Jordan E. Cooper’s “Oh Happy Day!” at The Public Theater promises to explore whether a queer man rejected and abused by the church can choose his own happiness on his own terms. It’s a radical question that deserves a radical answer. But Cooper delivers a morality tale about earning God’s love through forgiveness and obedience instead. His protagonist Keyshawn (played…
The new musical “Saturday Church” which is now playing at NYTW, is based on the 2017 film written and directed by Damon Cardasis, who also co-wrote the book for this production alongside James Ijames. This quasi-jukebox musical attempts to weave the music of Sia into the storyline, but it is also only quasi-successful in this endeavor. Too often the music…
The most recent offering at MCC Theater is a new musical entitled “The Lonely Few” with music and lyrics by Zoe Sarnak and a book penned by Rachel Bonds. Basically, it can be considered a rom com musical with a simple plot that takes a bit too long to develop especially since the predictability level is very high. The length…
The latest show offered at Classic Stage Company is the revival of the 1962 musical “I Can Get It For You Wholesale” with a book by Jerome Weidman and music and lyrics by Harold Rome. This is only the third revival since it’s run on Broadway featuring Barbra Streisand, with one in 1991 by American Jewish Theatre and one in…