Tuck Everlasting NYC Reviews and Tickets

"A warm-spirited and piercingly touching musical…Nicholaw evinces a natural feel for the tender emotional core of the material…The rather complicated story is cleanly shaped in Ms. Shear and Mr. Federle’s book…'Tuck Everlasting' can sometimes be a little ham-handed in addressing its central theme...Among the many refreshing surprises of 'Tuck Everlasting' is this reminder that a musical doesn’t necessarily have to sing or speak its truths to bring them home to us."
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"An earnest, somewhat attenuated musical…The philosophical aspect of the Tuck dilemma comes out in two brooding numbers. In these songs, Miller’s Celtic-flavored music and Tysen’s searching lyrics deliver emotionally, elsewhere they seem merely upbeat and serviceable...The lumpy book takes too long to establish tone and stakes in the first act, leaving a lot of mopping up in the second...I can admire several elements here; they just seem slightly misjudged or misaligned."
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"A ruthlessly by-the-book treatment of a high-concept, low-wattage fairy tale...The more Shear and Federle clarify the material the more ordinary and threadbare it seems, a problem that Casey Nicholaw’s staging mostly exacerbates in its dogged adherence to the conventions of Broadway storytelling…The homogenization feels deliberate, as if bits of 'Wicked,' 'Brigadoon,' and 'Carousel' had been dumped into a blender with skim milk to produce a smoothie that's way too thin."
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"A sweet concoction that feels in over its head...The book is more serviceable than inspired...The tuneful country and folk music-influenced score is equally unmemorable. Director Nicholaw keeps things moving at a sprightly pace, although he overdoes the carnival-style dance sequences that are clearly intended to provide visual distraction. The design elements are impressive...The performers put the fanciful material over with admirable energy and emotional conviction."
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"On stage, this fantasy-driven story remains stubbornly earthbound. Not that 'Tuck' isn’t trying its darndest: The actors are appealing…But they’re practically drowning in a flood of banalities and a deluge of clichés…Director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw does his best to keep things moving—and moving and moving and moving...His best work actually comes in a delightful penultimate-scene dream ballet, which packs more plot than the entire preceding two hours."
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"Like the children’s book, the script fudges some narrative questions and complications and grapples ever-so-lightly with the complexities of infinite life. But the narrative, at least, is always buoyed by its tuneful folk-rooted score by Miller and Tysen...Director Nicholaw, here shows a more lyrical side, climaxing in a story-of-life dance number that packs an emotional wallop. At the show’s end, you’ll want to hug your family."
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"A modestly proportioned, low-key Broadway musical...The results aren’t perfect by any means, and the pop-folk score owes far too much to 'Into the Woods' for comfort. Still, 'Tuck Everlasting' realizes enough of its ambitions to be watchable, and Casey Nicholaw’s staging is full of quiet delights, though his swirly choreography, especially in the show’s climactic ballet, is bland...I suspect this is the kind of children’s show that mothers and fathers will enjoy more than their kids."
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"A Broadway musical so treacly you may leave the theatre wanting to kick a puppy…Winnie is played by newcomer Sarah Charles Lewis and she is charmless, with all the attributes of an over-prepared, too-polished child actor...The best bit of casting is Terrence Mann as the evil Man in the Yellow Suit…Mann transforms a hopeless Act I into a nearly salvageable Act II. Still, unlike the unlucky Tucks, this material aged out long ago and far away."
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"Lewis, the spunky young actress in this role, is one of the show's great assets, as are Carmello and Park, who beautifully evoke loving parents...'Tuck Everlasting' does have its charms and some likable moments—including a few pleasing numbers, some warm relationships...But there are some crucial story points that get insufficient prominence—including, bizarrely, the moment when Winnie decides whether or not to drink...Not everything will track if you don't know the story."
