Adam Guettel & Bob Martin's MILLIONS will premiere at Alliance Theatre in Spring 2025, directed by Bartlett Sher- Page 2

[merle57]

Posted: 5/12/25 at 8:05pm

Guettel and Sher work so well together. I hope this project has a great tryout. 

[SouthernHope2]

Posted: 5/14/25 at 10:15am

Saw this last night in early previews and hmmmm....The costuming, sets, lighting, sound all quite good. But the book, the actors, the music, the pacing....that part is very much a work-in-progress. 

Updated On: 5/14/25 at 10:15 AM

[Jmuep2]

Posted: 5/14/25 at 10:31pm

I saw this the first night of previews and while it was the first preview, I think this is a misfire. The sound the night we went was a mess and neither me nor anyone could hear everything that was being said or sung. The book feels very flat. The movie had a unique construction to give an urgency to the story that is gone from this production so everything feels languid and sluggish. Moreover, the magic realism of talking to saints worked on film and felt special. Here that piece hasn’t been figured out yet. The most central problem however is writing a challenging part for a child actor. They haven’t found the right lead yet. The boy can sing beautifully but oooph. An actor he is not. I liked the score but I sure wouldn’t invest in this if I were a producer. 

[steve.sometime]

Posted: 5/15/25 at 12:04am

I also saw the first preview. While I agree about the sound issues, that's what previews are for. I’m sure they’ll be fixed soon.

The score was gorgeous! It’s more accessible than Wine & Roses and Floyd Collins, but groovier and more upbeat than Piazza. You can hear it in the demos (Childish Things, Feel for This) on Adam’s website. March Is a Windy Month is the Fable of the show. It grows on me with every listen. Audra McDonald recorded it on her album Sing Happy. Find Me reminds me of Where Is Love from Oliver! but with an Adam twist. The title song is a great tune. Saint Who is a bop. Two other songs also stood out: Shuler Hensley’s Act 1 finale, which started uncomfortably low but built into a rowdy banger. The other is Ruthie Ann Miles and Steven Pasquale’s duet (the "lemon sucker" song). While the melody isn't as catchy, both actors completely sold it by the end (Steven wailing WHY! was hilarious).

I never saw the movie, and I found the story fun, engaging, and moving. Some scenes could use a little trimming - like the security guard's song in the house went a bit too long. Other than that, I think it absolutely works. When Damian told Anthony what Maureen said about him, I teared up a bit. It's a quirky story that I'd compare to Kimberly Akimbo.

As for the acting, the three Broadway names were all wonderful. Yair Keydar (Anthony) was great. I do think Keenan Barrett (Damian) hasn't found his footing yet. I hope he grows more confident with more performances. We were rooting for him. I liked all the saints and the costumes.

I sat in the front row and chatted with the conductor during intermission. I asked if they were still getting rewrites. She said she'd received five new pages just that day. I’m sure Adam, Bob, and Bartlett are working hard to tweak things. I can’t wait to go back after it opens.