Swing Joined: 4/28/15
did anyone see this off Broadway? I'm going to the west end production today and want to know some reactions
Pretty music. Pretty singing. Pretty sets. I was bored as hell.
Understudy Joined: 2/19/15
I would definitely skip it. The plot certainly had the potential to make a lovely musical, but as stated before it is relatively dull, uninspired adaptation. I will be in London with a friend (with whom I saw the off-Broadway production) this winter and we were both poking fun at how, of all shows, this one is getting a revival when we are in town. Needless to say, we won't be seeing it again. There was good reason why it died at the Roundabout.
Worst show EVER---a waste of time
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/04
I remember greatly enjoying a gorgeous voice I had previously been unfamiliar with: that of Julian Ovendon. But the material was at best mediocre.
Caught it twice at the Roundabout. I liked it and the cast shined.
Very boring, particularly as time went on. Death Takes a Holiday = Good Writing Takes a Holiday.
I saw this off-Broadway. Some of the music is absolutely gorgeous ("More and More" and "I Thought That I Could Live" I feel are incredibly strong romantic songs), and the performances from the cast were fine overall.
For me, the biggest issue with the material was its inconsistent tone. The first act awkwardly alternated between pastiche musical comedy and dark meditation on life and death, which made the first act wildly uneven. The second act selected the dark meditation route and therefore felt much more cohesive.
A nice show overall, but not something you should go out of your way to see.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Enjoyed the show for what it was worth. Ovendon and Von Essen were excellent
I just saw this last week and it was painful. Beautiful to look at but the story is no bueno. To be fair I found Meet Joe Black a mediocre film but I was hoping this interpretation would be better. Towards the end when the More and More refrain was sung I was hoping that death would return from holiday and take me.
These comments are making me glad I decided not to use one of the slots on my London theater trip in March to see Death Takes a Holiday. I was tempted, because I have listened to the music and found it appealing, but I had some doubts about the book, so I decided against it, and it sounds like I made the right decision.
if I lived in London and didn't have to ration my theater time there so carefully, I might still see the show, just to hear that score performed live, but as it is ... no.
Leading Actor Joined: 5/9/05
There are so many shows in the west end that are so much better then Desth Takes a Holiday. Don't waist your time on this one.
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