Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The York Theater Company’s new production of HOAGY CARMICHAEL’S STARDUST ROAD conjures Nostalgia with a capital “N”

• By drediman
• December 9, 2022
• No Comments

Last weekend at the Theatre at St. Jean’s Church, I ventured to the Upper East Side to take in York Theatre Company’s Off-Broadway production of Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust Road. The enjoyable evening is the brainchild of Susan H. Schulman (perhaps best known for directing the original Broadway production of The Secret Garden), who uses the much loved Hoagy Carmichael songbook (e.g., “Heart and Soul”, “The Nearness of You”) to very loosely weave the fictitious tale of a group of friends over the decades of the latter half of the twentieth century. 

In form, the show sits firmly between a revue and a musical. If anything, the production calls to mind Movin’ Out, Twyla Tharp’s 2002 “dansical” that used the Billy Joel songbook to tell the story of a group of friends from youthful friendships and loves, to wartime strife, to mature adulthood. Similarly, Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust Road pretty much uses the same narrative arc (merely swapping the Vietnam War with World War II) — suggestive as it may be — even including a good dose of exuberant dance numbers (courtesy of choreographer Michael Lichtefeld).

But most importantly, Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust Road aims to muster good old nostalgia with a capital “N”, which Ms. Schulman does an expert job at. Her young cast is wonderful and are equally adept at singing and dancing. In performance, each of them harkens back to days gone by, lovingly evoking a kind of entertainment that’s fast disappearing. Although the performers have ample opportunities to stand out individually, they shine brightest in the ensemble numbers. Last but not least, the swinging onstage band sounds terrifically period-perfect under music supervisor and arranger Lawrence Yurma.

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HOAGY CARMICHAEL’S STARDUST ROAD
Off-Broadway, Musical
York Theatre Company at the Theatre at St. Jean’s
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through December 31