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| Lora Lee Gayer - Photo by Matthew Murphy |
Dr. Zhivago
Book by Michael Weller based on Boris Pasternak’s Nobel Prize-winning novel
Directed by Des McAnuff
Music by Lucy Simon
Directed by Des McAnuff
Music by Lucy Simon
Lyrics by Michael Korie and Amy Powers
Choreography by Kelly Devine
The Broadway Theatre
Through May 10
The Broadway Theatre
Through May 10
What's It All About:
Well, here's the press release quick condensed version: Doctor Zhivago stars Tam Mutu making his Broadway debut as the passionate Doctor and poet Yurii Zhivago, Kelli Barrett as the alluring Lara Guishar, Tom Hewitt as the cynical bourgeois magistrate Viktor Komarovsky, Paul Alexander Nolan as political radical Pasha Antipov, and Lora Lee Gayer as Tonia Gromeko, Zhivago’s devoted wife, in a cast of 32.
It is an epic romance, revolving around the search for love during the final days of Czarist Russia, the First World War and the chaos of the Russian revolution. Raised as an aristocrat, Zhivago is a political idealist, physician and poet whose life is tossed by the tides of history as he is torn between a life with his devoted wife, Tonia Gromeko and the passionate and mysterious Lara Guishar. Zhivago however, is not alone in his yearnings for Lara, and must compete with both revolutionaries and aristocracy alike to win the heart of the woman he cannot live without.
It is an epic romance, revolving around the search for love during the final days of Czarist Russia, the First World War and the chaos of the Russian revolution. Raised as an aristocrat, Zhivago is a political idealist, physician and poet whose life is tossed by the tides of history as he is torn between a life with his devoted wife, Tonia Gromeko and the passionate and mysterious Lara Guishar. Zhivago however, is not alone in his yearnings for Lara, and must compete with both revolutionaries and aristocracy alike to win the heart of the woman he cannot live without.
What Are The Highlights?
Few, really, and that is perhaps why the show received no Tony Award nominations and has posted an early closing notice for this Sunday.
What Are the Lowlights?
Lots. This was so bad, it was funny, and I actually laughed out loud a couple of times, not exactly what you'd expect when the soldiers arrive..... The woman next to me was laughing so hard she was snorting. Adding an unmemorable score (and let's sing about every single emotion and thing we possibly can and hold belting notes as long as we can, as often as we can) to what I already find to be a pretty boring story, didn't help. Hokey-sounding lyrics, creepy looking projections and an amateurish performance by Barret (whose facial expressions and lower register notes evoke memories of Carol Burnett at her over-dramatic, comedic best in musical parodies). At moments I thought I had tuned into one of those over-the-top Spanish soap operas, only this one wanted to be in Russian. Probably the worst show I saw this season.
More Information:
The show features scenic design by Michael Scott-Mitchell, costume design by five-time Tony Award nominee Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley, sound design by Tony Award winner SCK Sound Design, projection design by Sean Nieuwenhuis, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, special effects design by Greg Meeh, fight directions by Steve Rankin, orchestrations by Danny Troob, music arrangements by Eric Stern, with musical direction and supervision by Ron Melrose (full disclosure: I once produced a show of his).
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