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"It’s pretty crazy that this story about regret, mortality and big life choices could end up so toothless...You need a cast of aces to even try to bring to life Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen’s score—a procession of dull, Renaissance Faire songs that float by, making barely a ripple...What does have an impact is the show’s ending: a 10-minute story-ballet in which director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw finally earns his paycheck...The number resonates more than anything that preceded."
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"A wholesome but hyperactive new Broadway musical...Authors Shear and Federle make some smart changes…Composer Miller and lyricist Tysen wrap the story up in a warm and folksy score. It fits the 19th-century time period…Characters are pretty sketchy, but the cast makes the most of what they’ve got…In a stirring climactic ballet...'Tuck Everlasting' is allowed to breathe. Like people, musicals need that to live."
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"A G-rated, surprisingly well-crafted new Broadway musical…Claudia Shear and Tim Federle’s book for the musical successfully expands upon these themes. The folksy score emphasizes a child’s sense of wonder, along with some tender spots...'Tuck Everlasting' is refreshingly free of camp and flash. Nicholaw ends the show with a striking coup in the form of a poignant narrative ballet. It also allows the dance ensemble (which mostly remains in the background) to finally take center stage."
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"The plot is so disjointed that it is often hard to tell how we got where…Miller and Tysen's score is hit-and-miss, with some songs helping to further the plot while others stop the show in its tracks...The super-talented Lewis plays Winnie with technical proficiency but an emotional flatness that remains consistent, giving us no sense that our protagonist has actually gone on any sort of journey...Director Casey Nicholaw opts to drown the script in a tidal wave of production elements."
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"A hearty and magical Americana-style charmer full of poignancy and good humor and very suitable for families…11-year-old Sarah Charles Lewis, who can belt it up to the back rows, makes her Broadway debut as Winnie, exuding an immensely likeable and confident presence, paired with good acting chops…Miller's music is an appealing mix primarily based in folk matched with lyricist Nathan Tyson's homespun poetics...'Tuck Everlasting' is a real heart-tugger."
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"'Tuck Everlasting' has its charming moments, including a solid opening number…At the same time, it is a show that pleases rather than thrills; the rueful, folk-inflected music and plain, often prosaic, lyrics move the story along without providing real excitement or adding to its emotional heft…There's no question that the final dance sequence, and its brief aftermath, brings 'Tuck Everlasting' to a much stronger close than one expects."
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"The resulting show feels resolutely real, in a way no other new entry on Broadway this season has…You'd expect thoughtful, emotionally acute performances from the many veterans in the company, and you get them…It could do with more confidence and polish...But as it is, it knows what it wants to be and what it wants to do, and it accomplishes its goals with aplomb. Lovely, honest, and ultimately moving, in the ways that matter most, it's what a musical should be."
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"The problem with the new show is that it is all so bland…The score is pleasant but innocuous…The talented cast varies in success based on the depths of their roles as written in the libretto, which often flattens their counterparts from the original novel…'Tuck Everlasting' is a colorful family entertainment suitable for all ages. Considering its theme, however, it could have been much more. Nonetheless, the game cast puts their all into the singing, dancing and storytelling."
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“‘An imaginative and faithful adaptation...Director Nicholaw shows no tiredness: his current Broadway endeavor is just as inspired...Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen's score only features a few stand-out songs or melodies...A nonverbal finale so enchanting, the only sounds heard over the fluttering of feet and the swells of the orchestra were the creaks of seats as patrons collectively leaned in to find more wonder, more dance, more life.”
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"Shear and Federle have preserved what's most poignant in Babbitt's novel, avoiding anything maudlin. Tysen's lyrics are admirably crafted; Miller's melodies have a post-war Broadway sound with occasional Sondheim-ish inflections. But it's the cast and second-act choreography that make 'Tuck Everlasting' worth a visit…Despite its flaws, 'Tuck Everlasting' has a strong, touching second act; and Nicholaw brings the story home in his life-affirming ballet."
