When producers announced Woody Allen's BULLETS OVER BROADWAY would be hitting the Great White Way, many thought this backstage musical comedy would be the sure-fire hit of 2013-2014. Since then, this musical adaptation has struggled to find an audience after mixed reviews, no love from the TONY Awards, and the rehashing of an old Allen scandal.
While it may currently be unpopular for a seasoned theater-goer like myself to say they loved BULLETS, I will be the first to admit it, I haven't had this much fun at a musical comedy since Mel Brooks and Susan Stroman (BULLETS' director) teamed up for THE PRODUCERS. I should have prefaced this by saying that friends tell me that a musical with showgirls, gangsters, and a Woody Allen script was pretty much written specifically for me.
While it may currently be unpopular for a seasoned theater-goer like myself to say they loved BULLETS, I will be the first to admit it, I haven't had this much fun at a musical comedy since Mel Brooks and Susan Stroman (BULLETS' director) teamed up for THE PRODUCERS. I should have prefaced this by saying that friends tell me that a musical with showgirls, gangsters, and a Woody Allen script was pretty much written specifically for me.
Simply put, BULLETS is a delight. Allen's book is funny and well-structured (only Allen could incorporate high brow jokes about Nietzsche within five minutes of dancing hot dogs), Stroman's staging/choreography is clever and inventive, the designs are ravishing, and the performances are all-around charming. From knock-out dance numbers, revolving sets, endless one-liners, belting ingenues, and gut-busting novelty songs (I'm still laughing from Helene Yorke's The Hot Dog Song), this show is a crowd-pleaser. Sure - some might argue that the show would have been better with an original score, but these classic tunes (many of which audiences probably have not heard before) fit in perfectly with Allen's oeuvre and are beautifully orchestrated by Doug Besterman. Glen Kelley also does a terrific job providing smart new lyrics for these public domain ditties to make them feel connected to the show.
When I told a friend and Broadway producer that I had a blast at this show, she asked me when I had seen it. When I told her during previews, she said that made perfect sense. She had heard nothing but good things about the production before opening and once the lackluster reviews hit, knowing audiences began to change their tune. Sometimes the critics get it wrong. This, I believe, is one of those instances. Judge it for yourself. If you love a good-old fashioned musical comedy with witty direction, first-rate performances, a contemporary sense of humor, and (did I already mention?) leggy showgirls, catch BULLETS before it is scheduled to close on August 24.
RSS Feed