So, how did my reviews of VOYAGE, COMPANY and THE VERTICAL HOUR, each of which permited a positive 3-star notice, compare to the opinions of the other critical folk?
Of the three, VOYAGE easily received the most positive treatment, as most clearly symbolized by Ben Brantley's hyperbolically positive New York Times review. And generally everyone else felt impressed with the folk, though burdened with exposition, and with Lincoln Center's commitment to produce the three-part opus. Word on the street is that a major extension through probably July will be announced later today. I'm actually surprised it wasn't revealed in today's Arts Briefs section of the Times, where publicists usually love to plant that kind of news.
Now, what really suprised me about COMPANY, at least in regards to the Times, was that Brantley reviewed it instead of Charles Isherwood, who raved about the musical when it premiered earlier this year in Cincinnati. Two years ago, when Isherwood reviewed SPELLING BEE Off-Broadway (supposedly because Brantely was busy at the time for personal reasons), Isherwood reviewed it again when it moved to Broadway. However....theoretically, if Brantley did not rave about John Doyle's SWEENEY TODD, last year, then COMPANY would never have come to Broadway too. But in any event, Brantley raved, so COMPANY received not one but two rave New York Times reviews, in addition to many more. Not bad... I couldn't help but notice that Sondheim wasn't in any of the opening night pics found on BroadwayWorld.com. Is he too cool to attend the opening of his own musical revival? Well, I guess he knows how the show ends already...
And it appears that I'm in the minority on THE VERTICAL HOUR, which is receiving mostly mixed-to-negative notices around the boards. If it was not as compelling as David Hare's history play STUFF HAPPENS, I certainly thought it was a well-written character study with Hare's usual touch of smart language and contemporary political criticism.
Next week's reviews: TWO TRAINS RUNNING at Signature Theatre Company and HIGH FIDELITY, the musical, on Broadway.