War Paint Review (spoilers)

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/10/17 at 6:27pm

There are lots of things to admire about the new Broadway musical War Paint, but the show as a whole is not one of them.  The creative team is made up of seasoned pros with lots of experience, but they just cannot make a musical about two women who historically never actually met work. The two female cosmetic pioneers are an interesting idea to musicalize in theory, but there is just no real conflict in this static adaptation by Wright/Frankel/Korie.  The phrase, "There's no there, there." comes to mind.

More interesting to me, would be why Wright/Frankel/Korie chose this "feud" as the one to write a show about because well, there isn't much of one. Something like the the television show FEUD that Ryan Murphy has created about Davis/Crawford would have made much more sense, there's real conflict there, those women have a real history.

Wright's book isn't helping. His straightforward narrative (moment to moment perspective) leads to the two cosmetic giants in their own offices yelling at assistants about what they've heard the other one is doing to get ahead in the make up world for more than 50 percent of the show.  It is uninteresting and banal. More interesting than the feud is a look into the struggles a powerful women went through in the first part of the 20th century before the women's movement of the 60's and 70's. The second act also goes into how the ladies companies fall from popularity because of their inability to adapt to the changes in the beauty world, also more interesting than the non feud between the ladies. If the book had a fresher perspective, I think it would change the show dramatically for the better....I will say this, Doug has not forgotten to add comedy along the way. There are lots of decent one liners throughout from both characters.

The score by Frankel/Korie is an issue. Frankel is a talented writer, no doubt. However, he doesn't seem too interested in creating melodies that the audience can walk away with. He fares much better in the ballad department than in uptempo/comedy/character ones. A song called Dinosaurs for Dosset and Sills, is hard to watch, because as veteran broadway leading men they deserve much better than this. Frankel misses an opportunity to use a bit more of the glamorous orchestral sounds from the era. The group numbers, made up of mainly women (of varying ages which is great to see) fall flat, are not appealing, and don't really help propel the story forward.  This score is more like a character study of the people of this time and less about letting a story unfold. I will say that each woman is given an eleven o'clock number at the end of the show and they are both riveting (Pink, Forever Beautiful)!  When they get a song right, it is stunning in sound and message. Korie, known as one of the musical theaters smartest lyricists, could simplify his verses here. They are over complicated and he gets lost in beauty references. Plus the dramatization of them just isn't earned or interesting in much of the songs.

The set by Korins is simple, and elegant but not terribly interesting or theatrical. You're transported to a upscale department store via outer walls with grand molding and paneling of the era that could also be an office, a new york apartment, a fancy restaurant. Parts of the paneling/molding move to reveal shelves that contain keepsakes fitting to each woman's personality when you are at their home/office and rows and rows of perfume bottles to give you the essence of being part of their beauty empires. Furniture units travel on tracks to specific spots on the stage...if feels Broadway, too literal, not theater. The lighting by Posner shades them in deep blues for Rubinstein and Arden's signature pink. The effect turns fuchsia when they are combined, it's lovely...besides that the lighting feels unresolved, they are still working on it...the accents aren't quite right yet, the lighting buttons aren't working, the projections are not fluid...if you go to it in previews you might see the similar issues. It also feels uninspired.

The costumes by Zuber are are grand and period specific, but seem to lack her usual impeccable taste. Something about them feels tacky. Thats a word I wouldn't typically associate with Zuber. The choreography by Gattelli is obligatory at best. It's not necessarily his fault, because it's not a dance show per say and it's just such a literal telling he couldn't get too expressive with the movement. But it's basically complied of chorus girls posing, not too interesting. The direction by Greif feels sloppy, the staging is unexciting, the stage pictures and point of views/tableaus aren't specific or detail oriented. There isn't a lot of underline vision here.

The cast is the saving grace here. They are wonderful. At this moment, I can't think of a better role for Lupone/Ebersole. They are spitting images of the actual ladies and exude their opposite characters with confidence, making lots of fun character choices here. Lupone's Rubinstein is passionate and no nonsense with a sardonic wit...she nails every one-liner. Ebersole's Arden is all outer grace and inner determination.  She balances them with expetise. I don't think I've ever heard them sound better. They are both in full command of their interments here Patty with her chest voice of steal and Ebersole with her gorgeous lyric soprano. It's unfortunate that most of the material is just not that exciting, because these women are riveting. Their eleven o'clock numbers are the moments of great theater performance here. Ebersole's song PINK is my favorite moment on Broadway this season so far, seconded by Lupone's Forever beautiful. Lupone's character has better material throughout in terms of what to turn into a performance with.

A tacked on ending where the two legends are accidentally double booked as guest speakers about their lives in beauty, the first time they meet in the show feels cheap, and I suspect will be cut or revised right up until the opening night. The show runs over two and half hours and could use a large trim. It's unclear what the theme of the night is which is a problem. In the end, I think they would have been better off doing the show about one of the women. Elizabeth Arden seems to be the more well known name...had they just focused on her, maybe they would have something. As it stands, I think this is the flop of the season. That being said, I hope these ladies are on Broadway many more times in the coming seasons.

 

 

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/10/17 at 7:06pm

Your thoughts might get more traction here.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1099573#4901565

[ArtMan]

Posted: 3/11/17 at 1:23pm

Standingovation79, Even though I will not be able to see this (my May trip is already booked), your review was very well written.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 3/11/17 at 1:30pm

*My response has been moved to the War Paint thread*

Updated On: 3/11/17 at 01:30 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/11/17 at 1:30pm

I responded to this in the preview thread where the conversation about the show is being held.