I sprang for a ticket to SPRINGER upon winning the day's lottery. I hadn't seen it when it was briefly on view at Carnegie Hall a decade ago, so didn't know quite what to expect. I found the first act fairly funny, a risque spot-on parody/homage (take your pick) of Springer's shows featuring outrageous guests with wacky backstories and often stranger garb. Musical theater stalwart Will Swenson is a standout as the audience warm-up guy, a smarmy self-promoter. Made me wish he had played a different character in THE GREATEST SHOWMAN movie, one who had been given a song. But the second act, set in Hell or at least in a version thereof in the wounded Springer's confused mind, was way too long, redundant and pretty much a boring mishmash. Terrence Mann nails all of Springer's facial expressions, ranging from understanding to befuddlement. Nice to see Jill Paice, too, in a somewhat unsettling role. But I guess that was the intention.
In sum: Act Two needs pruning. Not bad, but could have been better. |
