The Decline and Fall of the Entire World as Seen Through the Eyes of Cole Porter NYC Reviews and Tickets

81%

(14 Ratings)

Positive

93%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Entertaining, Great singing, Delightful, Fluffy, Refreshing

About the Show

This irreverent musical journey travels the globe through an array of gems from the vast Porter canon. Part of "The Musicals in Mufti" series of minimally staged, script-in-hand productions.

From the show:

The irreverent musical journey that is THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ENTIRE WORLD AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF COLE PORTER, originally conceived by Ben Bagley in 1965, travels the globe through an array of gems from the vast Porter canon, both familiar and forgotten. The "world" under scrutiny is that between 1919 and 1945 when, indeed, some considerable declining and falling went on. Unfortunately (but fortunately for us), it's just as relevant now as it was over fifty years ago. As Porter wrote,"times have changed, and we've often rewound the clock"-- and here we are doing it again.

The New York Times, in its original review, declared that the revue “relishes Cole Porter, feasting on his lively and lilting tunes, tunes that are so marked by the Porter dash and swagger that they are immediately recognizable even though one may never have heard them before.” In times of great turmoil, Porter created a world of his own through his songs, and made ours richer in the process.

Show-Score Member Reviews (14)

Delightful, Refreshing, Great singing, Entertaining

See it if you enjoy staged readings with talented singers; this one closed, but you can catch the next Mufti Musical, Cole Porter's Panama Hattie

Don't see it if you don't enjoy script in hand performances; marvelous talent isn't enough for you; you need scenery, a big band, and such

Great staging, Great singing, Confusing, Entertaining, Delightful

See it if you love classic Broadway songs, including some you may not know. You adore discovering some exciting young theater talent.

Don't see it if You prefer dramas, musicals with strong books or only contemporary scores.

Lots of fun, Great tapping by danny gardner, Great singing, Entertaining

See it if you enjoy the revue format and are a Cole Porter fan. Some of his lesser known tunes.

Don't see it if you need a strong plot line to link the songs together. The intimacy of the small theater and the great voices made for an enjoyable time.

Fluffy, Great singing, Clever, Delightful, Riveting

See it if you love Cole Porter. Lots of CP lesser-known works sung beautifully. Very well-staged. Strg dancing. Talented pianist! Music/lyrics/voices!

Don't see it if you want plot. This is a revue, with meh commentary between numbers. Narrator can't sing. Fun/entertaining 2 hours. Chase away the blues.

Refreshing, Fluffy, Epic, Great singing, Ambitious

See it if you want to familiarize (or reintroduce) yourself with a classic composer who was edgier than you would imagine

Don't see it if you are expecting to hear his standards other than in a medley or are looking for something more modern

Witty, Fluffy, Entertaining, Great singing, Delightful

See it if 2 hours of lesser-known Cole Porter songs, with an amusing narrator & some dancing. Lovely theatrical voices, clever lyrics & lively piano.

Don't see it if You don’t enjoy American Songbook oldies. You want to see a full production rather than a staged reading.

Enchanting, Clever

See it if you want to hear a bunch of rarely-done Porter songs done delightfully well

Don't see it if you prefer a book musical or a big splashy visual show Read more

Delightful, Fluffy, Great singing, Entertaining

See it if you are a cole porter fan and would like to hear some of his rarely-performed songs.

Don't see it if you don’t like script-in-hand musical revues. Read more

Critic Reviews (6)

"The York Revisits Ben Bagley's 'THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ENTIRE WORLD AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF COLE PORTER'"
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"This revue, originally assembled by the producer Ben Bagley in 1965, could also be termed Porter 202, an advanced course of study that uses as its syllabus a lineup of lesser-known items from the master Broadway songwriter's catalogue, all of which provide a steady stream of delight."
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"Most Porter shows are saddled with less than brilliant books, so ripping a couple dozen of his choicest songs out of them and placing them in these performers' expert care makes excellent sense."
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4/5 Stars "'The Decline Rises': The 1965 Ben Bagley revue well treated by director Pamela Hunt, with Lee Roy Reams"
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2/5 Stars "'Too Much Winking': Vintage songs curdle in coy performances"
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"As part of its Fall 2019 Musicals in Mufti Cole Porter Series, The York Theatre Company has smartly revived this 1965 Ben Bagley - Cole Porter revue not seen in New York in 54 years. Pamela Hunt's delightfully sophisticated production uses four talented performers at the height of their powers."
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Trailer

Creative team

The York Theatre Company

Producer