YANK! reviews

I know Matthew Murray is often dissed here, and I've disagred with him plenty before. But he hits the bull-eye with his review of David & Joseph Zellnik's "YANK! - the Musical" at Gallery Players...

"Yet whatever the situation, David and composer Joseph realize the couple’s troubles with a lilting score of supple accomplishment that combines pastiche and the urgency of the heart to often searing effect. The musical centerpiece is “Remembering You,” an aching ballad of great love lost that highlights Stu and Mitch’s star-crossed pairing. The smoldering passion of the dance-by-moonlight “Blue Twilight,” the sad undercurrents of the future-planning “A Couple of Regular Guys” and the clear-eyed “Just True,” and even the agony of hiding in plain sight with a photo of “Betty” (a paean to the gorgeous Ms. Grable) catalog all of Stu and Mitch’s struggles as lovers in a culture that wants them only as fighters.

Other songs are just out for fun, such as the title-tune tribute to the weekly must-read and “Click,” a fantastic tap duet for Artie to indoctrinate Stu to the fleshly wonders hidden right before his eyes. (Denman also provided the show’s spirited choreography, which is never better than here.) There’s even a full-length ballet (beautifully led by Jonathan Day and Chad Harlow) in which Stu’s choices come back to haunt him in grand Rodgers-and-Hammerstein style...."

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A beautiful, sexy, moving show. Bring Kleenex. And "Remem'bring You" is the most revishing new theater song since "Will You?"
YANK!

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David Bell of "Show Showdown" is a rave:

"Give me a respectful, carefully paced, sensitively acted, gay romance with equal parts of unrequited love, shame and intermittent explosions of passion and you will have me bawling like a melting fagbeast... which is exactly what I was doing at David and Joe Zellnik's Yank!, currently at The Gallery Players in Brooklyn. Led by a stunningly charming Bobby Steggert and swoontastic Maxime de Toledo, we have here a funny and heart-wrenching, old-school style, big musical about seldom explored stories of gays in the military during WW2. Thanks to Igor Goldin's tight, smart direction and a well cast company of actorsoldiers, this is one hell of a good production. Oh yes, and among this sweaty rabble of dogtagged mancastedness is a one Ms. Nancy Anderson, who, as listed in the program, plays "all females" and does so tremendously. She seems to be channeling every diva from Judy Garland to Bernadette Peters. How completely appropriate."
Show Showdown

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I looooooooooooooooooved this show at NYMF a couple of years back and got tickets to this production in Brooklyn as soon as I heard about it. Can't wait to see it next week! So glad this show is finally being seen again!

I would love to see this show ! I heard soo many good things plus I want to meet jaily


J*

Dooder!!!

Yes, please do come see the show...it really is worth the trek. The cast is unbelievable, and the score is awesome.

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I'm going back on Saturday with my friend Barry who at first whined "You want me to go to Brooklyn to see a show?!!" until I convinced him otherwise. And I just got a ticket for the last performance on November 11. I suspect it will be a very emotional evening, as it falls on Veteran's Day.

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Updated On: 10/23/07 at 07:37 PM

Here's a nifty snap (by Marc Ruffalo) of some of the YANK! brigade: (from left) David Zellnik (book and lyrics), Nancy Anderson, Joseph Zellnik (music), Igor Gorin (director) and Jeffry Denman.

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I am in the minority on this show. I just saw it. I did not feel it was strong in any way that a musical should be. The direction is tepid, the performances uneven and the music lackluster. Again, I know i'm in the minority on this. Its ok i probably have not taste.

gaykettle, It's OK. Not everybody likes everything. Even though I don't share your opinion, you don't have to apologize for it.

W.B.F. (LOVE your new icon - LOVE the show)...I had a hunch you'd love YANK! as much as I do. I haven't been so over-the- moon about a show since GREY GARDENS and [title of show]. I've ben telling everyone I know to run to Brooklyn to see it.

And you are so right about the emotional impact it has. During the scene with Stu and Mitch in the bunk, I started sobbing uncontrollably, and tried my best to be quiet.

Oh, how I'd love to see this on Broadway...with the cast unchanged.

Here's another blog review, from JustShowsToGoYou:

"..........The story, of the gay romance between two enlisted men during WW2, could not have been told in popular culture at the time it is set, and a good deal of the show's poignancy and power comes from telling it now in the style of old-fashioned music theatre. (There's even a second-act dream ballet, improved in this production and expressively danced by Jonathan Day). The score (by David and Joseph Zellnik) is dazzling: it has the feeling of the music of the era but it never sounds second-hand. (I especially loved the barbershop quartet-style harmonies for the men in the barracks, and the song that is essentially Yank!'s love theme, "Remembering You", has the kind of haunting melody that you can't get out of your head for days.) The show's book is also accomplished and impressive: it convincingly renders the dynamics between the lovers while also depicting the pervasiveness of homophobia and honoring the gravity of war that is the story's backdrop................Bobby Steggert (a scene-stealer in the Roundabout's recent revival of 110 In The Shade) is a knockout, anchoring the show with an emotionally forceful performance, Maxime de Toledo brings just the right balance of swoonworthy charm and aloofness to his portrayal, Jeffry Denman (not only reprising his role from the NYMF production but also doing a bang-up job with the choreographic duties here) and Nancy Anderson (as every female in the show, and doing some dead-on superb vocalizing as the gals who are heard singing on the radio) are perfection."
Fourth review down

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Updated On: 10/27/07 at 01:32 PM

I saw this show in Oct 21 and Yes! you guys have to see it!
it's fabulous! I wanna see again before it's close :)

I'm going back for the closing performance tomorrow night.

MasterLcZ, I'll see you there!

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