Review: GRAND HOTEL at The Alchemy Theatre At Zach

Set in the opulent yet crumbling interwar years of 1928 Berlin, Grand Hotel, now revived by The Alchemy Theatre, moves elegantly and achingly between grandeur and decay. Based on Vicki Baum's 1929 novel, Menschen im Hotel, and shaped through the stylized lens of its 1989 Broadway adaptation, the musical presents a world on the brink caught between wealth and ruin, life and death, past and an uncertain future. Alchemy's production, though intimate in scale, delivers a thematically rich and emotionally layered experience that pulses with both nostalgia and urgency.

The story unfolds over a single day in Berlin's most prestigious hotel, tracing the intersecting lives of its guests and staff: Otto Kringelein (Leslie R. Hethcox), a terminally ill clerk determined to savor luxury before the end; Baron Felix von Gaigern (Cameron La Brie), a penniless aristocrat whose charm masks desperation; General Director Preysing (Richard C. Jones), a businessman teetering on collapse; Flaemmchen (Taylor Bini), a typist with Hollywood dreams; an aging ballerina and stage diva, Elizaveta Grushinskaya (Sara Zare), her faithful companion Rafaela Orttanio (Sarah-Marie Curry), and the tireless hotel workers who uphold the illusion of elegance. Their entangled fates reveal tenderness, betrayal, humor, and tragedy, uncovering the human cost beneath the hotel's polished surface.

Grand Hotel debuted on Broadway in 1989 to critical and commercial acclaim. Directed and choreographed by Tommy Tune, the original production featured a revolving stage, art deco flair, and a sweeping score by Robert Wright and George Forrest (with additions by Maury Yeston), capturing the dazzling yet fragile glamour of late-Weimar Berlin.

Director Michael Cooper reimagines that world within the intimate setting of ZACH Theatre's round Whisenhunt Stage. Without the grandeur of staircases or chandeliers, the production relies on light, sound, and movement to evoke the atmosphere. Set designers Holly and Patrick Crowley make clever use of the space, subtly suggesting the hotel's fading elegance in a stripped-down, emotionally focused staging.

Sarah Rosenkranz's costume designs are stylish and era-appropriate, grounding the characters firmly in late-1920s Berlin. That said, I wish the choice of wig for Flaemmchen had leaned toward a head of golden hair, more in line with her cinematic aspirations, or no wig at all. I'm not a fan of wigs unless absolutely necessary and well-styled.

The production's most distinctive element is Noah Wood's choreography, which bridges styles and eras. For the hotel's glittering social scenes, Woods leans into graceful Jazz Age foxtrots. In contrast, the hotel staff moves with industrial, percussive energy reminiscent of Hadestown. In those moments, the ensemble becomes a near-mechanical force, a poignant visual reminder of the labor that underlies the luxury. The choreography speaks volumes about contrast, class, and cost, and although not everyone on that stage is a dancer, Woods makes movers out of all of them, and it works!

Under Cooper's direction, even the most minor roles resonate with purpose, reinforcing the central themes of illusion and impermanence. The ensemble works with precision, embodying both the glittering surface and the grinding machinery beneath.

La Brie exudes charm and aching vulnerability as the Baron in a performance that is both suave and sorrowful. Hethcox delivers a moving portrayal of Otto Kringelein, capturing a man determined to find joy in his final days. His chemistry with La Brie shines in their number "We'll Take a Glass Together," which blends comic levity with poignant depth. Bini is lovely as Flaemmchen, the hopeful typist with Hollywood dreams. Her rendition of "I Want to Go to Hollywood" is marked by yearning and heartbreak. Bini brings a hint of modern independence to the role, and although it departs from the expected ingénue and behavior of the era, it doesn't distract from the message. My own daughter played Flaemmchen at McCallum Theatre in 2020, so Bini's performance brought sweet memories and a special kind of warmth to my heart. 

Kyra Jackson and Isaiah Jones, as the Jimmys, electrify every scene they enter. Their jazz-infused dynamism provides a rhythmic heartbeat to the ensemble, underscoring the production's emotional tempo.

Staging this musical in 2025 invites inevitable comparisons to our present moment. The show's backdrop of economic uncertainty, rising inequality, and glamour concealing societal cracks feels all too familiar. At its best, theatre doesn't just reflect history, it reverberates with it. The production of Grand Hotel reminds us that history doesn't simply repeat itself: it lingers, it rhymes, it haunts.

The Alchemy Theatre's revival doesn't attempt to replicate the grandeur of Broadway. Instead, it distills Grand Hotel to its emotional core: a story of people striving, faltering, and dreaming on the edge of change. With inventive choreography, resonant performances, and timely insight, it proves that intimacy can rival, and sometimes surpass, spectacle.

Duration: 2.5 hours with intermission

Grand Hotel

Book by Luther Davis

Music & Lyrics by Robert Wright & George Forrest

Directed by Michael Cooper

Choreography by Noah Woods
 

Now playing through June 15th, 2025

Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30PM

Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30PM

The Alchemy Theatre @ The Whisenhunt Stage at ZACH Theatre

202 South Lamar Blvd. 

Austin, TX 78704