Review Roundup: Betsy Wolfe-Led JOY: A NEW TRUE MUSICAL Opens Off-Broadway

JOY: A New True Musical, starring Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe as 'Joy,' is now playing off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre. The show officially opened on Sunday, July 20. Read the reviews below!

Based on the life of trailblazing businesswoman and inventor Joy Mangano, Wolfe plays ‘Joy' with Jill Abramovitz as ‘Toots,' Honor Blue Savage as ‘Christie,' Adam Grupper as ‘Rudy,' Mauricio Martínez as ‘Tony,' Paul Whitty as ‘Cowboy Eddie,' Charl Brown as ‘Dan,' and Gabriela Carrillo as ‘Ronni.' They are joined by Jaygee Macapugay as ‘Lorraine' and ensemble members Dana Costello, Ryan Duncan, Gaelen Gilliland, Sydni Moon, Manuel Santos, Brian Shepard, Allysa Shorte, Lael Van Keuren, and Alan Wiggins. Swings for this production are Briana Brooks, Nora Mae Dixon, Michał Kołaczkowski, and Jerome Vivona.

JOY: A New True Musical is a musical work based on the true story of entrepreneur and inventor Joy Mangano. Her journey—also told in the 2015 film JOY, starring Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence—now comes to life on stage. From single motherhood and financial struggles to building a business empire, Joy's story epitomizes the power of resilience and determination, an inspiring celebration of a woman who never gave up and redefined the American Dream!

The new musical features a book by Tony winner Ken Davenport, music and lyrics by GRAMMY and Tony Award nominee AnnMarie Milazzo, music supervision and arrangements by Andy Einhorn, choreography by Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse, and direction by Lorin Latarro. Additional material is by Amanda Yesnowitz.

Elisabeth Vincentelli, The New York Times: Wolfe gives her all throughout and sells “A Better Way,” the de rigueur 11 o’clock empowerment anthem, as effectively the real Joy pitched her product. But what does it say about the show that a mop giveaway to some audience members provides one of the biggest flashes of excitement?

Jonathan Mandell, New York Theater: “Joy: A New True Musical” lies somewhere between the movie and book in tone, but it has a quirkiness all its own, in part because, well, it’s fifteen musical numbers about a woman who sold a mop, but mostly because it exists in an art form that tends to skewer business people. (The exception: show business people.)

Frank Scheck, New York Stage Review: Unfortunately, the show isn’t just one act but rather two, its second half completely squandering its theatrical momentum with a descent into narrative hokiness. Despite a terrific performance by Betsy Wolfe in the title role, the awkwardly titled Joy: A New True Musical needs some serious mopping up.

Juan A. Ramirez, Theatrely: The film, I remember at least diving into the corporate chicanery employed to cheat Mangano out of her due profits, and it briefly peeks out in the second act of Ken Davenport’s book for the musical. But neither it, nor AnnMarie Milazzo’s music and lyrics, wring much more from those ideas, which might have lent the story the specificity needed to justify itself. Instead it takes a generic, “er, adulting, right?” derp that flattens everything out for the sake of relatable bonhomie.

Allison Considine, New York Theatre Guide: Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe is superb as the headstrong Joy, commanding the stage whether she’s mopping up a spill or soaring through a power ballad. In “A Better Way,” a pivotal number where Joy fights for the patent to her invention, Wolfe brings down the house, earning a mid-show ovation at my performance.

Roma Torre, New York Stage Review: Good storytelling is not only key to selling merchandise, it’s essential to musical theater. And while the production at the Laura Pels Theatre has much to offer – most especially a bravura star turn from Betsy Wolfe – the book by Ken Davenport falls rather short in selling Joy’s rags-to-riches story on the live stage.

Average Rating: 61.7%