Caissie Levy and Richard Fleeshman in the Broadway production of “Ghost the Musicalâ€
During Ghost the Musical last Thursday, one of the enormous sliding LED panels used to create scenic and special effects slipped off its track and crashed, leading to a 20-minute delay.
Broadway accidents happen. In this case it was like the star of the musical based on the Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze big-screen weepy blockbust er had lost her voice and broken her foot at the same time.
Thats because gee-whiz illusions (a specter seemingly walks through a door, for instance), lavish light displays and supersized projections are the main attractions of this English import. Without eye-popping tricks, the show offers zip in the way of wonder. Too bad, since the romance had potential to sing.
Reprising roles from London, Caissie Levy and Richard Fleeshman play Molly, an artist, and her beloved Sam, a broker whos killed. He tries to make contact with Molly through a sham psychic Oda Mae (DaVine Joy Randolph) with a mile-long rap sheet. Its the role that won Whoopi Goldberg an Oscar.
The cast makes little impression and the material doesnt help. Bruce Joel Rubins book, based on his Oscar-winning 1990 screenplay, clunks along. The love story gets swamped by numerous scenes and robotic dance numbers about New Yorks frantic fast-paced corporate jungle. Some moments seem to exist sim ply for visuals Hey, lets use umbrellas!
Pop-rock songs by Glen Ballard (he co-wrote Michael Jacksons Man in the Mirror), Dave Stewart (of the Eurythmics) and Rubin are literal-minded and repetitious and fill up space but never fuel the imagination. On the plus side, the classic hit Unchained Melody is retained from the film.
Directing God of Carnage and The Norman Conquests in New York, Matthew Warchus proved himself an ace at comedy. This musical suffers from a jerky tone and by putting a premium on high-tech over heart.
Think back on the movie and the effect that was most special wasnt computer-generated. It was Demi Moores lone silver tear. Its a crying shame Ghost gets it so wrong.
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