Wow. I adored every second of this. It moved quickly, had songs I could actually remember after they ended and was chock full of energy. I smiled for 2 1/2 hours. To me, they married the classic nature of the movie with the modern take of the musical seamlessly.
I wish the audience could say the same, but it didn’t seem like they would. There were many empty seats and those bodies that were actually seated gave it a VERY muted response in the first act. Things audibly improved in the second act. I sincerely hope this finds its audience because that dancing, the singing, those lyrics, the melodies, the costumes and everything else in between was top-notch.
To me, it seems like the audience is nervous to have a reaction to anything - the cross-dressing, jokes about race, etc. I saw Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire, and to me, those did seem stale, but this is genuinely funny, smart and inclusive. We’re allowed to have reactions, people! Wishing the show lots of luck!