NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, A NEW MUSICAL had its premier Thursday night (April 17) at Theater for the New City in New York. The off-Broadway house is well-know for producing new and sometimes experimental works, and NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, A NEW MUSICAL is no exception.
NICHOLAS NICKLEBY is a play within a play, and we join the Crummles theater company in protest mode as they bring The Nickleby Family, The Squeers, The Cheerybles, Smike, Newman Noggs and an array of early Victorian era characters to life. Although the concept of watching a production play out fictitiously within the rendering of an actual production usually makes the show interesting, there could have been a few more obvious stage directions given by the character Mr. Crummles to help the audience understand better which scenes were real and which were part of our production’s alter ego.
The show brings to life all of the memorable characters and satire of Charles Dickens’ 1830’s novel including themes of class inequality and social injustice that are still relevant in our society. Left penniless after his father’s death, teenage Nicholas, his mother and sister embark on a journey to London to seek help from their Uncle Ralph, who immediately dislikes Nicholas and finds work for him in The Squeers’ boarding school (think Oliver, also a Dickens derivative, or a darker Annie). Run like a prison, Nicholas is horrified by the school’s conditions and escapes with crippled friend Smike back to London. Reunited with his family, Nicholas finds himself defending the honor of his family and friends against his Uncle’s deceptions and while doing so stumbles across a mysterious love interest and uncovers some interesting secrets as he does so.
Lissa Moira fearlessly directs a cast of 35, including six children, through the twists and turns of the relatively complex plot. This is no easy feat, considering the complexity of Alaric “Rokko” Jans’ score and the intricacy of J. Alan Hanna’s and Carlos Gomez’s choreography.
The impressive NICHOLAS NICKLEBY cast includins Broadway star Luba Mason* (Chicago, Jekyll & Hyde, How to Succeed, Sunset Blvd.), Cabaret luminary Karen Kohler* (Das Cabaret, Vienna to Weimar w/ KT Sullivan), Becca Gottlieb* (Nat. Tours: Damn Yankees, The Wedding Singer), and Douglas McDonnell (Metropolitan & New York City Operas), with Rachel Daye Adams, William Broderick*, Jonathan Powers, David F. Slone, Jose Amor, Anik Baker, Malin Barr, Alex Baturin, Rachel Baum, Sam Benedict, Thom Brown III, Sage Buchalter, Autumn Nia Fore, Virginia Franks, Carlos Gomez, Hannah Granik, Chloe Himmelman, Larry E. Johnson, Patrick Kenner, Stephanie Leone, Gloria Makino*, David “Zen” Mansley, Rita McCann, Tanner Murray, Chris Neher, Nia Nichole, Elisa Nikoloulias, Holly Rae Phillips*, Robert Charles Russell, Mary Elizabeth Schneider, and Amanda Yachechak. *Member, Actors’ Equity Association. AEA Showcase.
No one ever said that Dickens was an easy read, and you should go to see NICHOLAS NICKLEBY keeping that in mind. Jans’ score, while complex, fits the mood of Dickens’ plot, and the minor keys he uses portray a sense of gloom and obscurity masterfully adapted from the less than desirable stations we are left to by miserly Uncle Ralph. An occasional upbeat number is inserted, keeping the audience from falling too deep into tragic despair, and reminding us that if we look beyond the darkness of life, no matter its source, we can help to affect change in our world. This concept is alluded to notably in the memorably whimsical number “Learn to Improvise” at the end of Act One, showcasing the first-rate choreography of J. Alan Hanna and Carlos Gomez as the entire cast of 35 is engaged on stage in the act’s finale.
Albeit dark and satirical, NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, in typical Dickens form, attempts to teach some lessons, and although this production has its ups and downs technically, attempting a serious amount of movement and activity in a relatively small space, perhaps with a vision of bigger and better things (and appropriately so) to come… the show demonstrates great potential. Don’t discount the possibilities of this Theater for the New City production. This hidden diamond might be a big surprise, living out the tale that unfolds on stage as the Crummels’ theater company categorically reveals its ability to improvise when life’s script delivers unexpected surprises.
Go see NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, A NEW MUSICAL at Theater for the New City. For more information and tickets, visit
