October 20, 2009

'Memphis' opens on Broadway: Does it have soul?

The new musical “Memphis” opened on Broadway on Monday, mightily impressing some of the critics, with others concluding it lacks soul.

Set in 1950s Tennessee, a white DJ (Chad Kimball) falls in love with a black singer (Montego Glover) he wants to put on the radio. The book is by Joe DiPietro; music is by David Bryan; they share the lyrics credit. Christopher Ashley directs and Sergio Trujillo handles choreography.

Tickets are on sale through July 4 for “Memphis” at the Shubert Theatre, 225 W. 44th St., map. Regular tickets are priced from $41.50 to $121.50. Premium seats are $251.50.

Producers advise the material is appropriate for children 12 and older.

The “Memphis” on Broadway reviews:

New York Times - “Dare I suggest that ‘Memphis’ is the Michael Bolton of Broadway musicals? I do.”

Variety - “The show is entertaining but synthetic, its telepic plotting restitching familiar threads from ‘Hairspray’ and ‘Dreamgirls,’ while covering fictitious ground adjacent to that of recent biopic ‘Cadillac Records.’”

Daily News - “Nice to know a new musical can actually surprise you. Though it starts on a familar note and sparks deja vu at other points, ‘Memphis’ eventually finds its own voice and beat, and wins you over with its sheer enthusiasm and exuberant performances.”

Hollywood Reporter - “Kimball, coming across like an older, Southern-twanged version of Christian Slater in ‘Pump Up the Volume,’ makes for an offbeat but unforgettable leading man, and his hilarious and ultimately deeply moving performance will be well remembered come awards time.”

Newsday - “The remarkably rich and raucous character-driven songs, by Bon Jovi cofounder David Bryan, lovingly capture the insinuating, earthy authenticity of rhythm and blues, gospel and early rock and roll without sounding derivative.”

Bloomberg - “The musical numbers are irresistible. To be sure, choreographer Sergio Trujillo had at his disposal some phenomenal dancers, but, at least as important, he has come up with original and incandescent dancing that no current musical and very few past ones could match.”

New York magazine - “Ultimately, neither he, nor his brass-piped, Diana Ross–ish love interest Felicia (Montego Glover), nor the poppin’ ensemble, can save Memphis from melodic poverty, Bono-grade race-bathos, and lyrics like ‘We gotta change our intolerant ways.’ But they do give an empty K-Tel collage of a show an honest soul. And, in Kimball, Memphis has given us a brand-new Broadway rock star.”

USA Today - “The white folks all seem to have wandered in out of an early episode of The Lawrence Welk Show. The black guys and gals can typically be found either swinging around a nightclub or whooping it up in church.”

Back Stage - “Unfortunately, with the exception of Kimball’s Huey, the characters come across as two-dimensional clichés—clichés who can sing but clichés nonetheless—so when Felicia is brutally attacked by racist thugs, it’s strangely unmoving.”

Associated Press - “But the show, which opened Monday, is as ambitious as it is entertaining, informative in a quasi-historical way as well as emotionally affecting in its parade of thoroughly engaging characters.”

Post - “Or at least it makes a zippy, exuberant musical — one that relies exclusively on steadfastly ‘classic’ values: catchy songs, heaping spoonfuls of inspirational moments and tear-jerking schmaltz, and committed performers at the top of their game.”

Image source: Official website for “Memphis” on Broadway.

October 20, 2009 8:40 AM in Broadway, Midtown

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