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.
...it's a great surprise that the large-scale musical version of [Honeymoon in Vegas] is a frothy delight, a pineapple-sweet warm-up in this most frigid season...Director Gary Griffin, scenic designer Anna Louizos and costumer Brian Hemesath leave no set piece or wardrobe switcheroo unturned...and the production meets at just the right intersection of garish and glitzy. The loose vibe seems to have extended to composer Jason Robert Brown, concocting a jaunty score quite unlike his more contemplative, romantic works of late. Vegas has its share of missteps -- a few clunker lines, a still-slightly-sexist undertone...and what has to be the only showtune in history about skin cancer. But a gifted, generous cast puts the entire affair over...But Vegas's jackpot component is McClure...his sincere, alert comic timing and rubberman persona constantly keeps the production on its toes -- he's the veritable, lovable bull in this fitfully funny china shop.
Funny? You bet, and Mr. Brown has crunched the dramatic exposition of the film into a fast-moving sequence of musical numbers whose sterling craftsmanship is marvelous to behold, starting with one of the smartest list songs to hit Broadway in decades: 'She likes hockey. No, I swear! / She likes guys with thinning hair! / And I love Betsy!' What's more, Ms. O'Malley, a stunningly sharp-witted stage performer whose talent has heretofore been squandered on second-banana parts, proves herself more than equal to the challenge of a starring role. She's almost reason enough to see 'Honeymoon in Vegas,' and Gary Griffin's on-the-button staging and Anna Louizos's deluxe sets display her to ideal advantage.
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