New York Musical Theater Festival Report: ‘Legacy Falls’
By ANITA GATES
Springfield is gone. Port Charles isn’t what it used to be. But thanks to theNew York Musical Theater Festival, the namesake setting of “Legacy Falls” can fill in for those other fictional soap-opera towns. Even if a character-killing earthquake is planned for the show’s special live episode.
“Legacy Falls” is James Burn and Ian Poitier’s daffy new musical as well as the title of the ratings-troubled daytime drama whose off-screen travails it depicts. Our sympathetic hero is the handsomely aging Edward Trafford (Kevin Spirtas), an actor with regrets. In his youth he accepted a soap-opera role, and here he is, 30 years later, singing, “I’ll play Jack Monroe until one of us dies.”
From 1999 to 2005, Mr. Spirtas was Dr. Craig Wesley on “Days of Our Lives,” so he knows of what he speaks. Incidentally, his lush singing voice could charm grizzly bears.
There’s a tossup for most despicable villain. Everlon (Dennis Holland), the show’s narrow-minded and arrogant sponsor, has to win, I suppose, but Fleur (Rachel Stern), the invasive television journalist, does almost as much damage. Frankie (Erin Leigh Peck), the new executive who announces big changes for the soap, turns out to be not all that bad.
Mr. Burn and Mr. Poitier’s lively book owes something to the movies “Soapdish” and “Tootsie” (same live-episode device). And while the show, directed by Mr. Poitier, is thoroughly entertaining, it displays a mild personality disorder. There is no reason “Legacy Falls” can’t be both a touching contemporary romance and an absurdist comedy, but at this point in its development the coexistence is shaky. (The musical’s festival run ended on Wednesday.)
Mr. Burn wrote the music and lyrics, and there is real charm in numbers like “The Men From the Network” (although it makes no sense that the TV executives look like Secret Service agents) and “Somebody’s Gonna Get Killed,” sung by three actresses (Tara Hugo, Nikki Van Cassele and Liz Fye) terrified of being written off the show.
Ms. Hugo grabs the aging glamour essence of the daytime-drama grande dame in every one of her scenes. And “Usually,” sung by Mr. Spirtas and Wilson Bridges, as the sexy younger guy who has entered his life, may be the loveliest man-on-man morning-after romantic ballad this side of “Brokeback Mountain.”
www.everythingmusicals.com
by Chris Caggiano
Legacy Falls - I genuinely never thought that I would so thoroughly enjoy a musical about a soap opera, of all things. But, as I've said many times, it's all about execution. And Legacy Falls, while not without its flaws, has a tremendous amount going for it: an appealing score (music and lyrics by James Burn) rich characterizations, and a genuinely humorous book (by Burn and Ian Poitier). The plot concerns the efforts of the TV show's new producer to save the thirty-year-old program from cancellation. Rumors abound that some catastrophic event will occur in the plot of the soap to get rid of some old faces and make room for new blood. Some of the actors, including the show's male lead, have been with the show since its inception. Just as he's wondering whether it's time to move on, he falls in love with a younger man who works for the TV show's sponsor. Word gets out about the formerly closeted star, and the plot thickens both on and off the screen. The appeal of Legacy Falls the musical lies both in the genuinely lovely moments for the central lovers, as well as in some terrific numbers for the delightfully bitchy female soap stars. The show could use some work: there's a bit too much slant rhyme for my taste, and act two could use a bit of pruning. But, on the whole, Legacy Falls is an eminently enjoyable musical that I hope to see have a significant life after NYMF.
www.maxamoo.com
Legacy Falls is part of a popular theater trend of bringing the drama of TV on to the stage. But it stands apart from the pack with its fantastic musical numbers, fun acting, and daytime drama twist.
