Wednesday, July 30, 2008

New Review: [title of show]



In New York Press.

Here's a tease -- taking from the end of the review rather than the lede:

Bowen’s bouncy tunes, Bell’s clever lyrics and three-out-of-four fine performances notwithstanding, I think what’s being celebrated here isn’t the insight of that aforementioned lyric but perhaps something even more powerful: the idea that dreams still can come true.

And [title of show] almost pulls it off. If, during the run at the Vineyard, the chief problem was that it never had a satisfying end, Bowen and Bell could now freeze their project where it is if they wished to. Bell appears, however, resistant—his cheeky, smirky, too-cute, look-how-brilliant-I-am performance has a fetid air of arrogance, self-righteousness and over-entitlement to it, and it’s a turn-off. At least Bowen appears to be humbled by the Broadway firmament; Blackwell and Blickenstaff are so good in their supporting roles that anyone with a pulse is probably writing musicals for them right now. What will Bell do then? Write a musical about that?

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