‘Doctor Zhivago’ musical is an epic bore

LARA & DOCTOR ZHIVAGO: Kelli Barrett & Tam Matu. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
Book by Michael Weller
Music by Lucy Simon
Lyrics by Michael Korie & Amy Powers
Based on the novel by Joseph Pasternak
Directed by Des McAnuff
Choreographed by Kelly Devine
Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway at 53rd Street
(212-239-6200), www.DoctorZhivagoBroadway.com

By David NouNou

1957 introduced us to the epic Russian novel Doctor Zhivago. Simply put, it’s the Russian version of our Gone With the Wind. Then in 1965, David Lean gave us the epic grandiose motion picture version; both of them by today’s standards border on the tedious. Now in 2015, we have the granddaddy of them all, the musical version is the epic version of boredom and tedium. Here the definition of those two words is Doctor Zhivago.

Set against a background of war and revolution, where an eternal love is formed might sound like an ambitious and a tempting idea to some writers and composers. After all, an epic Victor Hugo novel was turned into an epic musical. What the creators here failed to realize is the book and score in that musical propelled the storyline forward and kept the action constantly moving. The book here is sophomoric and the score is about as exciting as listening to wallpaper paste dry. It turns into almost three hours of unrelenting drab tedium. Inserting the now famous song “Somewhere My Love” or “Lara’s Theme” from the movie sung by nurses on the battlefield in the middle of Act I makes the scene so absurd and ludicrous that one yearns just to hear the entire magnificent melodic Maurice Jarre score from the movie and dispense with the entire abysmally dreary repetitious songs sung here.

We have the orphaned Yuri Zhivago going to live with the Gromekos. Yuri (Tam Mutu) grows up and marries Tonia Gromeko (Lora Lee Gayer), his childhood friend, and on the eve of his wedding a revolution is going on outside. He leaves the wedding to tend the wounded and while on this mission of mercy, he meets the love of his life, Lara (Kelli Barrett). She is on her way to find Viktor Komarovsky (Tom Hewitt), who during her youth took advantage of her maidenhood and taught her the pleasures of lovemaking and she carries this guilt throughout her life. On this particular night, she is out to kill him and he is attending Yuri’s wedding party. She bursts into the party tries to shoot him but misses, no charges are pressed, and Yuri is totally enthralled by Lara and seems to have forgotten he is getting married that night. Lara ultimately marries the revolutionary, Pasha Antipov (Paul Nolan Alexander). On their wedding night, Pasha tells her he’s a virgin and she tells him about her life of sin with Viktor. In a furious fit, Pasha goes to war, climbs up the ranks and becomes the feared and dreaded Strelnikov (he’s even more sinister than Inspector Javert; you know, from the other epic musical).

Yuri, now a celebrated poet and doctor, is off mending the wounded at the war. Viktor is also there fighting for the overthrow of the government; he is very adaptable. He switches allegiances at the drop of a hat. Madness is all around, uprisings, starvation, famine communism, cannons being fired, people getting killed all over Russia, and you know that Russia is a humongous place but Yuri and Lara keep bumping into each other in all parts of Russia and their love is eternal as mentioned in the song “On the Edge of Time.” I’ve told you enough. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the pleasures that await you.

All this could be accepted, not forgiven, had the leads had any charm, charisma, personality anything appealing. Was there a shortage of leading men in America that they had to get Tam Mutu from England? Three men in love and obsessed with Lara, in this case Kelli Barrett; what did she possess that just never came across the footlights? Paul Alexander Nolan, who was quiet good as Jesus in the recent revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, starts out pleasant enough as Sasha but as Strelnikov is shrill and ludicrous barking out orders and shooting people. Oh, the revolution does take a toll on people. I must admit that Tom Hewitt had a grasp of his character, Viktor, and played him well.

I know all directors can have a misfire, but when it happens to one someone the likes of Des McAnuff, it is mind boggling how this musical was so out of control. After all, he was the visionary who was responsible for such musicals as Tommy, Jersey Boys, Big River and a splendid revival of How to Succeed...I know it’s a challenge to tackle the impossible, but even Mr. McAnuff must have sensed the odds against this pointless travesty.

Even the design aspects of this show are at odds with themselves: the sets represent nothing but stacked-up chairs and sometimes they are on fire; the costumes are too lavish for the impoverished Tonia and the Gromekos after the fall of the Czar when they didn’t even have enough food to set on the table. Just look at the picture of her in that gorgeous beige suit and hat; what woman wouldn’t kill for that outfit? And that is the show’s representation of a poor woman. The sound effects were too loud, I guess to try to keep us awake. So it goes, one misfire after another: story, book, score, players, direction, all forms of designs. Enough said, I think you get the picture.

ONE DREARY EVENING: Sophia Gennusa & Kelli Barrett in ‘Doctor Zhivago.’ Photo: Matthew Murphy

THE GOOD DOCTOR: Tam Matu as Doctor Zhivago. Photo: Matthew Murphy

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION SET TO MUSIC: (left to right) Paul Alexander Nolan, Kelli Barrett, Tam Matu & Lora Lee Gayer. Photo: Matthew Murphy

IMPOVERISHED, BUT ABLE TO AFFORD THAT CHIC SUIT & HAT: Lora Lee Gayer. Photo: Matthew Murphy

VIKTOR: Played well by Tom Hewitt. Photo: Matthew Murphy

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 25, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 24, 2015