This was a show that I was so much looking forward to seeing, and honestly, had very high hopes for. Thus, I was somewhat disappointed. That’s not to say it was a bad show, or that it should be skipped over haphazardly. BULLETS OVER BROADWAY will most definitely appeal to many. The slapstick, PRODUCERS style of direction that we see from Susan Stroman combined with the dry wit of Woody Allen just didn’t seem to gel correctly.
Sure, there were some good performances. Even a great one or two. Helene Yorke is nothing less than perfect as flapper and Broadway wannabe, Olive. And as her thug boyfriend, Nick Valenti, Vincent Pastore could perform the next revival of GUYS AND DOLLS with the best. But at the end of the day, all of the elements need to come together, and they just didn’t fall into place as well as they could have.
Individually, there were some big, brash and bawdy production numbers that are hard to find in a new musical and it was refreshing to hear a score that engaged all the senses. There were a few stand-out moments worth mentioning. Yorke’s rendition of “The Hot Dog Song” had me rolling in the aisle. Definitely a PG-13 rating on this one though.
Overall, the troubles seem to be with the book and the difficulties combining the comedy of Woody Allen with Susan Stroman’s over the top direction and choreography. The production almost overshadows the story. The scenes are so big and over-designed (very nicely over-designed, however), they just didn’t match the subtlety of Allen’s humor. Perhaps BULLETS may have worked better as a play.
The killer for me (no pun intended) was the ending. It just seemed too easy. The resolution was that there was actually no resolution. Sure, the conflicts were resolved and everyone left the stage happy, but there was no reason for it. (Partial spoiler alert here) Maybe I’m trying too hard to make sense out of something that isn’t intended to be sensible, but relationships just don’t come to an end and the guy or gal steps out of the way for the next one without some kind of struggle – even in a comedy as shallow as BULLETS OVER BROADWAY. Someone has to get hurt, and that just doesn’t happen.
Oh well, like I said, many will love this show simply for its over the top magnificent sets, orchestrations and choreography. And if that’s your thing, go and enjoy it. You won’t be disappointed. However, if you’re looking for a bit more depth of characters, more challenging Woody Allen – style humor, and a conclusive storyline, you might leave wanting more.
You can see BULLETS OVER BROADWAY at the St. James Theatre. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.bulletsoverbroadway.com.
