I also saw it last weekend, and I was slightly less positive about it than Ncassidine. My wife and I are huge Piazza fans, and this show has some beautiful music and great acting, but I was never emotionally involved in the characters or their journeys, and ultimately, it felt like a kind of empty experience because of that.
Imo Guettel has never been the strongest lyricist, and there are some real clunkers in this score. And ultimately, I just found the material dated. It felt at times like a PSA for alcoholism, and less like a human tragedy.
That said, I'm still glad I saw it. Incredible singing and acting from Brian D'Arcy James and Kelli O'Hara, and I feel like a new Guettel musical comes along so rarely that I can't miss one. |
