Old world charm permeates every moment of this bittersweet, wise and gently offbeat fable of life, love and bread by Joseph Stein ("Fiddler On The Roof") and Stephen Schwartz ("Godspell," "Pippin," "Children of Eden" and the films "Pocahontas," "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" and "The Prince Of Egypt").brbrThe bickering residents of a small Provencal town at last find peace and contentment in the heavenly bread of the newly arrived baker and his attractive young wife, but when she is lured away by the attentions of a handsome young gigolo, the middle-aged baker loses all zest for life and baking, throwing the community into chaos.
Based on the Marcel Pagnol film, “The Baker’s Wife” was supposed to open on Broadway in 1976, or thereabouts, but shuttered on its way to New York City, the most likely culprit being the abominable showman-producer David Merrick. Productions have popped up here and there over the years, and fortunately for New Yorkers, a stellar production of “The Baker’s Wife” opened Tuesday at the Classic Stage Company. It’s by far the year’s best revival of a stage musical. If there’s any justice, this long-neglected musical by Joseph Stein and Stephen Schwartz will finally make it to Broadway with this great ensemble completely intact.
Admittedly, they all get short shrift in the text itself, though Greenberg, to his credit, tries to even things out by amping up the fantastical Provençal spirit of the village, with sprigs of lavender laid out on tables in Jason Sherwood’s set and members of the ensemble playing pétanque before the action begins. His supporting cast, too, puts in the effort toward filling out their lightly sketched characters — Nathan Lee Graham is particularly good as the lascivious mayor, and I’ll never complain about seeing Judy Kuhn. Greenberg is banking on atmosphere, which gets him some of the way toward a version of The Baker’s Wife that works. Getting there might require a page-one rewrite. I doubt it would be worth the effort. But hey, the show’s lumpy moral does, finally, come into view: Geneviève and Aimable’s relationship is worth fighting for. In marriage, as in yeast doughs, a little warmth helps things rise.
| 1976 | Broadway |
Closed on the road Broadway |
| 1980 | Regional (US) |
Regional Revival Regional (US) |
| 1982 | Regional (US) |
West Coast Revival Regional (US) |
| 1983 | New York |
Workshop New York |
| 1985 | Off-Off-Broadway |
York Theatre Company Production Off-Off-Broadway |
| 1986 | Regional (US) |
West Coast Revival Regional (US) |
| 1989 | West End |
London Revival West End |
| 2005 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
| West End |
West End |
|
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
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