"The show curtain, emblazoned with a stylized, vaudevillian flair, evokes not just the Jazz Age world of the musical but the idea of performance itself—a party that is also a show, populated by people who are always acting, even when they're unraveling."
"The structure is intentionally sprawling, with nearly every character introduced through their own musical number. That design gives the show texture and variety, but also contributes to its central weakness: a sense of narrative diffusion."
"When it does, the second half pivots sharply into a darker, more somber register—less a party than a slow-motion collapse—which the intermissionless format makes difficult to sustain."
"What emerges, especially in this revival, is a work of striking ambition and originality—arguably LaChiusa's best score. Restless, brassy, and often deliberate."
The Wild Party, revived by City Center Encores!, is a musical based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 poem. It follows vaudeville performers Queenie and Burrs hosting a chaotic party in Manhattan. The show features a sprawling structure with individual musical numbers for nearly every character, creating texture but also leading to narrative diffusion. The first half can feel indulgent, while the second half shifts to a darker tone. Despite its challenges, the revival showcases LaChiusa's ambitious and original score, highlighting the complexities of the characters and their unraveling lives.
Read at www.amny.com
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