LEMPICKA Reviews — Page 2

TimeOut:

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/lempicka-broadway-musical-review

"

The result is a musical that sometimes embraces campiness and sometimes falls flat into camp, especially when it skirts melodrama: When kohl-eyed chorus boys, repurposed as brownshirts, violently raid Solidor’s queer bar—and then the show cuts to a wild-eyed Beth Leavel belting “It’s the end of time!!” straight at the audience—I challenge you not to giggle. And where in time are we supposed to be, exactly? By this point in the show, Lempicka seems to have abandoned history entirely: Why is the futurist Italian painter Filippo Marinetti (an emphatic George Abud) leading what appears to be a police raid in Paris in the 1930s? It doesn’t help that another musical in town right now, Cabaret, depicts queerness and fascism with a great deal more depth.

At the end of the show, when some of Lempicka’s works descend from the ceiling, they seem to reveal more about the artist than we’ve seen all night. They have what the musical lacks: a clear and compelling aesthetic. "

Deadline:

https://deadline.com/feature/broadway-show-reviews-spring-2024-1235866317/

"Actually, the musical doesn’t so much follow the artist as latches on for a ride that’s both thrilling and tiring. Directed by the ever-inventive Rachel Chavkin, with a powerhouse Eden Espinosa (Wicked) in the title role, Lempicka offers up a tempting mix of retro-futurism and just plain retro, with choreography (by Raja Feather Kelly), scenic design (Riccardo Hernández) and costumes (Paloma Young) that work hard to convey the Zelig-like scope of the artist’s life. That means we see, along with some sumptuous Deco-heavy visuals, lots of energetic dancing that frequently cribs from the most arresting of “Vogue”-era Madonna (fair is fair: Blond Ambition was a Lempicka painting come to life). At its worst, though, the dancing leads the musical through some very cartoony presentations of Soviet Realism and Left Bank bohemianism.

Though the musical’s book and lyrics remain doggedly by-the-numbers, Chavkin’s direction (and a good cast that includes Andrew Samonsky, Amber Iman, George Abud, Beth Leavel and Natalie Joy Johnson) keeps Lempicka barreling through the last century’s wartime horrors, peacetime optimism and an art that grew from both."

Slant:

Lempicka Review: A Tonally Jumbled Celebration of the Undervalued “Baroness with a Brush”

It never stands a chance of being so bad it’s good because it wants to be good so badly.

https://www.slantmagazine.com/theater/lempicka-broadway-review/

Theatermania:

Review: Lempicka on Broadway Pays Tribute to a Great But Unknown Artist

Eden Espinosa stars in the title role.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-lempicka-on-broadway-pays-tribute-to-a-great-but-unknown-artist_1737182/

"Regretfully, Paloma Young’s costumes were unsuccessful, too. She pairs period clothes for the lead characters with an ensemble clad in sexy Madonna-does-Lempicka outfits (bustier jumpsuits, corsets tucked into pants, sleeveless muscle shirts, eyeliner, finger waves). The ensemble presents problems for pretty much everyone. Raja Feather Kelly’s choreography for them was confused and disjointed, spanning ballroom partner dance and elegant dips to jerky, TikTok-esque arm movements.

However, the performances from Espinosa and the other principals are so exceptional that they more than make up for it. Espinosa confidently carries this show with the swagger of her character. Her performance spans almost 60 years of Lempicka’s life, and she transforms with admirable ease through her life’s many chapters: demure bride who dabbles in painting, struggling young wife and mother, eager aspiring artist, famed celebrity, forgotten old woman painting in a park. (Score-wise, at times, the incessant belting demanded of Espinosa can feel a bit much.)"

Jordan Catalano said: "These are worse than I thought they’d be."

yes, much harsher than i anticipated, and thats fine, but its kinda odd how focused they all seem to be on pointing out the historical inaccuracies. as if other historical dramas stick only to proven fact? seems like a silly complaint.

but also seems like lempicka is not long for this world if reviews still matter (unclear if thats the case)

Audibly gasped at that Washington Post headline.

If it had launched in the fall, it might have limped along to a run like Ohio or Harmony. But this spring, it'll be lucky to make it until Tony noms and it definitely won't make it much past that when it likely gets zero nominations (unless Espinosa can somehow snag one). Sad for those involved but this was clearly a miss.

I can see all these new musical ticket buyers running away from these middling musicals and willingly paying Cabaret ransom prices for quality over quantity.

Damn, that Post review is harsh.

Queerty:

Madonna’s muse steps into the spotlight

https://www.queerty.com/madonnas-muse-lempicka-steps-into-the-spotlight-20240414

"“Why were they voguing?” my companion asks at intermission, referring to a dance sequence early in the show. “Ah, that makes sense,” she responds with a slightly perplexed look after I explain the Madonna connection. Herein lies Lempicka’s challenge: the musical wants to capitalize on Madonna and other pop stars’ notoriety along with sense of agency uncommon to female artists of the era, but its creators have stretched the canvas so thin that the brush strokes crack. "

PipingHotPiccolo said: "id still be surprised if the cast is forgotten come awards season, these reviews for the cast still seem plenty strong."

Casts from panned shows only get a nomination when the competition is light. Even with mixed reviews for other shows, they're way better than Lempicka and there's so many shows and so much competition, it's not gonna happen. Remember when people thought Carolee Carmello might get a nomination for Bad Cinderella last year?

Updated On: 4/14/24 at 11:28 PM

Jordan Catalano said: "Damn, that Post review is harsh."

Yes it is but so much spot on!

• Espinosa is handed some colorless, belty ballads, like “Woman Is,” that she struggles vocally with. Given that Tamara’s story occurs over six tumultuous decades, the actress and character leave remarkably little impression. Lemicka is neither a force of nature, nor a relatable dreamer — she’s a talking paintbrush.
• Espinosa and Iman have no chemistry, by the way. Forget the common criticism of two actors not being in the same show — this pair isn’t even in the same room.
• It’s hard to believe this muck is directed by the talented Chavkin, who in the past has staged adventurous new musicals like “Hadestown” and “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” with undeniable skill and panache.