Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Daniel Zaitchik’s DARLING GRENADINE is a darling of a musical and an utterly charming throwback

• By drediman
• February 11, 2020
• No Comments

Emily Walton and Adam Kantor in Roundabout Underground’s production of “Darling Grenadine” by Daniel Zaitchik at the Black Box Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Centre for Theatre. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Also last night, the new musical Darling Grenadine by Daniel Zaitchik (who penned the show’s music, lyrics, and book) opened at the Black Box Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, courtesy of Roundabout Underground. The chamber musical, which was previously seen at the Goodspeed Opera House and the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire (a Chicago suburb), tells the story of a developing relationship between Harry and Louise, a composer of advertising jingles and a Broadway chorus girl, respectively. Although they may seem like the perfect match upon first glance, there’s just one hitch — he’s got more than a regular inclination towards the drink.

In summary, Darling Grenadine is a darling of a musical, despite its eventual foray into emotionally thorny territory. It’s a lovingly crafted piece of musical theater, one that harkens back to small scale semi-autobiographical shows like Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years and Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick… Boom! And much like those cherished musicals, Mr. Zaitchik’s work is also an unabashed love letter to New York City. His score is disarmingly charming, featuring sweet melodies and witty lyrics that winningly develop both character and plot (kudos also to Brian Ronan, who is responsible for the perfectly-balanced sound design). The book – the bane of so many new musicals these days – is also uncommonly accomplished, avoiding the clumsy mistakes of many a writer. Mr. Zaitchik is clearly well-versed in the musical theater form and its history, and it shows.

Director Michael Beresse is no stranger to small-scale musicals, having shepherded such intimate niche musicals as [title of show] (the quintessentially tiny show eventually made it all the way to Broadway!). His in-the-round staging for Darling Grenadine is lovely, full of beguiling moments that provide the piece texture and grace. His small cast is pitch perfect, led by the versatile, utterly charismatic Adam Kantor as Harry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him more comfortable in a leading role than he is here. As his love interest Louise, the sweet-voiced Emily Walton is superb, exuding a girl-next-door freshness that had me at hello. As Harry’s gay brother, the good-looking Jay Armstrong Johnson has produced a grounded performance that’s a far cry from his showy turns in On the Town and Scotland, PA. Rounding out the cast in the show’s miscellaneous roles are Matt Dallal and Aury Krebs, both wonderfully adept character actors.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DARLING GRENADINE
Off-Broadway, Musical
Roundabout Underground / The Black Box Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre
2 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Through March 15