BULLETS OVER BROADWAY at the St. James Theatre

(Seen April 16, 2014)

The characters and the situations seem to hew to the Woody Allen movie from which this musical was adapted.  And the very capable cast follows director Susan Stroman's briskly-paced action.  

It is a story of a cerebral playwright who compromises his principles in order to get his play produced on Broadway.  Add to this that the producer is a ruthless comic gangster who wants his "moll" to have a leading role, despite her obvious acting shortcomings.

The situation is reminiscent of the 'B' movies of the '20s and '30s  -- as well as a very funny play called BREAKING LEGS.

Despite many misgivings, it is an entertaining vehicle for the personable and talented cast.  Vocally, Karen Ziemba, Marin Mazzie, and Betsy Wolfe stand out from the large featured cast --- all of whom are in top form.

While Nick Cordero and Helena Yorke turn their caricature characters into fine portrayals, I am troubled by Zach Braff making the playwright into a Woody Allen nebish.  

I had some problems with the orchestrations  which often  made the well-known songs of the '20s into more stylized pieces, sometimes hiding  their original phrasing.  And some of Stroman's excellent dances at times seemed superfluous for the situations, interfering with the normal flow of action.

The audience, however, seemed to relish every moment, with the loudest approval for Nick Cordero.