Review Roundup: ROMY & MICHELE: THE MUSICAL Opens Off-Broadway

Read reviews for for Romy & Michele: The Musical! Stepping into the platform shoes of the iconic best friend duo are Broadway veterans Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde, The Cottage) as Romy White and Kara Lindsay (Newsies, Wicked) as Michele Weinberger.

The cast also includes Jordan Kai Burnett as Heather/Others, DeMarius R. Copes as DJ/Others, Ninako Donville Lisa/Others, Erica Dorfler as Kelly/Others, Michael Thomas Grant as Sandy/Others, Je'Shaun Jackson as Toby/Others, Pascal Pastrana as Billy/Others, and Lauren Zakrin as Christie/Others, alongside Hannah Florence and Cameron Sirian.

For most of us, the idea of reliving high school is nothing short of a nightmare. When Romy and Michele are invited to their ten-year high school reunion, Michele envisions the whole experience as a fun road trip, while Romy, very reluctantly, agrees to go but only if they come up with something to impress their classmates. To this end, the two hatch an outrageous scheme to totally re-invent themselves.

Based on the cult film classic Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion, the musical features a book by the film’s screenwriter Robin Schiff, music and lyrics by Gwendolyn Sanford and Brandon Jay (“Orange is the New Black”), music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Keith Harrison Dworkin (Emojiland), choreography by Karla Puno Garcia, and direction by Kristin Hanggi (Rock of Ages).  Romy & Michele: The Musical is produced by Barry Kemp, Stephen Soucy, Peter Schneider, and Laurence Mark with Showtown Productions serving as Executive Producer.

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune: “Romy & Michele: The Musical,” like we needed one, really is that bad. But yet not bad enough to work on a campy level, either.

Robert Hofler, The Wrap: When Schiff’s book disappoints by simply regurgitating her screenplay, the original score by Gwendolyn Sanford and Brandon Jay provides the necessary fresh energy. It’s nothing more than bubblegum, but like Hubba Bubba, the songs come in a wide variety of flavors and colors.

Tim Teeman, The Daily Beast: Of course, if you’re a devoted fan you may experience Romy & Michele: The Musical differently. By hewing so close to the movie, the pleasure in the intended nostalgic echoes—there is even very literal ’80s/’90s nostalgia beamed on to background screens—may make for a pleasurable evening. But at the performance I attended the applause after nearly every number (with one or two enthusiastically-received exceptions) was politely tepid at best.

Caitlin Hornik, The Independent: It’s the soundtrack that lets this production down. While the songs (by Gwendolyn Sanford and Brandon Jay) are all well-executed in the moment, they lack sticking power. Looking through the track list now – a mixture of Nineties-inspired ballads and dance numbers – I can picture the staging and energetic choreography of nearly each number (giant fruit magnets! dancing with scarves!) but fail to conjure the memory of a single melody. Hats off, though, to choreographer Karla Puno Garcia, who adds her own flair while maintaining the integrity of some of the film’s most iconic scenes – lovers of the reunion dance moment will understand.

Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Theatre Guide: Uncanny screen chemistry between Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow is a main reason the movie clicks. As directed by Kristin Hanggi (Rock of Ages), the musical’s stars don’t stray far from their film templates. Bundy (Legally Blonde, Hairspray) leans hard into a Valley Girl accent, while Lindsay (Newsies), delivers lines in deft clueless fashion. They bring likable BFF energy to this buddy comedy, and while they won’t make anyone forget the onscreen duo, they give it their all — just like Romy and Michele.

Lindsay B. Davis, One-Minute Critic: In the end, Romy & Michele: The Musical is exactly what director Kristin Hanggi promised: a “joy bomb” that detonates with glitter, heart, and enough “business women specials” to remind us why we fell for these two in the first place. Even if the explosion lasts a little longer than necessary.

Philip Mutz, PureWow: The new musical is a lot of fun, with Bundy and Lindsay delivering laugh after laugh. Their chemistry as the long-time besties is palpable. In particular, Bundy steals the show as she replicates Sorvino’s famous lower voice and accent, while still making the character her own. Laura Bell Bundy is truly impressive as she brings comedy one minute and tears the next. Her physicality (see: her “businesswoman walk”) is especially entertaining.

Johnny Oleksinki, The New York Post: The sorry excuse for a stage adaptation, which opened Tuesday at Stage 42, takes a quirky 90-minute film that was completely reliant on the charm and chemistry of its leads Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow, pumps in almost an hour of formless filler and pulverizes its personality to the point of being practically unrecognizable.

Elisabeth Vincentelli, The New York Times: It’s also frustrating because the show doesn’t stand a chance to work on its own, especially since the journeyman score by the married team of Gwendolyn Sanford and Brandon Jay, does nothing to spark things up. (Admittedly, the orchestra is hampered by a teeny, muddled sound reminiscent of an old Nintendo game; this pushes the vintage vibe too far.)

Average Rating: 48.9%