Most of these shows were in previews so I’m keeping things vague (with no star ratings) but if this is how good they are already then most them are stone cold hits, and one will sadly sink against all the competition.
Maybe Happy Ending (Belasco Theatre) in previews
Book by Will Aronson & Hue Park. Music by Will Aronson. Lyrics by Hue Park.
This feels like a sleeper cult hit for its injection of quirk and adorability.
Two “retired” personal helper robots reside in rooms across from each other where they will eventually fall into disrepair. Oliver (Darren Criss) is an older Model 3 helper-bot who is convinced his owner will come back to collect him. He spends his days in a neat routine, listening to jazz albums his owner gave him and talking to his plant. His well ordered days are interrupted by a knock on the door. There he finds Claire (Helen J. Shen), a Model 5 who lives across the hallway, in distress. Her charger has broken and she needs to borrow Oliver’s. It’s a classic meet-cute between two spiky neighbours who share a very literal spark. One day Claire convinces Olivier that they should strike out and go find his owner so the two robots break the rules and head off on a road trip.
I’ve not seen a more beautifully sweet musical since I saw Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) in London. There is a charm that oozes from every aspect of this show. The two leads are magnetic. The design work is stunning. The music is bubbly and retro – this feels like a very 60s sitcom set up. You could easily replace the sci-fi elements with a regular odd-couple neighbours vibe.
The whole show is will make you laugh and cry and go “awww” a lot but not necessarily in that order. It has more heart than a dozen other shows combined.
I absolutely loved it and would happily pay to see it again.
Sunset Boulevard (St James Theatre)
Book & Lyrics by Don Black & Christopher Hampton. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
I’m going to save my thoughts on Sunset Boulevard for a separate piece compared with the recent Australian production. Expect that in a few days.
Tammy Faye (Palace Theatre) in previews
Book by James Graham. Music by Elton John. Lyrics by Jake Shears.
I was very excited about the London transfer of Tammy Faye, and subsequently it was the one I was most disappointed with. I love Katie Brayben, she’s a terrific performer who I’ve seen lead musicals in London and her performance as Tammy Faye is great. Shame the whole show around her isn’t up to the same standard.
The talent involved is fierce. Book by celebrated playwright James Graham whose work I love. Directed by Almeida’s Rupert Gould, music by Elton John and Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears. And none of them live up to their abilities here.
The problems? The whole show feels shallow but if you’ve seen the documentary (or the film starring Jessica Chastain) ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’, you know there is a lot more going on under the surface. Up against juggernauts like Sunset Boulevard and Death Becomes Her, Tammy Faye feels lacking in comparison.
The best thing about this production is the newly refurbished Palace Theatre that has had major structural work (it’s an impressive architectural achievement).
And speaking of Death Becomes Her…
Death Becomes Her (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre) in previews
Book by Marco Pennette. Music & Lyrics by Julia Mattison & Noel Carey.
I’d heard great things coming out of the shows out of town run in Chicago so this had me excited. But then illness struck the cast and the performance I had booked (the second preview) was canceled barely two hours before showtime. As the ushers turned people away we could hear the cast inside furiously rehearsing the understudy.
I quickly rebooked for the last night before I flew and with Megan Hilty still out, her understudy took the stage… and BLEW THE HOUSE AWAY! I’m actually glad I got to see her. With barely two days of proper rehearsal, and only her second performance in the role, Kaleigh Cronin was brilliantly funny and sharp with some incredibly intricate fight and dance choreography. A lot of the special effects rely on some precision and she nailed it. Jennifer Simard stands as a counterweight with her sultrier vocals and physicality. Former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams has little to do other than appear in a succession of stunning gowns and sing flawlessly, which she does.
The show itself is big classic camp Broadway stuff. Explicitly playing to the mainly gay audience who can quote every line. The special effects are impressive but not miraculous – they’re very clever but not exactly mind-blowing. The show is brassy and fun. In terms of the new musicals of the season it’s clearly Death Becomes Her v Sunset Boulevard.
Cultural Binge 
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