The show revolves around the cast and crew of a soap opera called Legacy Falls. The oversized drama of the soap opera is hilarious, but even more hysterical is the extreme drama in the lives of the actors. Scandals abound, this show is funny and heartfelt at all the appropriate moments with a touch of social commentary.
www.theatermania.com
(© Steven Rosen)
by David Gordon
The perils of starring on a popular soap opera are the focus of Legacy Falls, James Burn and Ian Poitier's satiric look at what happens when a television network gets too involved with the day-to-day running of a daytime staple. That show is also called Legacy Falls, named for the suburban community where siblings can become lovers, husbands cheat on wives with their daughters, and death is never entirely fatal.
Unless they want you out. And when the show gets a new lead producer (Erin Leigh Peck, lovably conniving), anybody can be killed at a moment's notice, whether you've been on the show for three decades like Stephanie Stone (the enjoyably vain Tara Hugo) or three minutes like Amber Fox (Liz Fye, humorously ditsy). At the center is Edward Trafford (daytime veteran Kevin Spirtas), the dashing and graying leading man with a big secret: He's gay.
The treatment of Edward's outing is one of the more troubling aspects of this charming but overlong work, which Poitier also directs and choreographs. When told by one of his co-stars (Nikki Van Cassele) to look on the bright side and embrace flamboyance, Edward is greeted by a production number featuring the entire cast prancing around with limp wrists. In 2013, when the musical seems to take place, not only is this misguided, it's seriously gauche. Still, the piece builds to a frenzied and funny conclusion that left the soap fans in the audience laughing heartily..
by Beth Laufer
Under the skillful and inspired direction of Ian Poitier, Legacy Falls leaves me yearning for the days when soap operas were televised every weekday afternoon, on all three major networks. Viewers were invited to lose their everyday frustrations for several hours, replacing them with the trials and tribulations of beautiful people, often behaving badly, wearing gorgeous designer clothes while living in opulent mansions, penthouses, brownstones, castles…all while apparently spending very little to no time at all, working any daytime or nighttime job. It was an escape from reality, and the craze expanded for many years while nighttime soaps garnered impressive viewership and ratings, as well. Today, replaced by America’s newfound infatuation with reality shows, only a small handful of daytime soap operas remain on air for the genre’s most devout fans.
The team of James Burn and Ian Poitier competently and cleverly employ the extravagances and dalliances of daytime dramatic serials, with a book that discreetly embellishes the antics of soap opera characters and the actors who portray them, both on screen and off. Their amusing depiction of the genre is often spot on, and the characters are both likable and deplorable, their soap opera lives intermingling with their real life counterparts, and the relationships of both are woven seamlessly.
When a new producer, Frankie is hired to helm the popular soap opera Legacy Falls, all hell breaks loose. Frankie, played masterfully by Erin Leigh Peck, is anxious to make her mark, and immediately promises to kill off half of the beloved cast in an earthquake. In honor of the show’s thirty-year anniversary, this earthquake massacre episode will air LIVE. Insecurities abound as the actors scramble for clues and/or demand information regarding the stability of their character’s lives, and their own livelihoods. This is a recipe for disaster and what ensues up to and on the day of the live broadcast is hilarious!
Legacy Falls', Taylor Taylor/southern siren Madison, charmingly brought to life by Nikki Van Cassele, learns that her character will be crushed in the Earthquake. She refuses to take this tragic news lying down, and employs the assistance of Soap Opera gossip columnist Fleur McCain (Rachel Stern), to leak the story, and garner support from her legions of fans. Rewrites begin, and Madison instead develops a serious illness that requires her hospitalization. She is rewarded with the opportunity to die a respectful and dramatic soap opera death. However, “death is not always fatal.”
The show's matriarch, Stephanie Stone/Veronica Monroe Casey Bennett is ward-robed perfectly by costume designer Antonia Ford Roberts, resplendent in shoulder-padded jackets and elegantly sexy cocktail apparel which, even with rapid costume changes could be the envy of Dynasty's leading ladies. Tara Hugo’s Stephanie/Veronica is adeptly performed with a winning combination of charisma, strength and wit.
Legacy Falls’ stud and ingénue, Jed and Amber Fox/Brandie Monroe are magnificently characterized by Jonathan Hawkins and Liz Fye, respectively. They are a joy to watch as they parade around, scantily clad, in a vacuous bubble. Even while Jed is having his pectorals fake tanned, and Brandie goes into hysterics when another actor messes her hair, they still earn the audience’s sympathy and respect. A favorite song of the show, Whatever, is delivered by Fye in a perfect balance of sarcasm and sincerity.
