David Hyde Pierce takes lead in 'Curtains' and succeeds

[Janice]

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David Hyde Pierce takes lead in 'Curtains' and succeeds

By: David Gordon

The scene is Boston's Colonial Theater in 1959. The opening night of the new musical "Robbin' Hood" goes awry when the talentless leading lady is murdered during the curtain call, and the entire cast and crew become suspects. The show's in trouble, too, and they all know it.

Enter Lt. Frank Cioffi (David Hyde Pierce), whose job it is to solve the murder, but as a lover of musical theater, he also takes it upon himself to solve the problems of the show.

This is "Curtains," the tremendously fun musical now playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre which is closing up shop on June 29 after a 550-plus-performance run. TV favorite Pierce, who won a Tony for his performance as the singing-and-dancing detective, continues to lead the tight company, which also features Broadway favorites Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba and Edward Hibbert.

The show was developed in the 1970s by the musical team of John Kander and Fred Ebb along with librettist Peter Stone as a backstage musical comedy about putting on a floundering musical. It was shelved for some thirty years, until the trio got working again. Stone died in 2003, following the second staged reading of the material. Afterwards, Rupert Holmes joined in, adding the murder mystery aspect to the story. Ebb died suddenly a year later, but Kander and Holmes pressed on with the show. It finally opened on Broadway a little over a year ago.

Watching the final version, it's easy to see which parts of the show can be attributed to Kander and Ebb and which to Kander and Holmes. While not their best score, Kander and Ebb's trademark wit, cynicism and sexual puns are intact in all of the "backstage" songs. Holmes' contributed the decidedly less-interesting lyrics for "Robbin' Hood," the show-within-a-show. Kander, alone, wrote a fitting elegy to his late musical partner, a stirring ballad titled "I Miss the Music" sung by the show's composer (the fine Jason Danieley), whose lyricist partner (the fantastic Ziemba) has just departed to take over the leading role.

After years of playing second banana to Kelsey Grammer on "Frasier," Pierce proves that he is a true leading man. Monk brings her brassy style and demeanor to the role of the unscrupulous producer, who may or may not be based on an actual Broadway producer (name withheld). Hibbert is a highlight as the flamboyant British director. Standouts in the ensemble include Erin Davie-as the ingénue with eyes for the detective and whose fingerprints are mysteriously on the murder weapon-and Megan Sikora, as the chorus girl who'll get the ingénue's role if she takes over the lead.

Scott Ellis has slickly directed the production, sitting well on Anna Louizos' set, one that recreates with great authenticity Boston's Colonial Theater. William Ivey Long's garish costumes don't get in the way of Rob Ashford's energetic, innovative choreography that is by far the highlight of the production.

Unfortunately, "Curtains" slows down when nobody's singing. Holmes' book leaves a great deal to be desired, slinging out one tired one-liner after another, usually delivered with gusto by Monk. By the end of the show, finding out the killer is just an afterthought you can take or leave.

But those are minor quibbles. "Curtains" is a joyous valentine to the business called show. It's also a valentine to the partnership of Kander and Ebb, the invaluable song-writing duo whose tunes continue to live on long after the curtains come down.

[Brian Damage]

I really need to take advantage of Broadway considering I live in New York, but ticket prices are so outrageous nowadays. This musical is ending in July, so I best get a move on. lol

Pierce is such a talented actor, I would love to see him get another show on tv. Perhaps a Niles/Daphne spinoff???

[Schmoopie]

I listened to the soundtrack (well, previewed it anyway!) at Barnes and Noble last week and it was awesome! I would have loved to have seen this! The plot sounded wonderful!