"The story, directed by Peter Flynn, seems headed for a classic happy ending or an updated version of 'An Unmarried Woman' (victory in self-actualization), and neither promises much satisfaction. Mr. Brody’s music and lyrics are pleasant but insight-free. Ms. Goldman’s book is often witty but decidedly self-congratulatory...Things go annoyingly well for Bobby...The three actors (Land, Muraoka and Shyer) who play all the male characters deliver some entertaining group numbers."
Read more

"'Curvy Widow' has a dispiritingly embalmed feel...A musical that would be D.O.A. if not for its star, Nancy Opel. Opel is so appealing and funny as the musical’s fiftysomething title character, who learns to let go and lust again thanks to online dating, that you can almost forgive the linen-thin narrative and cavalcade of hoary humor, caricatures and mis-rhymed lyrics...Like a misleading Match.com profile, 'Curvy Widow's' promise yields a disappointing date."
Read more

"Uneven and not entirely original, it still provides a witty riff on a vital subject...Opel plays the titular curvy widow with a certain seasoned charm that goes with her pleasant vocal range like tea and honey...Occasionally amusing but mostly undistinguished songs that sound more provocative than they really are...Goldman's book towers above the follow-the-dots direction of Peter Flynn and the perfunctory score by Drew Brody."
Read more

"None of the characters are worrying much about money, making the stakes feel awfully low...As vanity projects go, 'Curvy Widow' is better than most. Some of Goldman's jokes are actually funny, and when they're not, the naturally comedic Opel usually carries them across the finish line...It is made more pleasant by Drew Brody's listenable score of ersatz Sondheim tunes...It's impossible to hate 'Curvy Widow,' especially in light of the profound indifference it engenders."
Read more

"It doesn't take long before Opel starts tearing your heart out...'Curvy Widow' transforms into a fun and frisky showcase for its star...Opel is the focal point of nearly every scene and song, and the authors offer several spot-on moments for her to shine...While 'Curvy Widow' may not seem innovative on the surface, an entertainment that respectfully presents the adventures of a woman in her 50s seeking sex and romance with men in her age range can, unfortunately, be considered a novelty."
Read more

"If Opel makes the most of such opportunities, too much of 'Curvy Widow' resists even her well-honed comic skills...The book consists of crashingly obvious gags seemingly cribbed from somebody's opening act in Vegas...The songs restate the main situation without adding anything in the way of melody or humor...Flynn's direction mostly involves moving the cast around Opel, which he does handily enough."
Read more

“The always-reliable Nancy Opel has what should have been the role of a lifetime in ‘Curvy Widow,’ a new, autobiographical musical by Bobby Goldman, about coping with the death of her husband, the playwright James, when she was 55 years old. But not even Opel can lift the show that contains her from the generic doldrums that keep it down. Nor can the six other players rise above director Peter Flynn's pedestrian staging...to turn ‘Curvy Widow’ into something worthwhile.”
Read more

"It's refreshing that 'Curvy Widow' openly discusses the fact that a 55-year-old woman wants and enjoys sex. It also has the advantage of Nancy Opel in the lead role. Unfortunately, she can't make up for the often superficial writing...Scenes go from therapy sessions to dates to hanging out with friends without much in the way of transitions or character development...Some of Drew Brody's lyrics are risqué, and offer a glimpse of a subversive, entertaining musical buried beneath stale jokes."
Read more