Review Roundup: SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE at Pasadena Playhouse

The Pasadena Playhouse, in association with David Shor Productions, presents SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE - THE MUSICAL. The world premiere presentation began May 24 and opened last night, June 2, 2013, at The Pasadena Playhouse.

In addition to director Sheldon Epps, the production has a book by Jeff Arch, music by Ben Toth, lyrics by Sam Forman and is based on the Tristar Pictures film Sleepless in Seattle. The creative team for SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE - THE MUSICAL also includes choreography by Spencer Liff (The Playhouse's A Snow White Christmas, "So You Think You Can Dance"), scenic design by John Iacovelli (The Playhouse's The Heiress, Art and Blues for an Alabama Sky), lighting and projection design by Brian Gale (The Playhouse's Intimate Apparel and The Heiress), sound design by Carl Casella (One Night With Janis Joplin), costume design by Kate Bergh (The Playhouse's Under My Skin), music supervision by Larry Blank, musical direction by David O and orchestrations by Michael Starobin.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Charles McNulty, LA Times: What adjective can I employ to describe a musical with an opening number that made me believe I was watching a commercial for eHarmony? Is there a word to describe a pop score so nondescript that it sounds as if a computer program had drawn from an archive of early 1990s songs that never made it onto the charts?

Myron Meisel, Hollywood Reporter: The songs may be more pleasantly workmanlike than memorable, the peppy lyrics mostly free of clunky couplets, yet above all, they skillfully propel the narrative forward in just the way a musical ought to do, and the adept orchestrations help the actors make the most of them. The direction of Playhouse artistic directorSheldon Epps keeps the plates spinning skillfully, and if it's not a knockout show, it does persistently entertain against all odds. Child performer West particularly captivates the audience, encouraged to go right up to the rousing edge of too much.

Robert Hofler, Variety: In good musicals, characters generally break into song because the emotional stakes are so high that merely speaking the words no longer suffices. That moment never arrives in the musical "Sleepless" because Sam and Annie spend most of their stage time with a girlfriend Victoria (Katharine Leonard) and a fiance Walter (Robert Mammana) they don't much care about. Otherwise, they're just kind of marking time, yearning half-heartedly for somebody or something.

Hoyt Hilsman, Huffington Post: Chandra Lee Schwartz is a dynamo, belting the songs while maintaining an offhand, comic insouciance. Tim Martin Gleason hits exactly the right notes - both in performance and vocally - as the grieving and confused father who at last finds love with the help of his son. And Joe West, the emerging Broadway star who made a splash last year in A Christmas Story, carries off his pivotal role as the son with grace and elan. The rest of the cast is solid, including Robert Mammana as Schwartz's fiancé, Todd Buonopane as Gleason's sidekick, Sabrina Sloan as Schwartz's buddy.

Katie Buenneke, Neon Tommy: The book for the musical adaptation was penned by Jeff Arch, one of the writers of the story on which the movie is based. Sadly, it lacks Ephron's acuity; what makes Ephron's characters so lovable is their specificity. Their inherent little quirks make them relatable. In the musical, however, their oddities have been muffled, but it's harder to root for a bland hero and heroine than it is to root for characters who remind you of yourself.

Don Grigware, BroadwayWorld: Sleepless remains a fast paced mix of reality/fantasy all the way, and Toth and Forman's score, if not supplying tearjerking memories, at least exudes a reflection of the frenetic pace of this frantic lifestyle. It should be noted that the aforementioned chorus show up throughout the entire show, whether mailing letters, checking in at the airport, rushing about the streets of the big city, or just trying to keep up with the crazed dating scene. Sleepless is a show whose heart pulsates, vibrates with a real yet fantastical rhythm most will like, but to some... well you can't please everyone.

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