"'A Wall Apart' is a smart, high-energy exercise in idealism, a rock musical with love and politics on its mind. And if its second act suggests that it’s still a work in progress, that’s part of what the festival is for — putting a show on its feet and seeing where it stumbles...In a confident production directed and choreographed by Keith Andrews, an excellent cast breathes life into fully drawn characters, while Mr. Russell’s music varies nicely from wailing guitar to gentle lullaby."
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"A limp but well-meaning new musical...Russell's score, and Goldstein and Clyde's book resemble relics of different eras...Russell's songs are all written in the musical-theater idiom of the mid-1990s...'A Wall Apart' never shakes the feeling that it was created after repeated viewings of 'Rent.' The movement is frenetic and the pace is equally frenzied...The principals have a hard time accessing genuine emotional moments due to the hasty direction."
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“It is filled with one-liners as the narrative speeds by to fit in 28 years of plot; there is very little character development...All the actors are excellent and elevate the material…The production is very polished and well designed…The music, while undeniably great and incredibly catchy, is not especially theatrical. The lyrics rarely illuminate the characters or tell us anything about the story we didn’t already get from the scene…‘A Wall Apart’ needs more politics, and frankly, more edge.”
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"Though a few of the tunes sound joyous and melodious, many of the songs leave one feeling less than wispy. Well-drawn characters are scripted by Goldstein and Clyde...The war scenes carry a good deal of weight...Great choreography by Andrews holds the intensity of the production...There is something terrific about the staging, with seamless blending from foreground to the background…Creators of this new musical have done a lot to capture the love and despair of the time period.”
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“Romance driven by geopolitics makes for a risky venture and, despite solid performances throughout, the creators never quite find a proper balance…The book has other troubles with its humorous moments more cute than funny, and dialog that is less natural than it is expositional…Ms. Baldwin gets the lion’s share of the numbers and handles them with ease, though they would have had much more impact if we had better insight into why she is so dedicated to her dull man.”
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"A stunning and powerful new rock musical...The characters are well developed and their conflicts are realistic and believable and drive an engaging plot with a satisfying dramatic arc...Russell has composed a strong, driving rock score and written powerful lyrics for that music...Goldstein and Clyde’s book, though adequate, does not measure up to the music and lyrics...'A Wall Apart' is a rich metaphor for all that is currently dividing people in America, Europe, and around the globe."
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"Has a catchy score...sung by an eminently watchable cast of steel-voiced Broadway professionals. But its story...opts for a sentimental and frequently simpleminded version of history...Had 'A Wall Apart' appeared on stage six months ago, or maybe even three, it might have not been bothered as much about what’s left out of the history it is supposed to be depicting...A work in progress...If it’s easy to pick the script apart, it’s hard to dismiss Russell’s music, which holds some surprises."
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"'A Wall Apart’s' premise has all the makings for a terrific musical...but the creative team’s realization of the story is riddled with holes and glaring onstage miscalculations. Director and choreographer Keith Andrews puts his cast through a ringer of poorly staged scenes and cliché choreography that feels more like a show choir than tumultuous Berlin...It’s still very much in the developmental stage and could use fine-tuning to allow the music to propel the story forward."
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