The glitz of Sin City meets the razzle-dazzle of Broadway in HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, the new musical that Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls "A classic, with a revelation of a score," cheering "You know you're listening to the sound of success."
Honeymoon in Vegas tells the story of Jack Singer, a regular guy with an extreme fear of marriage. When his girlfriend Betsy puts the pressure on, Jack finally pops the question and they head to Sin City for a whirlwind wedding weekend. But when Vegas wise guy Tommy Korman catches a glimpse of the stunning bride-to-be, and notices her uncanny resemblance to his late wife, he does everything possible to break up the romance and get his own second chance at love.
Stage and screen star Tony Danza ("Who's the Boss?," "Taxi"), Tony nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin), and Brynn O'Malley (Annie) star in this uproarious Broadway premiere with a book by Andrew Bergman (screenwriter of the hit film Honeymoon in Vegas), music by Tony winner Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County, Parade), direction by Gary Griffin (The Color Purple), and choreography by Denis Jones (Legally Blonde). Bet the house on this insanely funny new musical full of skydiving Elvises, sexy chorus girls, red-hot romance... and really cold feet.
The rambunctious new musical 'Honeymoon in Vegas' is old-fashioned and proud of it. A big orchestra pumps out a brassy, melodic score that nods to Sinatra's ba-da-bing days...Plus, come on -- Tony Danza's in it! If only parts of the story didn't cross the line between old-school and antediluvian...Director Gary Griffin keeps things moving at a fast clip and often inventively, and the tunes by Jason Robert Brown...have a catchy momentum...Things start dragging when Tommy enters the picture. Danza is game, crooning his way through a couple of Chairman of the Board-style ballads. He even pulls off a decent soft shoe. But his limited range of facial expressions undermines the comedy...the show owes a lot to McClure's tireless efforts. He's spectacularly limber -- watch him uncoil upright from a sitting-down position -- and his open, honest face makes us forgive, or at least overlook, Jack's stupidity. If this 'Honeymoon' hangs on, it'll be in large part thanks to him.
Its frothiness is initially enjoyable until it becomes silly and then tiresome, before sparking back to life toward the end. Ultimately, the show feels slight. Much of the most infectious stuff comes from composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown, whose talent as a songsmith is sharper than his nose for a winning property. Brown's songs are more catchy than memorable, but their lyrics are clever and droll...In the leading role of Jack Singer, the excellent Rob McClure works hard and is a winning nebbish...However, as Betsy, Brynn O'Malley seems not quite a natural for this kind of screwy comedy...the costume, hair and makeup team has SJPed all over her, hardening the attractive brunette into a tough-looking blonde...Danza strikes a nice balance between suave and sleazy...The Taxi and Who's the Boss? star's sitcom timing gets put to good use, and while his vocals are on the thin side, he carries a tune with confidence...Danza tackles the role with laidback Sinatra-style panache, and it works.
2014 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2017 | West End |
West End Concert Production at London Palladium West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Nancy Opel |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Jason Robert Brown |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | Jason Robert Brown |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Don Sebesky |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Larry Blank |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Jason Robert Brown |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Charlie Rosen |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Scott Lehrer |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Drew Levy |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Rob McClure |
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