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.

[lxttech]

Posted: 5/16/25 at 11:38pm

I saw this tonight 5-16-25. Was pretty excited given the stacked creative team and the cast. Unfortunately, this fell completely flat for me. 

Not being familiar with the source material, I found the characters underdeveloped and the piece lacking a drive behind it. Hopefully they continue to work on the pacing, which felt very uneven. Frankly, the show could probably be tightened into a 90-100 minute one act. Purportedly it is a family comedy and while there are some laughs here and there, the overall tone felt more like a dramatic play than a comedic musical. It's tough to have the heart of the show rest on such young actors. 

The overture promises an interesting score, but I didn't find myself connecting much with it beyond that point. This may have partly been a product of a sound mixing which muffled voices at times and made the music sound thin. The most memorable song was the title song, which recurs. Steven Pasquale has a lovely sounding song about his late wife which I wish were expanded (but right now I don't think the book "earns" that moment). 

Highlights: Yair Keydar sounds fantastic on a solo song and Ruthie Ann Miles makes the most of her role. Ruthie and Steve had a cute duet. There's a school play bit which is pretty funny. The set and lighting are nice. 

I know the team is still working on this and I hope it continues to gel, but for me there'd be *a lot* of changes needed. 

[itsahopi]

Posted: 5/17/25 at 8:23am

SouthernHope2 said: "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."

Bob Martin had an okay idea 20 years ago and Broadway insists he’s one of the only writers in town. I swear this industry revolves around the same six men in director/choreo/writer roles to increasingly lackluster results.

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 5/17/25 at 8:29am

I'm not quibbling with your point about the sometimes insular nature of creative teams, but to be fair, this show has been in development for more than a decade.  Martin was probably still riding a bit of post Drowsy Chaperone acclaim when original conversations about it began.

[Hey, Zelda!]

Posted: 5/17/25 at 1:06pm

SteveSanders said: "I'm not quibbling with your point about the sometimes insular nature of creative teams, but to be fair, this show has been in development for more than a decade."

"[Re:] the long gestation of shows and the freelancer's continual speculation [:] one way that freelancers offset risk is by saying yes to several shows, then hoping they don't happen at the same time "

— From Making It Big, by Barbara Isenberg

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 5/17/25 at 2:47pm

itsahopi said: "SouthernHope2 said: "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."

Bob Martin had an okay idea 20 years ago and Broadway insists he’s one of the only writers in town. I swear this industry revolves around the same six men in director/choreo/writer roles to increasingly lackluster results."

Add Casey and Jerry to this list of thrilling debuts followed up by many lackluster shows. The industry has shifted and the powers that be haven’t caught up. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 5/17/25 at 6:35pm

Bob Martin has had what? 4 Broadway credits post Drowsy (2 of them being this season). Not sure why he’s catching strays. And frankly, every production he’s been a part of, the book has been the least of said issues. 

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 5/17/25 at 10:18pm

Bart.  Sher.  Can't.  Foster.  New.  Work. 

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/17/25 at 10:45pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "Bob Martin has had what? 4 Broadway credits post Drowsy (2 of them being this season). Not sure why he’s catching strays. And frankly, every production he’s been a part of, the book has been the least of said issues."

He's also been involved with MILLIONS for more than a decade.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/17/25 at 10:48pm

verywellthensigh said: "Bart. Sher. Can't. Foster. New. Work."

He used to be my favorite working Broadway director, full stop, but his output has just been so awful recently. (Haven't seen Millions -- and won't get to Atlanta to see it -- so I'm not commenting on that.) Maybe he needs a 5-year vacation and then come back with something he's REALLY passionate about. This Dolly Parton musical sounds like it could be disastrous.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/18/25 at 6:45am

verywellthensigh said: "Bart. Sher. Can't. Foster. New. Work."

I maintain that Bridges was excellent, and I really enjoyed Oslo. I don't think his track record is particularly worse than most directors working today in terms of number of hits vs. number of misses.

[Owen22]

Posted: 5/18/25 at 9:28am

Putting your own imprint on a text that has already been proven to work is still a talent. And Sher's revivals have always been excellent.  It's harder to create new work, to actually be a dramaturg for the writers. He seemed to be off to a great start with Piazza, but faltered (though there is a lot of Women on the Verge Ioved and Oslo was great).

[Kad]

Posted: 5/18/25 at 10:34am

Oslo was the last Sher production that was a slam dunk for me. Around 2016-17, his work just sort of took a turn and became far more pedestrian (imo).

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 5/18/25 at 6:05pm

I was not the audience for this. A Dead Mom is not enough to justify this kids‘ psychotic breakdown. But I couldn’t tell how seriously the show wanted me to take him. One minute he’s behaving like Jojo from Seussical. Then suddenly 

 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

he’s being choked by a burglar who threatens to kill his family. And he can’t be bothered to tell them.

I could not sympathize with this protagonist. I was closer in mind to the pragmatic brother. But the performer was loud and bratty. There was none of the con man charm we’re told he possesses. 
 

