6 / 10
I gained a whole new understanding of “The Three Little Piggies” at the end of Dave Malloy’s latest sing-through musical theater piece, which has a lively score and a gifted cast, but largely falls short of its effort — seemingly inspired by Sondheim’s approach in “Into The Woods” — to say something significant about life during the pandemic. Still, the ending is a revelation.
7 / 10
Malloy (juggling book, music, lyrics, and orchestrations) produces lovely passages, but dramatic tension and character development is where Three Houses starts to wobble on its foundations and devolves into an allegorical anthology with diminishing returns. Narration and description take up so much text, the action stalls in passive self-regard. Alternating speaking and singing might have been a wiser tactic or tightening each episode by ten minutes. For a writer inspired by loneliness, Molloy should seek out creative company: a book writer, for example, who could help shape his prodigious musical imagination, and push back when he blows too hard.
Performances are now underway for Dave Malloy's Three Houses, which is now playing at the Signature Theatre through June 9. Read the reviews here!
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL | Annie Tippe |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical | Henry Stram |
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