The glitz of Sin City meets the razzle-dazzle of Broadway in HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, the new musical that Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls "A classic, with a revelation of a score," cheering "You know you're listening to the sound of success."
Honeymoon in Vegas tells the story of Jack Singer, a regular guy with an extreme fear of marriage. When his girlfriend Betsy puts the pressure on, Jack finally pops the question and they head to Sin City for a whirlwind wedding weekend. But when Vegas wise guy Tommy Korman catches a glimpse of the stunning bride-to-be, and notices her uncanny resemblance to his late wife, he does everything possible to break up the romance and get his own second chance at love.
Stage and screen star Tony Danza ("Who's the Boss?," "Taxi"), Tony nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin), and Brynn O'Malley (Annie) star in this uproarious Broadway premiere with a book by Andrew Bergman (screenwriter of the hit film Honeymoon in Vegas), music by Tony winner Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County, Parade), direction by Gary Griffin (The Color Purple), and choreography by Denis Jones (Legally Blonde). Bet the house on this insanely funny new musical full of skydiving Elvises, sexy chorus girls, red-hot romance... and really cold feet.
Here and there, Brown offers an exciting, finely crafted song, and the show starts to soar. During those moments, you feel as though you're watching a modern-day 'Guys and Dolls,' and not yet another forgettable movie-turned-musical churned out for Broadway. But more often than not, 'Honeymoon in Vegas' is mired in a pained attempt to enliven and exaggerate a simple but heartfelt boy-meets-girl/boy-loses-girl story into a broad, over-the-top musical comedy. There is an air of desperation to some of the antics...Tony Danza, as the card shark, has a congenial presence, but his character drags down the sparks flying between the dynamic Rob McClure and alluring Brynn O'Malley.
Funny? You bet, and Mr. Brown has crunched the dramatic exposition of the film into a fast-moving sequence of musical numbers whose sterling craftsmanship is marvelous to behold, starting with one of the smartest list songs to hit Broadway in decades: 'She likes hockey. No, I swear! / She likes guys with thinning hair! / And I love Betsy!' What's more, Ms. O'Malley, a stunningly sharp-witted stage performer whose talent has heretofore been squandered on second-banana parts, proves herself more than equal to the challenge of a starring role. She's almost reason enough to see 'Honeymoon in Vegas,' and Gary Griffin's on-the-button staging and Anna Louizos's deluxe sets display her to ideal advantage.
2014 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2017 | West End |
West End Concert Production at London Palladium West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Nancy Opel |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Jason Robert Brown |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | Jason Robert Brown |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Don Sebesky |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Larry Blank |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Jason Robert Brown |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Charlie Rosen |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Scott Lehrer |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Drew Levy |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Rob McClure |
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