‘New York, New York’ Broadway Review: Kander & Ebb Musical wakes up late for a city that never sleeps

Imagine a New York where construction workers tap dance on steel girders high above the city, much like the famous photo you’ve seen a million times, and where friendly owners who once played Carnegie Hall, a young Holocaust refugee a Julliard may offer scholarship. and light-hearted jam sessions end generations of friction between races, genders and sexual identities. you would go there, right?

Yes you can. New-York, New-York, the new musical by Kander & Ebb, premieres tonight at the St. James Theater on Broadway. But be warned: even the pink urban utopia can get a little boring when it’s so full of good intentions.

At least nominally inspired by Martin Scorsese’s 1977 film starring Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli, New-York, New-York is less of an adaptation and more of a jukebox musical by John Kander & Fred Ebb: in addition to the two famous songs from the film – “But The World Goes’ Round” and, of course, the title track – the Broadway production features songs by the duo Golden Gate, the ice rink, the law, the unproduced waiting for my worldself Funny lady. (lyricist Ebb died in 2004; Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in to provide additional lyrics.)

With such a pedigree – and Susan Stroman, also a director and choreographer as Broadway knows her, has Beowulf Boritt’s reliably lavish sets and costume design by Donna Zakowska to work with. The wonderful Mrs. Maisel – New-York, New-York can’t be less than worth seeing.

But there should be much more. That it isn’t is largely due to the predictable, clichéd book by David Thompson and Sharon Washington.

The show begins as expected: a construction worker shouts a slightly funny expression about how much he loves the city, Times Square-style lights flicker on, and a colorfully costumed cross-section of hurried townspeople walk purposefully across the stage, busy travel from here to there and a musical shorthand for hustle, bustle and big city enjoyment of life.

The year is 1946 and there are a lot of them Joy to go along with all this post-war period LifeAs the New Yorkers get back on their feet and gather all the necessary Fuhgeddaboudit moxie to build new dreams, a group of characters so diverse come together to, how could it be otherwise, make songs and over and over as one character to to play: “music, money”. Love.” Not necessarily in that order.

Jimmy Doyle (Colton Ryan), a white New Yorker of Irish descent, plays the piano and drinks heavily. Francine Evans (Anna Uzele), a young black woman who sings and carries a briefcase to celebrate her recent arrival in the big city; Jesse Webb (John Clay III), a black trumpeter struggling to make sense of post-war life; Mateo Diaz (Angel Sigala), recently arrived from Cuba, a percussionist and what we would now call binary; Alex Mann (Oliver Prose), a young Jewish violinist and refugee from Nazi-occupied Poland (his instrument inexplicably bears a yellow star).

This is just for beginners. There’s a character with a Super Mario Italian accent, a horny British music producer and a dancer who wants to be (her words) “the Japanese Ginger Rogers”.

Most, if not all, of the characters have sub-plots, however tenuous: Jimmy, who we are told more than shown has been a hot-tempered man since his brother was killed in the war, is instantly in love with Francine and soon falls in love with Wen in her despite her misgivings about entering into an interracial relationship.

“Appearing? Together? A white Irish jazzman and a Negro singer?” Francine tells Jimmy early on.wants to start a riot

Jimmy replies, “This isn’t Texas. This is New York!”

None of the subplots offer much drama heading into the 11pm grand finale to break the news. Social issues are addressed and dismissed, diversity is romanticized and downplayed, and New York City’s live-and-let-live ethos (“This is New York!”) is played for a simple toast.

Deserved applause comes from the musical performances. The two Biggies, both played by Uzeles Francine, are practically infallible, although the actor is as good as Catherine Parr SixIt takes her a while to gain a foothold. Her rendition of “But The World Goes’ Round” is solid enough, but it’s not until the rousing finale of “New York, New York” that it catches fire.

When Francine delivers what the audience came for New-York, New-York really belongs to Jimmy, and Ryan makes the most of it. Take away with me Northland girl With a beautiful rendition of “I Want You”, the actor skillfully jumps from supporting actor to leading actor. His vocals are a sly mix of classic Broadway and Sinatra swagger, hinting at Chet Baker’s mannered cool. He rightly recovers two lesser known entries from the Kander & Ebb catalog – “A Quiet Thing”. Flora the red menace and “Sorry I Asked” from Liza Minnelli’s show at Radio City Music Hall in 1992.

Among the rest of the cast, Skinner is a delight as always, and newcomers Prose and Sigala (as the refugees from Poland and Cuba respectively) manage to find their moments in a story more determined to get things done than the current one. well drawn characters. New-York, New-York not really sleeping, but never really waking up either.

Title: New-York, New-York
Location: St James Theater on Broadway
Director and Choreographer: Suzanne Stroman
A book: David Thompson, with Sharon Washington
Music and lyrics: John Kander & Fred Ebb (with additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Chapter: Colton Ryan, Anna Uzele, Clyde Alves, John Clay III, Janet Dacal, Ben Davis, Oliver Prose, Angel Sigala, Emily Skinner
Time: 2 hours 45 minutes (including break)