When’s a Musical Not?

Every season dozens of musicals hit the Broadway scene, midwifed by platoons of pr-men, star-studded, and above all well-heeled or they won’t have made it past New Haven. Most flicker in and out like a glowworm in the summer dusk. The producers and stars mutter nastinesses about the critics, the angels write it off on their income taxes, the stagehands strike the set and clear the way for the next victim. There’s blood all over the floor and no one stops to wonder what is really wrong. Well, for one thing, too often there is very little that can be charitably described as music in musicals. We are served up stars who can’t sing, scores that don’t swing, and lyrics that don’t scan. Rhythm is precisely what most musicals ain’t got.

Which is why among the handful (4) of musical survivals of the Massacre of 1965/66, two are sleepers. Man of La Mancha, which opened at the ANTA theater off Washington Square in December, is not only still around—a thing that seldom happens at the ANTA—it is, today, along with Mame, the hottest musical property in town. The second longshot is Wait a Minim!, the South African review that surprised opening night critics into reluctant and cautiously worded approval of a “made in South Africa” product.

PL

About the Author

Priscilla L. Buckley

Featured Tags

Every season dozens of musicals hit the Broadway scene, midwifed by platoons of pr-men, star-studded, and above all well-heeled or they won’t have made it past New Haven. Most flicker in and out like a glowworm in the summer dusk. The producers and stars mutter nastinesses about the critics, the angels write it off on their income taxes, the stagehands strike the set and clear the way for the next victim. There’s blood all over the floor and no one stops to wonder what is really wrong. Well, for one thing, too often there is very little that can be charitably described as music in musicals. We are served up stars who can’t sing, scores that don’t swing, and lyrics that don’t scan. Rhythm is precisely what most musicals ain’t got.

Which is why among the handful (4) of musical survivals of the Massacre of 1965/66, two are sleepers. Man of La Mancha, which opened at the ANTA theater off Washington Square in December, is not only still around—a thing that seldom happens at the ANTA—it is, today, along with Mame, the hottest musical property in town. The second longshot is Wait a Minim!, the South African review that surprised opening night critics into reluctant and cautiously worded approval of a “made in South Africa” product.