THE HANGOVER REPORT – Two musicals that look to the past for inspiration open, to mixed results

This past weekend, two intriguing Off-Broadway musicals that look to the past for inspiration opened. They are the 1960s jukebox musical Trip of Love at the newly rechristened Stage 42 (formerly the Little Shubert) and the York Theatre Company’s production of Rothschild & Sons, a one-act retooling of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s 1970 musical, The Rothschilds.

IMG_4535Trip of Love is a slick, admittedly entertaining, yet deeply flawed new musical. It takes the iconic pop songs of the 1960s – wide-ranging hits such as “Wipe Out”, “Moon River”, “You Don’t Own Me”, “Born to Be Wild” – and presents them against a series of mostly garish, though lavishly appointed, tableaus (legendary set designer Robin Wagner should have known better!). In construction, this dance-heavy show sits uncomfortably between jukebox revue and conventional story musical. The closest proxies I can think of are Billy Joel’s Movin’ Out and Green Day’s American Idiot (both of which are much more successful in fleshing out a story), in which the storytelling is accomplished without the aid of dialogue and solely through the songbook. The thin, jarringly inane plot lacks any sort of dramatic tension; the show follows a handful of characters as they experience love and life within the context of the events and trends of the 60s. Kudos to the attractive, hard-working company of 20; they shimmy their way through James Walski’s (who also directed the show) grueling, non-stop choreography and countless costume changes. I also applaud Laurie Wells and Dionne Figgins for managing to single themselves out with their commanding and distinctive vocal performances. Enjoy this one for the irresistible soundtrack, which is well-played by the pit band, and the plethora of eye-candy.

IMG_4540By comparison, Bock and Harnick’s Rothschild & Sons is a masterpiece, although it does have some drawbacks. For this York production, the surviving creators – Harnick and book writer Sherman Yellen – have taken another look at The Rothschilds and have turned their large-scale musical about a Jewish family’s financial and political rise in the early days of international banking into an intimate chamber musical with a cast of only eleven, focusing on the Mayer and Gutele Rothschild’s relationship with their five sons. Although I applaud the effort to revitalize this under-appreciated piece of musical theater, I find the results to be a bit uneven. By focusing on the family and compacting the storytelling, they’ve minimized the remarkable accomplishments of the family and therefore all but cancelled the intoxicating epic sweep of the original two-act work. The beautifully-costumed (costumes are by Carrie Robbins) cast is earnest and competent, if lacking a bit in polish. Standouts predictably include Robert Cuccioli as Mayer, whose commitment to the central role holds the production together, as well as Mark Pinter, who deliciously portrays the various monarchs throughout the show. Rothschilds & Sons is efficiently directed by Jeffrey B. Moss on a small, flexible set by James Morgan. The late Jerry Bock’s music is lovingly played by a quartet of musicians.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED (TRIP OF LOVE)

RECOMMENDED (ROTHSCHILD & SONS)

 

TRIP OF LOVE
Off-Broadway, Musical
Stage 42
1 hour, 50 minutes (with one intermission)
Open-ended run

ROTHSCHILD & SONS
Off-Broadway, Musical
York Theatre at Saint Peter’s
1 hour, 45 minutes (no intermission)
Through November 8

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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