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"This musical has much to recommend it, but overall it is inconsistent as a work of art. It has charm and poignancy in places, but a corny, dated feel elsewhere...Most notable though is the marvelous comic timing of two secondary characters…But overall, 'Tuck Everlasting' is not a comedy, so while the comedy songs were delightful, they made me wish for more comedy that wasn’t there...It’s a shame that the whole show isn’t as good as the second half."
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"I just loved this musical….The music and lyrics are lovely, although in general, the lyrics seem to be a bit forgettable, but what they have been able to do is infuse a great deal of emotion into our hearts with each number…Nicholaw’s choreography is at times spectacular, fun, and also lovely. The ballet finale, in particular, beautifully and wordlessly tells the story of the circle of life, and all its love, loss, and the different shades of its divine value."
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"This fantastical tale about a family who can live forever, does not deliver the necessary on-stage magic needed to make this family-friendly musical immortal...There’s a serious, thoughtful message here but it gets lost in a production that opts for a folksy and hammy tone instead...Everything from the costuming to the set to the choreography to the direction plays loud, harsh, and cartoonish doing a disservice to the sincere characters and fine work of the actors"
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"Ms. Lewis carries much of the show in a charming, precocious manner...Unfortunately, the physical production practically swallows the cast…Director/choreographer Nicholaw deftly handles the script, though it’s a sanitized version of Babbitt’s original story. He seems to have lost his way with uninspired choreography…I have a feeling that in a decade or so, we may see a very different reimagining of 'Tuck Everlasting'—one that is older and perhaps a bit wiser."
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"I had reservations about ‘Matilda’ but, in retrospect, its overall originality make apparent its neighbor’s relative lack of laughs, unexceptional, folk-inflected score, lack of dramatic tension, excessive sentimentality, and stretches of dullness...Several theatregoers could be spotted drying their eyes after the show ended, but only time will tell if ‘Tuck Everlasting’ has more than a famous title and a tear-jerking finale to make its stay on Broadway an everlasting one."
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"The staggering finale is the only scene that completely fulfills 'Tuck Everlasting’s' obvious aim to be one of those musicals that appeal to children of all ages. Otherwise, the candy-colorful and energetic stage adaptation seems largely suited for 11-year-old girls…The songs are all pleasant enough, albeit not especially memorable, or even essential to the show, but they are delivered by a cast of charismatic pros."
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"The lyrics can feel generic and so, too, can the book…Something also seems amiss with the storybook design....The musical’s ultimate salvation is its sentimentality...Winnie is given a dead father, ostensibly to deepen her emotional predicament and there’s a sappy quality in how her pert presence revivifies each of the tired Tucks. If this seems mushy and unnecessary, the same sentiments inspire a concluding ballet, which is a triumph."
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"Wholesome, moral winsomeness will never go out of style, presumably; but a rousing musical it does not make, at least in the case of 'Tuck Everlasting'…Nicholaw proves that he can, indeed, work in this gentler, not-in-your-face form of musical…In 'Tuck Everlasting,' though, matters are all too mild…As has been the case in several recent musicals, many of the principal actors provide enjoyable performances."
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"Nothing gives us a better glimpse of eternity than this musical’s lax narrative, generic performances, and endless ballet...The songs by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen also give a nod to eternity. No tune seems to have a beginning, a middle and an end...Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs...'Tuck Everlasting,' however, is more whimsical than it is broad slapstick, and Nicholaw is better with the latter. As a result, the performances in 'Tuck' come off as merely Broadway generic."
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“Having just written a review of another new musical with lackluster songs, I regretfully feel this one is even less successful. Lyrics sound like heavy-handed and/or cliché prose unwillingly submitting to music which itself arrives homogenized folk. Except for a ballet epilogue, there’s no fantasy, no purity, no poetry. Being an otherwise tremendous fan of director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw, I can’t imagine what he was thinking!".
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"A gentle but hardly lightweight fantasy musical…This touching low-tech show is for an underserved niche audience — families who want to be thoughtfully charmed for a few hours after being hyper-entertained by 'Wicked' and 'Matilda'...Someone onstage says we don’t have to live forever, just live. I feel the same about the future of this enchanting long-shot of a show."
