Pictures

Susie McMonagle and Gene Weygandt remember themselves as teens (performed by Megan Lengthy and Nick Cosgrove) in Pictures. A Northlight Theater presentation of the musical in 2 functions created by Michael Scheman and David Stern with book by Stern, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Additional music and lyrics by David Crane, Seth Friedman, Marta Kaufman, Alan Menken and Charles Strouse. Directed by Ken Sawyer. Music direction and plans, Steve Orich musical staging, Karl Christian.Sue - Susie McMonagle Serta - Gene Weygandt Susie - Megan Lengthy Danny - Nick Cosgrove Susan - Jess Godwin Daniel - Tony ClarnoWith an accumulation of both famous and obscure tunes by Stephen Schwartz ("Wicked," "Pippin") threaded with an older couple's retrospective that belongs to them boy meets girl, boy will get girl (finally!), boy and girl confront a clear nest story, "Pictures" is simply too fully plotted that need considering purely a revue, but nonetheless a little too sketchy to become a full-scale jukebox musical. Rather, this new conglomeration with book by David Stern, premiering at Chicagoland's Northlight Theater, sits mostly within an awkward although not altogether displeasing musical purgatory, with a few redemptive emotional energy emerging in the very finish. Show starts with Sue (Susan McMonagle) packed and able to leave her husband of numerous years Serta (Gene Weygandt). Serta finds her within the loft of the home, and also the inevitable confrontation waits as lengthy-saved photographs spur a lifetime's price of recollections. More youthful versions from the couple (Megan Lengthy and Nick Cosgrove as teenage pals, Jess Godwin and Tony Clarno as youthful enthusiasts and parents) showing up before these phones bring the "pictures" to existence, determining each level or emotional insight having a song or two. Subtitled "a musical scrapbook," the show's concept includes a surefooted logic that keeps the piece natural and coherent. But it's not hard to have a gnawing nostalgia for that old-fashioned revue, where curated tunes with their own back-story of context and creation would make up the scrapbook. Rather, some very fine tunes are actually re-created to service the emotional content of reminiscences from figures who never be than bougie stick figures, regardless of the fine performances, particularly from Broadway pros Weygandt and McMonagle. Probably the most interesting experience uncovered here involve the disproportionate quantity of Schwartz's best tunes which involve youthful yearning -- "Corner from the Sky" from "Pippin" recurs a couple of occasions here, along with "Lion Tamer" from "The Miracle Show." Tunes from "Pippin" dominate the very first act -- "Virtually No Time whatsoever," "Along With You,Inch "Morning Glow" additionally to "Corner" -- along with a sprinkling of "Wicked" with shards of tunes "Popular" (since the youthful Danny is not) and "I am Not Too Girl" (when Susie sees Danny with another girl). Regrettably, there's a lot thematic repetition that Susie and Danny's constant refusal to voice their affection gets to be more irritating than cute or moving. Within the second act, tunes including more adult styles like dating and being a parent generate good examples from less well-known shows like the comic "Personal ads" and also the highly emotional "The Kids of Eden" ("In Whatever Time We Now HaveInch offers the emotional climax, which works), along with the always welcome "Fathers and Sons" from "Working." However the true core from the show rests with good examples from Schwartz's non-show album of private tunes, "Reluctant Pilgrim." This collection offers the title song at the very top, along with the song that best defines Sue and Dan's adult relationship ("The Code of Silence") and also the final, hopeful "To Date." The development values appear mostly as serviceable, such as the plotting. Director Ken Sawyer keeps everything grounded, but the truth that Karl Christian's contribution is known as "musical staging" instead of "choreography" states all that should be stated concerning the functionality as opposed to the expressiveness from the movement. There's lots of putting lower around the bean-bag Jack Magaw keeps center stage for that first act. "Pictures" includes a couple of a lot of "Glee"-style mash-ups that keep some tunes from producing momentum. But despite its defects, "Pictures" certainly helps make the argument that Schwartz's tunes will always be really worth hearing, and reflect a complete lifetime's price of musical existence training.Set, Jack Magaw costumes, Elizabeth Flauto lighting, Jesse Klug forecasts, Mike Tutaj seem, Lindsay Johnson production stage manager, Rita Vreeland. Opened up Sept. 23, examined Sept. 24, 2011 runs through March. 23. Running time: 2 Hrs, 5 MIN.Musical amounts: "Pictures," "New Kid within the Neighborhood," "Virtually No Time Whatsoever," "Popular," "Lion Tamer," "I am Not Too Girl," "Making Good," "Remarkable," "Corner from the Sky," "Along With You,Inch "Two's Company," "All for top,Inch "Morning Glow," "As We Never Meet Again," "Nothing related to Love," "Endless Delights," "That's The Way You Know," "Relocating With Susan," "Chanson," "The Spark of Creation," "Great Gifts," "Father's Day," "Fathers and Sons," "The Toughest A part of Love," "Code of Silence," "In Whatever Time We Now Have,Inch "To Date." Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com