Icon (NYMF) NYC Reviews and Tickets

72%

(31 Reviews)

Positive

77%

Mixed

16%

Negative

Members say

Great singing, Entertaining, Great acting, Romantic, Ambitious

About the Show

Part of the New York Musical Festival: This new tuner is about a princess, her lover, and a story that could not be told. Featuring Tony nominees Donna McKechnie ('A Chorus Line') and Tony Sheldon ('Priscilla').

It's 1928. The world is enthralled as American debutante, Constance Nielsen, marries into one of Europe’s ancient Royal Families. But just as her impassioned affair with her music teacher sparks uproar, news of her tragic death turns her from living legend into timeless icon. 40 years later, a young man in search of his grandfather's past finds more than he bargained for.

Member Reviews (31)

Ambitious, Confusing, Disappointing, Indulgent, Great singing

See it if you want to support new works in development; you want to see a poor man's mash-up of Evita-Anastasia-Les Miz-Aida.

Don't see it if you expect to see Donna McKechnie sing & dance. (She doesn't sing until the final number - sans choreography!)

Original, Romantic, Entertaining, Cliched, Great singing

See it if You like love stories between different classes in thinly disguised fictional European countries. Donna McKechnie&Tony Sheldon

Don't see it if You expect elaborate sets and Donna to sing a major portion of the show. You expect smooth transitions between acts one and two.

Critic Reviews (8)

"The production is heavy on flapper-era glamour and amour. In Act I, Ms. Maltby and Mr. Simahk make a thoroughly winning romantic odd couple, vocally alluring in duets and solos alike. But in Act II, when things go wrong for Constance and Alvaro, they go wrong for the show, too. This is largely because its clunkiest element—a 1960s strand involving a piano teacher (Donna McKechnie) living in exile—suddenly comes to the fore. Ms. McKechnie is a selling point, but she is wasted here."
Read more

“A largely engaging work with several excellent performances, though its NYMF production is still slightly undercooked overall...Smartly written, with an engaging script and score in the vein of the big British pop-operas...Director-choreographer Paul Stancato's production leaves much to be desired in terms of pacing and clear-cut storytelling...While she doesn't get to dance, McKechnie does leave the audience rapt late in the second half with a fantastically delivered monologue.”
Read more

"For all its craziness, the story is hardly surprising; I predicted the 'big twist,' about 10 minutes into Act I, and it unfolded as anticipated. Nor is it especially well told: The action builds to a muted climax before intermission, leaving the second act to wander listlessly around the issues that were raised earlier...At least the score, when it's good, is quite good...Kaldor and Michael haven't fully reached their goals. But their misfires are fascinating enough to warrant a continued exploration."
Read more

"This energetic company does its best to shake off that dust, though it is tricky material. The liveliest songs are in the wrong spots and the multiple plot lines pull focus from one another…Just as we are getting a grip on the romantic entanglements, it turns out that we should have been paying more attention to the socio-politics…Fans of Ms. McKechnie will surely be disappointed, for she danceth not a single step and singeth merely a forlorn 16 bars or so."
Read more

“A good princess tale never gets old, and no one seems to be as aware of that as Jonathan Kaldor and Sebastian Michel...The thing with this musical is that you either fall for its ludicrous twists or you don’t. If you don’t you will probably spend the entire running time picking it apart but if you do, prepare to have your spirit lifted and to be swept off your feet by its unabashed romanticism.”
Read more

"Unfortunately, about halfway through the first act, the book by Sebastian Michael seems to lose energy and becomes disjointed and uneven in paralleled story lines, and the surprise ending too easily deduced...The overall cast is superb and does what they can to keep the plot moving at a good pace, but at times they are derailed by the hesitant direction of Paul Stancato...There is a glimpse of a fine piece of musical theater but that comes with a great deal of work and many revisions."
Read more

"There is nothing wrong with 'Icon' that could not be fixed with some serious trimming and a commitment to a style that could go in one of two directions: un-ironic operetta or satiric 'Cabaret'-like take on the rise of fascism in Italy…'Icon' has been given more than a fair shake by the talented Equity cast…But if it is to have a life beyond the handful of performances at NYMF, it does need to revisit its book and reconsider its focus."
Read more

“An old-fashioned story reminiscent of the Golden Age that manages to have a modern sensibility…‘Icon’ has shining moments, many of which come through Kaldor’s score. But there are some major roadblocks that make the libretto falter...The intrigue of 'Icon' is the mystery but the moment you figure it out, which is quite quickly, the air is let out...Once Jonathan Kaldor and Sebastian Michael make some much needed changes, 'Icon' will be ready for the spotlight."
Read more