Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James star in a searing new musical about a couple falling in love in 1950s New York and struggling against themselves to build their family. The New York Times calls Days of Wine and Roses “a jazzy, aching new musical with wells of compassion!” (Critic’s Pick) and The Washington Post raves, “Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James soar! One of the best new musicals this year.”
Adapted from JP Miller’s 1962 film and original 1958 teleplay, composer & lyricist Adam Guettel (Floyd Collins) and playwright Craig Lucas (An American in Paris) reunite in their first collaboration since their acclaimed The Light in the Piazza. Directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen).
One strength of the 90-minute intermissionless piece is its refusal to offer any easy explanation of addiction’s origins, on the assumption that explanations don’t carry much meaning when the alcoholic’s throes are what need to be immediately addressed. When Kirsten and Joe first spend time together at a waterfront, she tells him that she prefers to watch the water farther out. The water immediately below her, she insists, is too dirty. That’s all the rationale needed to set the parameters for this bold, unflinching musical gaze at drinking to cruel excess.
While the musical respects the film’s structure and setting (though the location is moved from San Francisco to New York City) and recycles much of the original dialogue, it proves to be one of the relatively few theatrical adaptations that expands upon its cinematic source material, as seen in how the score (which is grounded in mid-century jazz) artfully captures the characters’ circumstances (including the high-flying, euphoric rush of endless cocktails) and subsequent breakdowns and melancholy.
Digital Rush
Price: $49
Where: on the TodayTix app.
When: 9am on the day of the performance
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Subject to availability.
2023 | Off-Broadway |
Atlantic Theater Company Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
2024 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical | Brian d’Arcy James |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical | Kelli O’Hara |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Kelli O’Hara |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Michael Greif |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical | Kelli O'Hara |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical | Brian d'Arcy James |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Days of Wine and Roses |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Adam Guettel |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Adam Guettel |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Adam Guettel |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Brian d'Arcy James |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Kelli O'Hara |
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