“Days Of Wine and Roses” is a sweeping and stunningly brilliant musical! Playing at Studio 54 on West 54th Street, the chemistry between its stars Brian D’Arcy James and Kelli O’Hara is tremendous! The way that they connect on the stage—their love scenes and their drinking scenes are performed with such deep, penetrating realism! These two actors are an absolute delight to experience! This new musical, first presented at the Atlantic Theatre Company, is poignant, powerful and leaves the audience riveted. The musical is adapted from the 1962 film and original 1958 teleplay, but it is definitely a story that is timeless and has been given a fantastic book by Craig Lucas, penetrating music and lyrics by Adam Guettel and incredible direction by Michael Greif. The singing performances of James and O’Hara are absolutely thrilling to witness, especially the harmonies they deliver. So many songs make for unquestionably showstopper moments. James and O’Hara take the audience on an intense trip into new love and alcohol addiction and what they could mean for a couple in 1950s New York.
This is a musical that will have you engaged, at times laughing and at other times gasping. But it is always a show that paints a real-life picture of how a person can become an alcoholic, the journey to recovery, and the struggle not to backslide along the way. This marvelous musical also shows the audience what a family can go through when a young child has to take care of themselves and sometimes take on adult responsibilities.
James plays Joe Clay, a public relations man, and O’Hara plays Kirsten, the boss’s secretary who never takes a drink. James, who many would recall recently as starring on Broadway in “Into The Woods,” simply has a phenomenal presence on stage. I loved how the cast came out before the lights went on and as he stood in the middle of the stage in the dark, the house went crazy with cheers and applause. The opening number definitely got delayed with all the enthusiasm from the crowd. James has a fantastic reputation with audiences of bringing such talent and sincerity to his characters, you rush to the theater when you hear he is in a production. I also had the pleasure of seeing him perform this role off-Broadway and he comes with that same boundless energy, charm and presence. O’Hara also performed her role flawlessly off-Broadway and now on Broadway performs with such beauty, innocence and then anger and disappointment in herself that pulls at your heartstrings. This is a musical that will have you experiencing a great deal of emotions, but in the end you will know that you witnessed a musical masterpiece!
Tabitha Lawing delivers an incredibly strong, wonderful performance as Lily, their daughter. She finds herself having to grow up and take care of herself, while also genuinely loving her parents and facing the disappointments that they bring in her life. David Jennings plays Jim Hungerford, an Alcoholic Anonymous sponsor, and does a tremendous job with the role, as does Sharon Catherine Brown who plays a neighbor named Mrs. Nolan, who watches Lila at times.
A performance that also stands out is that of Byron Jennings, who plays Arnesen, Kirsten’s father. He performs the role with such heart, passion and intensity that you can’t help but understand his point of view and his anger.
Every aspect of this production screams hit! There is lovely choreography by Sergio Trujillo and Karla Puno Garcia, detailed scenic design by Lizzie Clachan, period costume design by Dede Ayite, wonderful lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by Kai Harada, music direction by Kimberly Grigsby, orchestrations by Adam Guettel and Jamie Lawrence, and hair and wigs by David Brian Brown. “Days of Wine And Roses” is truly worth your time and money, it’s stupendous! For tickets go to daysofwineandrosesbroadway.com.