New York, New York, the new musical combines not-so-new songs from John Kander and the late Fred Ebb with By Lin-Manuel Miranda is a visually dazzling homage to the city that never sleeps, but the content of a show can never quite match its brilliance. The legend behind Cabaret, Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman
II group, Kander and Ebb are also the authors of what may be the most famous civic anthem of all time, around which the new musical is ostensibly built.
Loosely based on the 42 Martin Scorsese film of the same name starring Big Apple mascot Lisa Min Starring Nelly and Robert De Niro, this stage version teases the promise of big, rowdy Gotham musicals of yore, such as 42nd Street or Guys and Dolls – Fire Escape Brawl! City hip-hop number! But despite some great moments, especially the happy ending of the title track, it doesn’t convey the story.
Colton Ryan and Anna Uzele in New York, New York
Photo: Paul Kornick 2023
It’s actually about four intertwined stories set in WW2 The moment just ended, at a time when the city was grappling with the residual trauma of the war, yet pulled back by the hopes and possibilities of a new decade. The main romance involves Jimmy Doyle and Francine Evans, played by Colton Ryan ( Girl from the North Country
) and Anna Uzele (six), two promising young musicians Their ways are many: for her, it’s race and gender; for him, it’s alcohol and the specter of war. The concept of an interracial couple in ’42s (she’s black, he’s white) is enough on its own, but doesn’t have time to delve into the intricacies of other storylines Sex, which includes Mateo, a female Cuban immigrant (played cheerfully by Angel Sigala) and his abusive father; Mrs. Violtrie, a violin teacher, and Alex, her Polish refugee student; and Jesse, a black trumpeter, Could not rest after serving his country. It’s an ambitious and often dizzying cast of characters, not to mention sympathetic.
Directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman ( Producer, Crazy for You ), unsurprisingly, the dance numbers provide an exhilarating boost when the plot drags. A subtly staged tap dance on the unfinished beams of a skyscraper – subtly reminiscent of that famous photo – is almost worth the price of admission and pairs Strowman’s brilliance with Beowulf Borit’s notes perfectly combined. Stroman also made clever use of Donna Zakowska’s hallowed attire, as well as the fuller skirts of the post-war period, which twirled so magically. It’s hard not to see the presence of Claire McCardell in her vibrant shirtwaist and billowy skirt, making this critic yearn for the scene where the elegantly dressed New Yorker walks in what has long been one of the city’s greatest forms of drama.
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