Promises, Promises
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Cititour.com Review
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more delicious, delightful confection of a musical than Rob Ashford's candy-colored revival of Promises, Promises. From the groovy score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David to Neil Simon's compassionately humorous book, this 1968 adaptation of the Billy Wilder film The Apartment is model material for Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth and Will & Grace star Sean Hayes, in his Broadway debut.
Previously considered un-revivable because of its outmoded depiction of sexual and workplace politics — married male executives gleefully carouse with the female support staff after hours — this production no doubt has the success of Mad Men to thank for its existence. Hayes plays likable loser Chuck Baxter, a seemingly invisible office drone who ends up on the executive fast track when his superiors start using his apartment as a shag pad. That this rather unpleasant premise produces such a charming show is largely due to the great chemistry and joie de vivre that Hayes and Chenoweth bring to their roles. Chenoweth imbues the unlucky-in-love Fran Kubelik, the object of Chuck’s unfulfilled desire, with an endearing naivete, and her voice soars through pop songs like "I Say a Little Prayer" (added for the revival) and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again." But the driving force behind the show is Hayes, whose musical theater sensibility is as finely honed as his comic finesse. They're backed by a sharp supporting cast featuring Katie Finneran, Tony Goldwyn, Dick Latessa and Brooks Ashmanskas.
Bacharach and David's infectious songs and Ashford's frolicsome choreography heighten the fun. In their hands, seemingly throwaway ditties like the male quartet "Where Can You Take a Girl?" and the female trio "Turkey Lurkey Time" stand out. And when Hayes sings the final chorus of "She Likes Basketball" stretched out on the stage while the ensemble leaps over him, you feel like you've been catapulted to musical comedy nirvana.
By Diane Snyder
Visit the Site
http://www.promisespromisesbroadway.com
Cast
Kristin Chenoweth, Sean Hayes, Brooks Ashmanskas, Katie Finneran, Tony Goldwyn, Dick Latessa, Peter Benson, Sean Martin Hingston, Ken Land
Open/Close Dates
Opening 3/27/2010
Closing 1/2/2011
Box Office
212-239-6200
Theatre Info
Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
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