Easily one of the worst musicals to flop on Broadway in years. I cannot remember sitting through something of such complete ineptitude in quite some time. This would not even pass muster in Vegas, as another poster suggested.
The book, if you can call it that, seriously drops out about 3/4 of the way through Act Two. Literally just stops. There is no attempt at all to create conflict or resolve anything. The entire story is scene after scene of Emilio convincing white people that their music will succeed. Ah, we know! So now we have to sit through a show that tells us over and over how hard it was for Emilio??? (Dreamgirls did this already.) Gloria is literally his side kick (without the humor). She has barely any story to speak of, aside from her mother not wanting her to go on the road (Dreamgirls, anyone?)
SPOILER!!! (Not)
Her tour bus gets hit by a mack truck.
Oh, wait. We knew that already. So what happens? She blames him. But he wants her to get up on stage and perform and show the world she's back. And so she does. Then add 10 more minutes of songs that have nothing to do with the plot.
This kind of terrible, crass commercialism makes me so angry. I love good entertainment. I loved Mamma Mia. Seriously. I thought it was so clever and fun and never took itself too seriously. It was well crafted and conceived. This is the worst of every kind of musical. Vanity, vanity, vanity.
The casting is second rate, at best. There was one redeeming moment in Act One when Andrea Burns (playing a cardboard version of a mother scorned) gets to perform a big production number, only to find out that Cuba is about to, I don't know, something to do with...(if you don't know the history, you're out of luck). But then she has goes back to performing. There is a seed of a great moment in there and Ms. Burns handles herself beautifully. That's it.
I want to conclude with a story. Sitting next to me was probably one of Gloria's biggest fans. This woman knew every lyric to every song (and had an awesome voice, thank God). Her joy during Act One was palpable. At intermission she turned to her husband and said, "It's terrible. But I like the music. It's Gloria. What's not to like." She didn't give the show a standing ovation at the end. She just left. I followed behind.
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