The World May Remember Bonnie and Clyde, but Not Perhaps This Show

By Jonathan Jones
Tuesday, November 15, 2011

After seeing director Jeff Calhoun's last efforts, Disney's Newsies, I had high hopes for what I would see tonight. Unfortunately, those hopes were soon dashed as this misguided production never materialized as I had hoped it might.


Where did they go wrong? The fundamental problem with this production is the lack of choreography, and as the director is a choreographer, there really is no reason why this should have happened. The music is arguably derivative, reminiscent of Dolly Parton's entire catalog, The Color Purple, and Big River. Unfortunately, the three share in common soaring ballads, and had this show just been wall-to-wall ballads, at least the lack of choreography would have made sense. But what is the point of having up-tempo knee slappers one after another and the actors just standing in place? If one were to make the case that it would break the reality of the drama to have them break out in dance, then I would say - Why in God's name are they singing? I just didn't get it. And in Newsies, Jeff Calhoun's stage pictures were incredible. Here, not so much. The set was interesting, but nothing on it seemed worth a second glance.


Bare in mind, I have never seen any of Mr. Wedekind's shows as I've never heard anything good about them, but I was willing to see past that when I entered the theatre tonight. After this experience, I'm indifferent about his abilities. The music was not the problem. Sure "You Love Who You Love" is sonically interchangeable with Henry Krieger's brilliant "Who Will Love Me As I Am," but lacks the message of the latter. That the main theme runs through the show (and is the main melody of the chorus to "This World Will Remember Us" and "When I Drive") is so close to "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got that Swing" that it's hard to believe they're getting away with it...


Alas, Laura Osnes was luminous in South Pacific and I adored Jeremy Jordan in Newsies, so there was no lack of talent (though Melissa Van Der Shyff is the real showstopper in this work) but tonight was yet another example of when a bad production happens to good people.

"This World Will Remember Us"

Bonnie and Clyde is playing at the Schonfeld Theatre, opening in the first week of December. Tickets are available here.