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The
following are reviews from the 2007 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) production
of “EMMA” --
Broadway
Bridge and Tunnel Test
The Broadway
Bridge and Tunnel Test is our
personal and highly opinionated Commuter's Guide to New York theater and cultural events, with
an emphasis on Broadway and Off-Broadway theatrical productions. The test is
simple: is an event worth the always expensive, time consuming, and too often
horrendous struggle to commute to New York City
from New Jersey, Long Island, Upstate New York or Connecticut?
Only truly great or near-great performances and productions may meet this
stiff challenge!
James Camner
James Camner is an antiquarian dealer of
autographs, manuscripts and printed music and books of Opera, Classical
Music, Theater, Dance, and Film, as well as a published author of more than
10 books on the performing arts including "How to Enjoy Opera"
(Simon and Schuster), "The Great Opera Stars in Historic
Photographs" (Dover), "Stars of American Musical Theater in
Historic Photographs" (Dover - with Stanley Appelbaum);
is a current reviewer for Fanfare Magazine and has written feature articles
and reviews for Opera News. View my complete
profile
Wednesday,
October 03, 2007
Emma, A New Musical by Joel Adlen. New York
Musical Theatre Festival at the Acorn Theatre. Starring
Leah Horowitz.
“Being big Jane Austen fans, we could
hardly resist the chance to see a musical based on her masterwork Emma.
Clearly enjoying one of the best "books" ever for a musical, this
work by Joel Adlen
is a sheer delight. The story of multiple pairings amusingly at cross
purposes is inventively and wittily staged; the diverse personalities are
effectively characterized with clever theatrical shorthand, enriched by their
musical numbers. Adlen
utilizes a chamber orchestra scored in a way that recalls the music of the
story's setting, Hummel, Beethoven, Cherubini, Haydn,
but in a modern idiom that is worthy of this post-Sondheim era. Standouts
include "I Do Not Want," "Jane
Fairfax Wrote a Letter," "If I Loved You Less" and "A
Country Dance." The performances are winning. Leah Horowitz is a beautiful
Emma, singing with a sweet sympathetic tone and acting the part as well as
Gwyneth Paltrow
did in the film. Great performances also from Jess Lawder as Frank Churchill, Terry Palasz as Miss
Bates, John Patrick Moore as Mr. Knightley
and particularly Ben Roseberry as a
note perfect Mr. Elton. This musical … could play very well in small venues
like 2nd Stage, Manhattan Theatre
Club, or at Lincoln
Center. It deserves
such a home and a long, long run. Meanwhile, only three more performances so
run to this!”
Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+
A CurtainUp Omnibus Review
The 2007 New York
Musical Theatre Festival
October
5, 2007
Emma
”Poised, accomplished and lovely would certainly be words that describe the
character of Emma Woodhouse. As it happens, they also apply to the new
musical named for her. With solid writing, a strong cast and clear direction,
Emma nicely transforms Jane Austen into musical comedy.
”Unlike the show-within-a-show of Austentatious,
this second Austen piece is very faithful to its source material. Young and
beautiful Emma (a terrific Leah Horowitz) matchmakes
her way into trouble, and learns to grow up as a result of it. Author Joel Adlen (book, music, and score) has created a musical that
manages to feel truly period-specific. Though Adlen's
book mirrors Austen's in both dialogue and structure, it's the score that is
the show's asset. Though not sung through, Emma contains far more
music than most musicals, and while not always conventionally tuneful, the
music's complexity fits in perfectly with the overall tone.
”The production itself is equally elegant. Director Terry Berliner has made
sparse sets and low-budget costumes seem ample for the show's purposes. She
has made fine use of a large cast, especially the unflappable Horowitz and
John Patrick Moore as Mr. Knightley. There are a few performances (Jesse Lawder as Frank Churchill, Tiffany Diane Smith as Jane
Fairfax, and Terry Palasz as Miss Bates) that feel
more cartoonish and over-the-top than one would
expect from the original. Surprisingly enough, however, these roles lend
themselves well to that sort of lampoonery and it all works.
”The two Austen shows at this year's NYMF couldn't be more different. But
happily for those of us who admire Jane Austen's work, both succeed on their
own terms. “
—Julia Furay
www.offoffline.com
Poise and Prejudice
by Amy
Krivohlavek
October
Emma reviewed
October 2, 2007
“When staged on stage and screen, the stiff, formal dances
that anchor many of Jane Austen's novels pull the characters through
elliptical shapes that turn and revolve, threading them through various
configurations and couplings. Hands (barely) touch and gazes (intensely) lock,
but eventually—in a coy foreshadowing of the ebullient conclusion—everyone
ends up with the person to whom he or she is best suited.
”For the most part, Emma sticks to the standard Austen formula: the
heroine circles around her somewhat inscrutable true love, the requisite
pratfalls ensue, yet all is resolved in the end. Joel Alden's musical
reinvention of Emma (a selection of this year's New York Musical
Theater Festival) is, for the most part, an enormously satisfying success. … an exquisite cast—led by the enthralling Leah Horowitz in
the title role—makes this latest bit of Austen entertainment a delectable
treat, especially for die-hard Austen lovers.
”Alden's score is well suited to his Austen endeavor—the songs are charming,
and they spool out harmlessly like the revolving wheel on a player-piano.
He's written some nice harmonies for the strong-voiced cast, and he gives
Horowitz ample opportunity to show off her floaty,
silvery high notes in Emma's many solos.
Leah Horowitz as Emma
Photo Credit: Steve Rosen
“…As a
musical, Emma makes us privy to the visceral drama of class distinctions
that, even through the alchemy of romance, stand firm. In Austen,
personalities may clash and still make fine matches, but social spheres and
pounds per year too often determine whom you can dance with. “
Emma
NYTheater.com
reviewed by Daniel Kelley
Oct 2 , 2007
“Adlen's music… leans
away from contemporary pop, and towards classic Broadway, and light classical
music. Despite the conflict that might seem inevitable in the meeting of
these two styles, Adlen makes it work….”
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