must have reached cult status, because there was loud whooping and hollering whenever the first bars of a familiar song were heard. The plot is unabashedly silly, with an oracle, a curse, a royal family, a shepherd, hidden identities and a touch of “woke” gender fluidity. It’s not My Fair Lady or Carousel, but it works as naughty fun for a summer night. The curtain call is a real treat! Running time: two hours 20 minutes including intermission.