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"There are a couple of book-to-stage issues that haven’t been completely solved...The show never firmly decides whether the story it’s basically telling is of Winnie growing up or the more interesting tale of the Tucks dealing with the burden of being stuck in time...While 'Tuck Everlasting' is essentially for children, adaptors Shear and Federle have inserted the requisite jokes for older folks...and there are some clever lyrics by Tysen, who wrote the serviceable score with composer Miller."
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"A sweet-tempered, family friendly musical…Lewis is all the things you’d want in a young protagonist, and her Winnie has got an edge…A gorgeous silent ballet, depicting the passage of time, doesn’t integrate well with the story beforehand. This interpretation of 'Tuck Everlasting' is neither tragic nor cynical. It’s good entertainment. If you’re bringing a child, be prepared for some hefty conversation on the way home."
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“The overall aim of the production seems to keep things from getting unduly provocative and to stay well within the parameters of family-friendly fare...It’s in its last 15 minutes or so that ‘Tuck’ shakes off its quotidian nature...It ends the show on a high note, and a genuinely moving one as well. It’s a welcome pay-off after most of the earlier stretches, which while not intolerable, seem to be going on forever.”
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"I wanted to hate the show because at first it seemed theme-park ready, had Renaissance Fair-like choreography, and was a bit like a Holly Hobby version of a Hallmark movie. But I slowly conceded that there’s a rousing number, and the ballet finale tacking Winnie’s future is sure to get people talking...But will this thing run forever? Probably not. 'Cute' doesn’t age well, and this show seems geared strictly for kids."
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"Definitely one of the better constructed musicals of the season, the creative elements all come together to present a story that’s both heartwarming and fulfilling. The children in the audience the day this writer saw the show were completely spellbound…Lewis, making her Broadway debut, simply shines as Winnie…As a lovely tale about the joys and dangers that come with being alive, 'Tuck Everlasting' makes for a very refreshing experience."
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“A well-intentioned musical but ultimately presents nothing new...Another musical that has an interesting book but is saddled with too many non-descript songs...Fine acting and singing is done by all...but unfortunately the material doesn’t challenge them to be more interesting, so they end up being too one-dimensional. One must mention the lady of the evening, Sarah Charles Lewis as Winnie, for she makes a formidably self-assured Broadway debut.”
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"Perhaps I would have found 'Tuck Everlasting' more satisfying if I had read the novel, had children of my own, or was dedicated to family-fare musicals based on fantasy fiction written with a juvenile audience in mind, but I doubt it…The score is the kind of quickly-evaporating, formulaic balladry that populates a lot of Broadway these days…The performances are unremarkable…A second act number provides some genuine entertainment. The relief is too little, too late."
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"A perfect blend of Broadway and folk with rousing ensemble production numbers, tender ballads, and entertaining character solos…A charming and heart-warming story…Winnie is played by newcomer Sarah Charles Lewis, in what will for sure be considered her star-making debut...Surrounding her is a cast like no other…'Tuck Everlasting' will tug at your heartstrings and bring you to your feet at the end."
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"There's lots of decorative, wafty balletic dancing, and a final 15 minutes that are quite formally audacious for playing out the ending entirely as a narrative dance ballet. It's an eccentric device, but it finally rescues the show from the bland proceedings that have come before…Unfortunately what it sounds like is a lot of formulaic, generic ballads, albeit delivered with fervour and passion…A polite misfire of a musical about immortality that feels like it goes on forever."
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"Wonderfully crafted…Poignancy mixes well with humor, the songs are fresh and sweet, the set is blissful and the performances honest. It has a polished feel. All of the parts work smartly….An overly hectic first song laying out the narrative stumbles, but the show soon rights itself, continues strongly and ending with a blissful, wordless ballet that caused many sniffles...Humor wonderfully leavens the weighty issues. The music by Chris Miller is magical…Nathan Tysen’s lyrics are even better."
