I've always wanted to see a production of this show and now that I've seen it tonight, I'm sorry I did. I hated every second of it. To be fair, I hated the show, itself. About halfway through, I realized I kept thinking of the set, lighting and direction of 'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson' which I also hated. I had not realized it was the same director.
There plot, what there is of it, is silly and predictable and lacking in wit or substance. The direction is so self-aware that it's painful. It's as though the director is trying to be cute and clever, just to hide the lack of material he has to work with. Community theater with a stellar Broadway cast.
The cast, on the other hand, is immensely talented and so far above this material, that it's hard to believe they couldn't find a better show for everyone to be in. They did all look like they were having a blast and I wonder if this is one of those shows that's more fun for the cast than the audience.
I love Leslie Kritzer, but, at times, I feel like she was channeling an episode of Mama's Family and playing it to the rafters, which may be what the show calls for. I think it's a case of a ridiculously talented actor trying to overcome ridiculously bad material. Steven Pasquale and that voice are wasted. Actually, everyone in the cast seems wasted, as I didn't think there was a weak link among them. I especially liked Andrew Durand and hope to see him again in something better.
I thought I would enjoy the score more than I did. I like country and bluegrass, so I expected to respond more positively.
Maybe Alex Timbers, as a director, is not for me, but I keep giving him a chance because 'Here Lies Love' is one of the best musicals I've seen in the last 10 years.
