Scandalous
Closing: December 09, 2012Scandalous - 2012 Broadway History , Info & More
Neil Simon Theatre (Broadway)
250 W. 52nd St. New York, NY 10019
SCANDALOUS is based on the life of Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944), the world's first media superstar evangelist -- a woman whose passion for saving souls equaled her passion for making sensational headlines and attracting overflow crowds of thousands throughout the world. Time Magazine named Aimee Semple McPherson one the most influential people of the twentieth century.
Set in 1920's Los Angeles, holiness collides with Hollywood in this extraordinary tale of one remarkable woman's charismatic rise to fame amidst scandalous love affairs and growing controversy, inevitably ending in her much-publicized fall from grace.
Scandalous - 2012 - Broadway Cast
PREVIEW Scandalous - 2012 - Broadway
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FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Scandalous
Faith Healer Has Her Own Wounds to Tend
6 / 10
“The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson,” as the show is subtitled, are actually much more fascinating than you would gather from this formulaic Broadway musical...“Scandalous'...condenses and rearranges McPherson’s story to fit smoothly into the familiar grooves of celebrity biography. In the process the show reduces McPherson’s remarkable life to a cliché-bestrewn fable about the wages of fame…“Scandalous” isn’t so much scandalously bad as it is generic and dull…Ms. Carmello, a gloriously gifted singing actress, has never managed to snag a star-making breakout role on Broadway — not all that surprising in these difficult days for musical theater. Sister Aimee certainly provides plenty of opportunities for Ms. Carmello to thrill us with the purity and power of her voice. She leads a few rousing come-to-Jesus gospel-tinged numbers with bright-beaming intensity. She delivers the climactic soul-baring ballad with plenty of emotional heat. What she cannot do — no singer without the power of miracle could — is bring distinction to songs that never rise above the serviceable.
Theater review: 'Scandalous' with book and lyrics by Kathie Lee Gifford.
6 / 10
So, although Carmello, who's onstage for almost the entire evening, gives a knock-out performance, pulling off gospel numbers and novelty songs with equal mastery, her character remains remote. The score, with music by David Pomeranz and David Friedman, is serviceable, and often performed very loudly. Welcome contributions are made by the amusing Roz Ryan, playing a Kansas City madam turned McPherson assistant, and George Hearn, as the evangelist's sweet-natured father. But 'Scandalous,' despite its title, is remarkably tame.
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Scandalous History
Other Productions of Scandalous
| 2012 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Scandalous - 2012 Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Carolee Carmello |
| 2013 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Carolee Carmello |
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