I have been a longstanding fan of Maury Yeston's work, and thought highly of both Nine and Titanic. He has written a number of songs in his characteristic style here, including two lovely numbers for Jill Paice. Some of the songs, in sound, orchestration, structure, and even staging are far too close to those in Titanic for my taste. I didn't care much or the religious-flavored ballads either. On the whole, I would say the score, though good, is not of the caliber of his two Broadway works.
The show I did not cotton to. The book is stodgy and inert, and far too long. There are too many minor characters underused. But the major problem is the tale itself, unpleasant in the extreme. I loathed the character of Death and wished that every moment he was on stage he would just get lost. His presence casts a pall over the entire show, which, is also too darkly lit throughout. I defintely did not want him to get the girl, and was unhappy with the girl's falling for him. The ending left a bitter taste in my mouth.
The cast were all good, with Matt Cavanaugh's singing a standout, and Rebecca Luker a wonderful presence, as always.
Updated On: 6/11/11 at 11:37 PM