Steven Pasquale’s act one solo about his miserable job was the highlight.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/18/25 at 6:57pm

Kad said: "Oslo was the last Sher production that was a slam dunk for me. Around 2016-17, his work just sort of took a turn and became far more pedestrian (imo)."

I thought his MY FAIR LADY was a lot better than his FIDDLER (even more so when Benanti & Burstein took over) but it wasn't nearly as strong as KING AND I and SOUTH PACIFIC and GOLDEN BOY and PIAZZA and some of his other efforts.

[merle57]

Posted: 5/18/25 at 8:19pm

Sher did wonderful work on To Kill a Mockingbird, Oslo, Awake and Sing, Golden Boy, and Joe Turner as well as musical productions Light in the Piazza, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, King and I Fiddler on the Roof, and adventurous musicals like Women on the Verge and Bridges of Madison Country. Looks like a very solid list of accomplished work. For Camelot, the problem was mostly in the writer's decision to rework the material - but it was a courageous decision to try and fix a seriously flawed musical. 

He also has a long list of excellent opera credits not only in this country but throughout Europe. Don't be so quick to dismiss. 

He respects his writing team and does not impose his will or rewrite as many other director's do for commercial purposes. . That artistic generosity to respect the author's work is to be admired and celebrated. Several of today's well trained directors also respect the material and do not distort the author's vision or camp things. Honesty in creating art is worth gold. 

[Owen22]

Posted: 5/18/25 at 9:13pm

merle57 said: "He respects his writing team and does not impose his will or rewrite as many other director's do for commercial purposes.. That artisticgenerosity to respect the author's work is to be admired and celebrated. Several of today's well trained directors also respect the material and do not distort the author's vision or camp things. Honesty in creating art is worth gold."

Oh. That's why his original musicals tend to be crap. (Women on the Verge not withstanding). 

And a lack of vision and dramaturgical knowledge should definitely NOT be admired and celebrated. (!!) A new musical is a monster. It needs a visionary at the helm to guide and, well, direct a piece with a unified vision; a good director does not distort the writer's vision, he helps the writer clarify that vision. It seems Sher again and again fails to do that. Or he picks shows that are so already flawed (Bridges) there would be no helping them anyway.

[theatretenor2]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 7:27am

I saw this last night, and I’m honestly baffled by how bad it really is. If this is being considered for a Broadway transfer, it’s nowhere near ready. It's one of the weakest productions I’ve seen in a very long time.

The show aims to tell a cohesive story, but it often feels more like a series of disconnected vignettes. It’s hard to stay emotionally invested when the narrative lacks flow and clarity. I’ve seen community theatre productions with far more engaging direction and storytelling.

As a longtime fan of Adam Guettel, and with a cast including Steven Pasquale, Ruthie Ann Miles, and Shuler Hensley, I came in with high hopes. Unfortunately, their immense talents are squandered here. There’s a noticeable mismatch between the material and the caliber of these performers.

For comparison, I also saw Water for Elephants during its Atlanta run and had serious doubts about its Broadway viability. But Millions is on a different level entirely. I’m genuinely surprised the Alliance chose to stage this in its current form.

Regarding the cast: Pasquale's older son gives a solid performance, but the younger actor, who leads the show, struggles vocally and dramatically. His voice shows some promise but lacks the polish and control needed for a role of this size. His acting, unfortunately, feels amateurish.

That said, a few musical numbers do stand out. "Albuquerque Bethlehem" carries a slight Sondheim flavor that’s intriguing and funny, given Billy Harrington Tighe's talents. "Childish Things," while heavy on era-specific references, is elevated by Keydar’s performance. The finale, "Millions," is the most memorable moment of the evening. Pasquale and Miles share a duet with potential, but two of Pasquale’s other songs, particularly the one during the house-painting scene, feel like filler. The song tied to the urn-planting scene is lovely but emerges in a moment that feels disconnected from the larger narrative.

I suppose it has the very tiniest glimmers of something interesting, but it’s buried under structural issues, miscasting, and a general lack of cohesion. It needs a complete rethinking and re-haul before it can even be considered for a Broadway run.

Updated On: 5/30/25 at 07:27 AM

[tacotheatrelover]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 7:44am

I saw this last Saturday in a two show day with the shucked tour

lets just say Miki Abraham was really really good in shucked and killed independently owned

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 9:14am

He also has a long list of excellent opera credits not only in this country but throughout Europe. Don't be so quick to dismiss.

Going to have to disagree with you HARD on this boo-boo.  He’s had one excellent production at the Met (Barber) which is probably 15 years old at this point. The rest of his productions from Elixir to Romeo have been poorly reviewed and pretty disliked by Met audiences. Why Gelb  continues to hire him (and Mayer for that matter…) is completely beyond me. 

[inception]

Posted: 5/30/25 at 12:10pm

I watched the HD broadcast last fall of his sumptuous Tales of Hoffman.  It was generally well liked. 

Unfortunately they won't be doing a broadcast of next season's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.  ​

One audience review on reddit of the premiere at IU Jacobs makes it sound messy.

https://www.reddit.com/r/opera/comments/1gxrm7z/just_saw_mason_bates_kavalier_and_clay_at_iu/