Thursday, March 29, 2007

The Pirate Queen

photo: Joan Marcus

**
Hilton Theater

It was kinda fun watching Jeff McCarthy, after so brilliantly playing the most sarcastic character in the history of musical theater in Urinetown, attempt sincerity while decked out in a Della Reese wig. The valiant trooper gives it his best shot as does everyone else (each also trapped in their own personal wig hells) in this musical that definitely looks and sounds like a Boublil-Schönberg but gives us neither the memorable melodies or invest-worthy book that made Les Miz and Miss Saigon work so well. All the homoeroticism, step-dancing, endless sword-play made this feel less of a high-stakes passionate epic and more of a cheeseball pageant attempting to capitalize on the Riverdance phenomenon. Is it good enough to secure a best musical Tony nom? Possibly. Depends on how good the wigs are in Legally Blonde and LoveMusik.

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