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"A sweeping new Broadway musical...The show opens with a longish song that, unless you’re familiar with the book, you might not fully grasp. But, it flows well from there...The book is written with heart and wit, and the choreography is both spirited and at times truly beautiful...It’s the kind of enchanting story that transcends generations, and 'Tuck Everlasting: The Musical' will all the more reinforce that."
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"Winnie played by a newcomer named Sarah Charles Lewis is not someone I cared for and the rest of the cast save Carolee Carmello is bland at best. The music by Chris Miller is totally unmemorable. Casey Nicholaw who directed and choreographed this show may have made one of his few mistakes getting involved in this show. Why the producers would have brought this to Broadway beats me."
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"A beautiful set, expert choreography, a memorable score and brilliant acting aid the storytelling, and it all adds to the play’s fantasy theme…Lewis and Mann are excellent, as are the rest of the cast…The play ends with a ballet, depicting the future of Winnie...It wasn’t my favorite way to end the show, but I appreciate the interpretation, and I am sure any child over the age of 12 would appreciate the optimistic ending of this hopeful play."
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“Chris Miller’s composition in combination with lyrics by Nathan Tysen echoes the enchanted nature of the story, yet could have used more variety throughout the score...Overall, the musical is full of family-friendly magic, but the chief appeal is directed towards a younger audience. The beautiful dance sequence at the conclusion is certainly relatable for all ages, and is absolutely the redeeming scene of the show.”
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“‘Tuck’, based on 1975 children’s book by Natalie Babbitt, was made into a poorly received 2002 Disney film. Fortunately, this period production, which started off in Atlanta, fares much better in the stage translation. The dance scenes, in particular, are beautifully wrought. While some might find the humor hokey, the big themes of love and immortality provide a framework of ideas upon which this winning production builds smartly.”
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"Since the story itself is fairly static—suspense derives primarily from the question of whether Winnie will be tempted to drink from the spring before being discovered—the score’s repetitiousness lends the middle passages a certain sleepiness...Already polished and enjoyable in this developmental run, 'Tuck Everlasting' makes for the kind of kid-friendly musical that might find the waters choppy in the commercial sphere, with its Hallmark-specialish period warmth and lack of spectacle."
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"Tapping into live-forever fantasies of theater’s two core audiences (young people and baby boomers), this handsomely produced tuner, premiering at Atlanta’s Alliance Theater, shows commercial potential; it’s rich in warmth and spunk, but needs a dash more vinegar to cut through the waters of sentimentality if it wants that evergreen life, too."
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"This musical play has qualities that are quite magnetic and ineffable; too much analysis here would be pointless and a big-time spoiler...The musical score is charming and the dancing is first-rate. The set design is spectacular...The show is wistful, contemplative, and fun, with the promise of romance. You may be quite moved by the end; many were."
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"It’s a tribute to the story that we are so easily seduced by the otherworldly conceit. The tone is nearly perfect, except for the rather maudlin bits in which Winnie yearns to know more about her dead father...These are fairly minor caveats, however. The show features a terrific cast and drop-dead gorgeous design."
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"It’s overall a pretty appealing show, cleverly staged, swiftly moving, slick and entertaining, but it still lacks a crucial sense of enchantment. In a musical, there should be some significant emotion shared between audience and characters if all that singing and high kicking is to mean something...Instead of drawing closer and closer to Winnie and her world, we get a bunch of busy, vaudevillian stuff about a fair, a flashy villain and a pair of comic detectives."
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"It isn't just a show that you can sit and watch for two hours; instead, it absorbs you right into it and makes you think about what you would do if you were in Winnie's position. There is a reason that Babbitt's 'Tuck Everlasting' is celebrating 40 years, and with the addition of the beautiful music, wonderful acting and breathtaking choreography, I think this show could reach a lot of people."
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