The Robber Bridegroom

The pure joy and toe-tappin' excitement over at the Laura Pels Theatre at Roundabout Theater Company is absolutely not to be missed.  Brilliant director, Alex Timbers, brings the the entire kitchen sink of musical theater joy to the stage in a revival of Alfred Uhry and Robert Walodman's  The Robber Bridegroom.

And tap your toes you certainly will.  Helmed by the incredibly hunky and easy-on-the-eyes Steven Pasquale (Jamie Lockhart, The Robber Bridegroom) who himself is a powerhouse of the theatre, this production is triumphantly successful at having fun and entertaining its audience.

Supporting Mr. Pasquale are darkly funny Leslie Kritzer (Salome), the devilishly handsome and talented Andrew Durand (Little Harp), and the beautiful and beguiling Ahna O'Reilly (Rosamund).

When the actors themselves all appear to be having fun, you know the show is going to be a delight.  At one point Mr. Pasquale seemed to be "gotten" by a line from another character and a Carol Burnett moment of trying to conceal the hilarity ensued.  It's a Mississippi tale brought to life 8 glorious times a week.

Theatricality at its highest of heights (kudos Mr. Timbers); Lighting dynamic and creative (Jeff Croiter, Jake DeGroot); and authentic sets (Donyale Werle).  The on-stage Band could not have been a more tightly integrated and absolutely adorable component to the show (Cody Owen Stine, Mike Rosengarden, Ben Lively, Douglas Waterbury-Tieman, Matt Cusack).

For a brief break from the political primary rat-race,  join this cast for a 90 minute ROMP!

The Burnt Part Boys

What a thrill to see a new show that really blows you away.  This is a joint production between Playwrights Horizons and The Vineyard Theatre.  It's been in development for about a year on various stages and this stop on 42nd Street is a true winner.

Pete (Al Calderone) runs away with his best buddy Dusty (Noah Galvin) to try and preserve the memory of his father who was killed in a mine explosion (hence the title, the Burnt Part... of the mine).  Chet his older brother (Andrew Durand) and his best buddy Jake (Charlie Brady) chase after them.  The story is a powerful ode to family and memory, growing up, chasing a dream, and a fight to "get out" vs the need to "stay".   The power behind this show is the music - one strong ballad after another and a cast that can fill the theatre from the front row to the very last.  Kudos to the entire creative team - Mariana Elder (book), Chris Miller (music), and Nathan Tysen (lyrics)  The creative direction (Joe Calarco) and use of the stage, ramps, and aisles during the performance drew you in even closer to the story.

Run, Don't Walk.  This one has Broadway transfer potential.