New pre-holiday musicals: 2 thumbs up, 2 thumbs down

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  4 Pre-Holiday Musicals: 2 thumbs up, 2 thumbs down


Of  our 2 recent visits  to  new musical productions,   our off-Broadway trips  were by far the most fun and satisfying.  Schlemiel the First  is  a  rarely seen but well worth  weeing revival--  Once  is something of a master class on  how  to  adapt a  movie for the stage -- keeping its char but creating a new art form.  If you don't get a chance to see it at NYTheatre Workshop   in the East Village--  it  is moving to  the Bernard Jacobs Theater  and ore likely  to  transfer successfully  than  the  misguided revised revival of  On a Clear Day You Can See Forever  or  the  silly  Lysistrata Jones which    overreached by  transferring its  downtown run to the Great White Way.


Shlemiel the First- Besides being imbued with Klezmer this offers many lessons. And you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate them and enjoy the show . . .

Once - a rare screen-to-stage adaptation that retains the charms of their source but as a work of art in its own right .

Lysistrata Jones - the move uptown is a case of overreaching. It's still light-hearted and purposefully silly fun, but it's just too slight and limited in broad audience appeal . .

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever - if anyone can bring out the very best in a show and make a half-full cup of entertainment filled to the brim, Mayer's the man. At least I thought he was . . .

Once - a rare screen-to-stage adaptation that retains the charms of their source but as a work of art in its own right .