Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The musical adaptation of THE HARDER THEY COME sounds fantastic but suffers from muddled storytelling

• By drediman
• March 16, 2023
• No Comments

Last night, Suzan-Lori Parks and Jimmy Cliff’s musical adaptation of The Harder They Come opened at the Newman at the Public Theater. Based on the 1972 Jamaican crime film of the same name, the highly anticipated musical tells the story of one Ivan, a young man whose endeavor to make it big in the bustling Jamaican city of Kingston leads to his gradual disillusionment and descent into the unsavory underbelly of the city.

On paper, the musical has much going for it, namely its hit-laden reggae score by Mr. Cliff and a book by Ms. Parks (a Pulitzer Prize winner for Topdog/Underdog, which was rivetingly revived on Broadway earlier this season), who has been tasked with translating the film to the stage. Unfortunately, the stage adaptation – at least in its current form – falls short of its lofty aims, suffering from muddled storytelling, which is in part due to the eventful and episodic nature of the underlying material. Parks’ book could benefit from judicious streamlining, focusing on character development rather than plot points. As it stands, much of the characters register like two dimensional cutouts rather than flesh and blood human beings, which dampens the emotional impact of Ivan’s fall. Perhaps the strongest aspect of the musical is the vibrant score by Mr. Cliff (Ms. Parks is also credited for contributing some songs), which sounds fantastic live in the theater (kudos particularly to Kenny Seymour for his music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements).

Co-directed by Tony Taccone and Sergio Trujillo, The Harder They Come is in constant motion, effectively bringing the hustle and bustle of Kingston to life. The production also features a hardworking, wonderfully pliable cast, led by the charismatic Natey Jones as Ivan. He brings immense likability and a robust voice to the role, and it’s hard not to fall for him despite the character’s flaws. The supporting players each valiantly attempt to bring their somewhat under-written characters to life, to varying degrees of success.

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THE HARDER THEY COME
Off-Broadway, Musical
The Public Theater
2 hours, 10 minutes (with one intermission)
Through April 9