Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The York’s traditionally constructed new musical PENELOPE is a pleasant, breezy spin on Greek mythology

• By drediman
• April 9, 2022
• No Comments

This week, the York Theatre Company’s new musical Penelope, or How the Odyssey Was Really Written opened Off-Broadway at the Theatre at St. Jean’s on the Upper East Side. The musical – which marks only the York’s second live production (following the Irving Berlin revue Cheek to Cheek) since in-person performances returned to the city a year ago – is a musical comedy retelling of ancient Greek mythology from the perspective of Penelope, the Queen of Ithaca who has been waiting for her husband Odysseus to return from the Trojan War. In the meantime, suspecting that Odysseus has perished on his adventures, suitors have lined up to court Penelope, at her dismay.

Penelope – which stays firmly within the predictable confines of the traditional musical comedy blueprint – features book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg (Desperate Measures, also presented by the York) and music by Stephen Weiner (The Rivals). The tune-smithing calls to mind a hodgepodge of musical theater influences, from The Music Man (Penelope’s suitors amusingly but randomly decide to form a barbershop quartet style a cappella group), to Grease (those instantly catchy fifties/sixties pop-lite ditties!), to Disney animated musicals (the inspiration for the show’s numerous “I want” ballads). Even if some of his lyrics tend toward clunkiness and the obvious, Mr. Kellogg has constructed a book that puts a pleasant and often funny spin on Greek mythology and cleverly speculates on how Homer’s The Odyssey actually came to be. The musical ends on a mildly feminist note that seems a tad tacked on, but that can be easily fixed with a few tweaks to the book.

Penelope has been directed and choreographed by Emily Maltby, who does a solid if rudimentary job at the helm of the York production, which features an efficient set design by James Morgan and some rather witty costumes by Lex Liang. The tone throughout is breezy and good natured, thanks largely to the game efforts of the very good cast. In the title role, the silken-voiced Britney Nicole Simpson provides just the right mix of sass and sweetness. As Odysseus, Ben Jacoby sings like a dream and possesses the natural bearings of a matinee idol of days gone by. Among the supporting players, veteran Leah Hocking as Penelope’s Nurse is a hoot and Cooper Howell as the “lead” suitor camps it up as if to steal the show, which he nearly does

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PENELOPE
Off-Broadway, Musical
York Theatre Company
2 hours (including an intermission)
Through April 24