The Family Fiorelli

I didn't stay for the second act of this NYMF musical, but that isn't a thumbs-down on the show: I liked a lot of what I saw, especially because I honestly had no idea where the story (which begins with a marital breakup) was going to go. The performance started late, the first act ran long, and by the time intermission ended I only had half an hour to get uptown to the Passing Strange concert. A pity, because The Family Fiorelli had several things going for it: its Finn-like score was pleasing and the songs were well-placed in the story, the characters were vibrant and each at least a little offbeat (the hottie priest, the lesbian in-laws, the crippled teenage son, etc.), and the musical was clearly written for grown-ups, which was something of a relief after too many NYMF shows this year leaned toward the silly and adolescent.