The glitz of Sin City meets the razzle-dazzle of Broadway in HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, the new musical that Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls "A classic, with a revelation of a score," cheering "You know you're listening to the sound of success."
Honeymoon in Vegas tells the story of Jack Singer, a regular guy with an extreme fear of marriage. When his girlfriend Betsy puts the pressure on, Jack finally pops the question and they head to Sin City for a whirlwind wedding weekend. But when Vegas wise guy Tommy Korman catches a glimpse of the stunning bride-to-be, and notices her uncanny resemblance to his late wife, he does everything possible to break up the romance and get his own second chance at love.
Stage and screen star Tony Danza ("Who's the Boss?," "Taxi"), Tony nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin), and Brynn O'Malley (Annie) star in this uproarious Broadway premiere with a book by Andrew Bergman (screenwriter of the hit film Honeymoon in Vegas), music by Tony winner Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County, Parade), direction by Gary Griffin (The Color Purple), and choreography by Denis Jones (Legally Blonde). Bet the house on this insanely funny new musical full of skydiving Elvises, sexy chorus girls, red-hot romance... and really cold feet.
Tony Danza...engages in crowd-pleasing, low-impact tap dancing, strums a ukulele and makes a valiant effort at singing (the show's big numbers aren't written with him in mind). As it is, the most killer thing about Danza is his threads...Meanwhile, the hero, a mama's boy who self-identifies as a 'schmuck'...McClure sells this show every moment he's on stage...As Betsy, the schoolteacher eager for Jack to put a ring on it already, O'Malley has all the best qualities of a leading lady. The supporting cast members are stand-outs...Composer Brown has crafted an exceptional score, particularly in its more morbid incarnations...'I Love Betsy,' meanwhile, is as charming a curtain-raiser as I've seen this millennium, with its instantly recognizable urban homages, down to the D'Agostino delivery cart. Brown's legion of fans are apt to consider this one of his finer achievements, in spite of the source material's garish qualities...'Vegas' ends up feeling a lot like 'Bullets Over Broadway'...though at the end of the day this new musical has the benefit of a novel original score.
The rambunctious new musical 'Honeymoon in Vegas' is old-fashioned and proud of it. A big orchestra pumps out a brassy, melodic score that nods to Sinatra's ba-da-bing days...Plus, come on -- Tony Danza's in it! If only parts of the story didn't cross the line between old-school and antediluvian...Director Gary Griffin keeps things moving at a fast clip and often inventively, and the tunes by Jason Robert Brown...have a catchy momentum...Things start dragging when Tommy enters the picture. Danza is game, crooning his way through a couple of Chairman of the Board-style ballads. He even pulls off a decent soft shoe. But his limited range of facial expressions undermines the comedy...the show owes a lot to McClure's tireless efforts. He's spectacularly limber -- watch him uncoil upright from a sitting-down position -- and his open, honest face makes us forgive, or at least overlook, Jack's stupidity. If this 'Honeymoon' hangs on, it'll be in large part thanks to him.
2014 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2017 | West End |
West End Concert Production at London Palladium West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Nancy Opel |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Jason Robert Brown |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | Jason Robert Brown |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Don Sebesky |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Larry Blank |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Jason Robert Brown |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Charlie Rosen |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Scott Lehrer |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Drew Levy |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Rob McClure |
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