Roundabout Theatre Company presents a new Broadway production of Pal Joey, featuring music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. This production features a new book by Richard Greenberg, based on the original book by John O'Hara, with music direction by Paul Gemignani, and choreography by Graciela Daniele. Joe Mantello directs.
Set in Chicago in the late 1930s, Pal Joey is the story of Joey Evans, a brash, scheming song and dance man with dreams of owning his own nightclub. Joey abandons his wholesome girlfriend Linda English, to charm a rich, married older woman, Vera Simpson, in the hope that she'll set him up in business.
The score includes such classic songs as "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "I Could Write a Book," "You Mustn't Kick It Around," and "Zip," among others. The new production also features "I'm Talking to My Pal," a song that had been dropped from the score during its out-of-town tryout, and will be heard on Broadway for the first time.
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Pal Joey is a show that seems timely in these hard times. The score is still really smart, and the situation still applies to the upward bounding human condition.
Stockard Channing makes a miracle. Using her star quality and fabulous figure to great effect, her star quality and acting chops overcome the fact that she simply cant sing not even a little. BUT ---What a sad state of affairs. She is playing all her scenes essentially alone. It is amazing to me, that in all of NYC, there was no one better than promoted understudy, Matt Risch. How he ever got the nod even for that position is a wonder. He is totally inept as an actor, is the weakest ensemble dancer, and has no singing voice at all.
The surprise of the evening is Martha Plimpton as Gladys Bumps. Of the principals, she is absolutely the best singer out there, which is astonishing considering no one thinks of her as a singer at all. Zip is hilarious-- dont leave until she sings this number early in Act 2.
We saw Pal Joey in previews with Christian Hoff who did a great job.
Martha Plimpton equally steals the show. However, Stockard Channing, a great actress appeared to be going through the motions. Her voice is very limited. Overall, the production is adequate but lacks the full excitement needed.
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