It Shoulda Been You, is a musical comedy for anyone with parents. The bride is Jewish. The groom is Catholic. Her mother is a force of nature, his mother is a tempest in a cocktail shaker. And when the bride's ex-boyfriend shows up, the perfect wedding starts to unravel faster than you can whistle "Here Comes the Bride!"
The cast of It Shoulda Been You includes Tony Award-winner Tyne Daly, Tony Award-winner Harriet Harris, Sierra Boggess, Lisa Howard, David Burtka, Tony Award nominee Montego Glover, Chip Zien, Josh Grisetti, Adam Heller, Michael X. Martin, Anne L. Nathan, Nick Spangler, and Edward Hibbert, along with Farah Alvin, Gina Farrell, Aaron Finley, Mitch Greenberg, and Jillian Louis.
As far as comedy goes, the most rewarding wedding is the one that goes off the rails. And so Broadway's new musical 'It Shoulda Been You' piles on the mishaps -- only the show itself ends up quite the blunder. At least it sports a terrific ensemble, led by Tyne Daly and Harriet Harris as warring mothers. These talented, hard-working actors are a joy to watch, and almost make up for the drecky writing...But there's little anyone can do with Barbara Anselmi's disposable melodies, lyrics that rhyme 'sarong' and 'so wrong,' 'verklempt' and 'dreamt,' or a hugely improbable plot twist that makes 'Tony n' Tina's Wedding' look like a docu-drama. At that show, at least, the audience gets cake.
It Shoulda Been You is sometimes about as fresh as a week-old danish and the score (by Barbara Anselmi and Brian Hargrove) is largely uninspired. ('Truish' rhymed with 'Jewish' is the norm here-Mr. Sondheim, consider your back unwatched.) And for some odd reason, each character seems have at least two songs apiece, certain overkill for a show that's only 100 minutes. On the flip side, however, you also get to see a bevy of marvelous cut-ups and singers vibrantly giving their all.
2015 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Sierra Boggess |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Lisa Howard |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Josh Grisetti |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Tyne Daly |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Tyne Daly |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Lisa Howard |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | It Shoulda Been You |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Tyne Daly |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | It Shoulda Been You |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | David Hyde Pierce |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Josh Grisetti |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | It Shoulda Been You |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Score | It Shoulda Been You |
Videos