In what might be one of his smoothest moves yet - the always slick and sexy
Tony Danza seems to have been a part of bringing a show to Broadway starring.... well, none other than himself!
Honeymoon is delicious fun and a delightful escape from a cold and snowy New York City night.
Modeled after the movie,
Andrew Bergman and
Jason Robert Brown have penned an entertaining evening in the theatre. Colorful, Vegas-style costumes and lighting fill the theater, while the large cast fills the stage with dancing, frivolity, and a whole lot of heart. Don't get me wrong - the show ain't gonna win a Pulitzer price for literature or drama in any stretch of the imagination. It's simply pure, unadulterated entertainment for just about 2 ½ hours. And why didn't anyone think of this sooner - Vegas show girls, gangsters, a mad-cap plot, and a couple you know - right from the start - have got to end up together.
If Mr. Danza is selling the tickets with his name (and
still handsome looks), the secret weapon this show wields is
Rob McClure. When he graced the stage in
Chaplin, I believe it was the wise
Newsday journalist who penned "
Welcome to the show that's going to make you a Broadway star". And a star he is indeed. Mr. McClure is both nebbish and infectiously adorable. He can sing to the rafters, dance, and of course act the pants off this rom-com that graces the
Nederlander stage 8 shows a week. While another Tony nod wouldn't be out of bounds, this show may not carry as much weight being a silly movie remake and all but if talent rules the day, he's a shoe-in.
I had a slightly difficult time thinking that
Brynn O'Malley (Betsy Nolan) was actually the age they claim in the show, but that minor detail aside, she was a terrifically talented on-stage pawn in the game of Mr. Danza and Mr. McClure.
With a fine ensemble cast including
Raymond J. Lee, George Merrick,
Zachary Prince, and
Nancy Opel (Bea Singer), if this show can sustain the winter blues, it just might make a splash this spring in the fun department in what is already lining up to be strong in the musical department.
This is a show that will tour well even if it doesn't succeed on Broadway. Des Moines - look out!
The incorporable Marlo Thomas headlines the cast as Alice, the matriarch of the family. Her son Billy (George Merrick) is having a bit of a marital/midlife crisis by having an affair with someone he thinks makes his whole life brighter and worth living again. This happens, of course, after he just had a newborn baby with his wife Jane (Kate Weatherhead). He reluctantly confides this little nugget to his father, Bill, Sr. (Greg Mullavey) who of course won't be able to keep it from his wife for more than 3 minutes. Alice decides to invite Billy and Jane over to sort the whole matter out and keep them together. She just can't bear to think about the alternative.
