Stage Write

Like so many others, I grew up watching Disney’s The Little Mermaid. The lyrics of those songs are ingrained on my brain to this day. So seeing Broadway Across America’s current production of the story is bittersweet. It was fun to revisit the characters, but it was impossible not to compare the musical with the movie as I watched. The show contains quite a few new numbers, but not a single one is a stand out. Instead they feel like efforts to kill time in between the recognizable songs from the movie. “Daddy’s Little Angel” is particularly cringe-worthy. “Positoovity” is another example; Scuttle the seagull didn’t need his own number. Even when the audience is treated to “Under the Sea” and “Part of your World” they fall a bit flat. It’s not the singing that’s off, but the production as a whole. Though the lead, Diana Huey, can belt out her parts beautifully, it’s hard to concentrate on her singing as she shimmies her way around the stage “swimming” through the set. The ...

The latest in a string of movies turned musicals is Ghost the Musical. A Broadway Across America show based on the 1990 film of the same name, the production follows in the footsteps of The Wedding Singer, Grease, Once, Newsies, Sister Act, Flashdance and a few notable others, fleshing out the story from the movie with musical numbers. This popular trend works well with some movies, but feels forced with others; unfortunately Ghost is one of those others. The love story with a supernatural twist introduces us to Molly and Sam, a young couple whose devotion can only be challenged by Sam’s untimely death. The film was best known for Whoopi Goldberg’s sidekick sass and for making pottery wheels sexy. Carla R. Stewart plays the role of Oda Mae Brown, originated by Goldberg, and brings a much-needed levity to the show.    A cinematic opening sets the bar for a show that depends heavily on digital screens, flashing lights and other production gimmicks. Awkward choreograph...

There are some musicals that become stale with age. They don’t hold up after multiple viewings and the magic seems to disappear with time. I don’t think Wicked will ever be one of those shows. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the show feels just as fresh and exciting as it did the first time I saw it. The elaborate sets are captivating, the costumes are whimsical and you’ll be humming the score for days. This fan-favorite tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West before she was so infamously titled. The emerald-hued Elphaba struggles to find her place in a world that seems set on rejecting her. Through the story she discovers that the power of friendship and standing up for what’s right is much more important than simply fitting in with the crowd. The two leads are played by Hayley Podschun (Glinda) and Jennifer DiNoia (Elphaba), both are excellent. DiNoia nails each of her big numbers while still making Elphaba a sympathetic and relatable character. Podschun is p...

Nuns have always had a successful run in musical theater. From The Sound of Music to Nunsense, people have proven they love to see sisters belt out songs on stage. Sister Act is the latest in a long line of Broadway productions to bank on this fact. The movie musical, based on the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, is on stage now at the Old National (Murat) with Broadway Across America. The story is about a struggling singer, the girlfriend of a night club owner, who witnesses a murder and must go into hiding. The police decide to hide Deloris in the last place anyone would look, a nunnery. She’s forced to reign in her wild behavior and abide by their rules. She finally finds an outlet for her passion to sing by directing the church’s choir. The story is really secondary to the string of big musical numbers that carry the show.    Hollis Resnik plays Mother Superior and provides a constant stream of acid quips, keeping the audience in stitches. Fans of the ...