“An undercooked slice of apple pie, served with a dollop of anguish…It’s respectful of veterans, but not of itself, ultimately quitting on its own ambitions...Mr. Cott has a crushing charisma…Ms. Osnes, a brunette with a silvery voice, puts real feeling behind Julia’s loss…But even fine actors can’t make this story more persuasive. If ‘Bandstand’ really worked, the finale would find you laughing and crying. Instead, you might just make like the dancers and shrug.”
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“The resonant original musical ‘Bandstand' dances a delicate line between nostalgia and disillusion…The terrific group dance numbers burst with snazzy individuality. But 'Bandstand's' heart is in its shadows...As the stakes rise, the score moves from pleasurable pastiche to a climax whose impassioned call for attention to the plight of veterans recalls the socially engaged lyrics of E.Y. Harburg. The show defies you not to be moved by its valiant band of brothers.”
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“I’m not saying it’s perfectly carried out, or even especially profound, but it remains almost compulsively faithful to its vision…The darkness of the background does not mean that the show forswears entertainment…Although it features some Golden Age attributes it is hardly at Golden Age level. But an original musical with loads of fun music, expressive dance, and a will to grapple with issues that remain painfully topical is not to be dismissed glibly.”
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“It is to Blankenbuehler’s credit that the dazzling through-line of movement makes 'Bandstand' as much about dance as it is about music…The movement in 'Bandstand' is seamless and eye-popping, managing an astonishing feat…Oberacker and Taylor are clearly well versed in the musical idioms of the period and whose more-than-serviceable songs range from torchy ballads to roof-raising anthems...I have to wonder how this show was cast without a single non-Caucasian among the principals."
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“A well-meaning mishmash of a musical…The authors’ idea is a good one…But the show backburners this thread for a conventional story…It’s a bit all over the place…Songs by Oberacker and Taylor are workmanlike and pleasant, but tend to be monochromatic…Musically it’s a blur. The physical production can be one as well…Blankenbuehler's large cast steps up. Cott is appealing and gives his all. Osnes sings like a dream — even when the material isn’t one.”
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“An earnest and often-entertaining musical that never quite achieves its noble ambitions. Despite the fluid staging and evocative choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, an uneven book, undistinguished dialogue and only-serviceable tunes keep the show from meeting its deeper, darker and good-intentioned aspirations…Oberacker pens the mood-setting, pleasant and easily forgettable pastiche songs and lyrics...The cast is made up of solid performers, most of who play their own instruments.”
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“While many of the numbers have the propulsive feel of big-band swing, none of them are particularly memorable, and the generic ballads frequently stop the show dead in its tracks…Cott and Osnes are highly attractive and appealing performers, and they sing the hell out of their material…But for all the strenuous effort and good intentions evident in ‘Bandstand,’ it mainly demonstrates that if you’re going to drop the name Dachau in a musical, it needs to be far better than this one.”
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“Blankenbuehler's production just never stops for a moment, sometimes at the expense of the narrative flow...The dancing is, however, spectacular…‘Bandstand’ has a serviceable score, although there is so much music that it often tends to blur…The book has moments of freshness and all kinds of potential, but it never strives enough for poetic heights or depth of characters…All in all, this is a show with some frustrations as well as many pleasures for the ear and eye.”
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