The Legacy Falls television show’s cast centers on veteran Edward Trafford, who has played the role of Jack Monroe since very early in his career. The role is brilliantly portrayed by Kevin Spirtas, who is not only a highly acclaimed Broadway actor, but also a soap opera star, well known for his role as Dr. Craig Wesley on NBC’s hit soap Days of Our Lives. He shines in the role of the aging, yet exceedingly handsome leading man who has married every woman on the show, at least once, with the exception of Amber Monroe, his character’s daughter. Spirtas delivers his role with full competence and commitment, and is missed when he is not in a scene. He approaches the relationship with “Adonis” Daniel, played powerfully by Wilson Bridges, with sensitivity and sensibility.
James Burn’s music is fantastic and will continue playing in the audience’s minds long after the final curtain call. The lyrics are so well written, and in conjunction with the book bridge the switch from dialogue to musical interpretation seamlessly, and the audience never misses a beat. It’s as if the characters begin to sing, because their thoughts and emotions are too big for straight talking, so they finish their thoughts in song. Musical Director, Jonathan Gill has done a brilliantly beautiful job merging this wonderful score with these talented vocalists and musicians.
Jacob Hoffman, Dennis Holland, Christy Morton, and Joe Paparella round out the cast. All play multiple roles with contrast, depth and realistic believability. Clearly, Legacy Falls features a talented supporting cast, and Cindi Rush Casting deserves praise for putting together this stellar ensemble.
The sets were minimal, but so well thought out, yielding quick, well-orchestrated scene changes. The lighting and projection design (Gertian Houben and Robert Figueira) was delightful, appropriately transforming stage to television screen with the flip of a switch.
This performance ran longer then the promised two hours including intermission. But, unless you’re in a rush to be someplace else, who would care? The musical is entertaining from overture to curtain call. I glanced through the audience several times during the show, and noticed focused, amused and smiling faces throughout. During intermission, I overheard glowing remarks regarding this musical.
www.lettersfromthemezzanine.com
As someone who squealed a little too loudly when I learned that former ABC shows All My Children and One Life to Live would be born again on Hulu, I had a fun afternoon watching a matinee performance of Legacy Falls at the PTC Performance Space.Legacy Falls follows the cast and crew of a long-running soap opera of the same name. Edward Trafford (Kevin Spirtas) is the Susan Lucci of the group: he’s been with the show since its start thirty years ago, and he is tired of playing Jack Monroe. He might just get his wish, as network producer Frankie (Erin Leigh Peck) plans to boost ratings by filming an earthquake-themed live episode—and kill many of the characters off in the process.
The “Legacy Falls” cast hams it up.
Kevin Spirtas’ performance as Edward Trafford/Jack Monroe is straight out of a soap opera—in a good way. He completely embodies the charisma of Jack Monroe while giving Edward, a somewhat jaded actor, a realistic vulnerability. His casting in the role was perfect, especially since Spirtas is a soap opera star in his own right as Dr. Craig Wesley on Days of Our Lives. Other performing highlights include Erin Leigh Peck, who has great comedic timing (and a voice to match) as Frankie; Wilson Bridges, whose sincerity as Edward’s love interest Daniel gives him the Best Boyfriend in Musical Theatre Award; and Jonathan Hawkins and Liz Fye, who can play dumb oh-so well as the younger cast members in the soap.
Legacy Falls has the trappings of a traditional musical, and it doesn’t have many surprises. It excels when it parodies the high drama of the soaps, with overacting (on purpose), stating the obvious, and mentioning convoluted storylines. I think it can go even further, with bigger hair, bigger drama, and bigger dreams for Edward and the others on and off the set.
Favorite songs: “Whatever,” a funny solo about Amber’s (Liz Fye) troubles as a young actress, and “Usually,” a beautiful ballad sung by Edward and Daniel.
