The Golden Apple
The Golden Apple
71

The Golden Apple NYC Reviews and Tickets

71%
(77 Ratings)
Positive
66%
Mixed
27%
Negative
7%
Members say
Great singing, Entertaining, Dated, Ambitious, Disappointing

About the Show

Encores! presents a staged concert of the 1954 musical comedy that reshapes the myths of 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey' into an all-American fable.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (77)

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86 Reviews | 24 Followers
96
Ambitious, Brilliant, Enchanting, Funny, Dancers' dream

See it if You love musical theater, care about dancing (ballet dancer in many companies, including modern) in role of Paris, love classic musicals.

Don't see it if Musicals aren't your thing (duh). I am not a fan of Oklahoma. This too is a musical about farmers in middle of nowhere but smart, not hokey. Read more

134 Reviews | 34 Followers
95
Great score., Great singing, Great staging, Enchanting, Exquisite

See it if You enjoy American folk operas such as Candide, Most Happy Fella and Love Life beautifully performed.

Don't see it if You prefer contemporary book musicals. Read more

194 Reviews | 136 Followers
90
Great singing, Great dancing, Entertaining

See it if you want to see Encores do what it was meant to do: give a seldom-performed musical the most polished production it's ever likely to get.

Don't see it if you're put off by the idea of a musical based on the Iliad and the Odyssey. The book is not without flaws, but the music carries the day.

524 Reviews | 133 Followers
90
Forgotten 50s musical masterpiece

See it if beautiful music, great singing, terrific Joshua Bergasse choreography. Ryan Silverman's baritone is powerful. Lindsay Mendez shines.

Don't see it if This Odyssey adaptation makes Paris a dancing role and Barton Cowperthwaite is wonderful. Moving the story to 1901 Pacific NW is strained.

325 Reviews | 53 Followers
89
Delightful, Entertaining, Ambitious

See it if You wonder why this has been a cult classic for 63 years. You are interested in the history of the musical theater.

Don't see it if You like realistic plots and deep characterization. Plays heavy with dialogue about contemporary subjects. Read more

50 Reviews | 12 Followers
89
Funny, Great acting, Fluffy, Clever, Entertaining

See it if you love the nostalgia of R+H, G+S, and showtune-y showtunes. This show is a fun ride with a talented cast and great numbers.

Don't see it if you want something modern or experimental, this show is straightforward theatre that will leave you sated but maybe not stunned Read more

170 Reviews | 36 Followers
88
Clever, Confusing, Entertaining, Great singing

See it if You love City Centers approach to shows u may never see anywhere else

Don't see it if You don't like these types of presentations and r looking for modern pieces Read more

401 Reviews | 65 Followers
87
Ambitious, Great acting, Great singing

See it if you care at all about Classic musical theatre. It's a most eclectic piece that needs a great cast & creative team.

Don't see it if you don't care for musical theatre or through singing.

Critic Reviews (18)

The New York Times
May 11th, 2017

"These are the ingredients of a camp Americana operetta, which is what 'The Golden Apple' could so easily have been. But oh, the music: 135 glorious minutes of it, unsullied by dialogue...The glory of 'The Golden Apple' is a series of complex musical scenes and let’s-call-them-arias that define their own territory...The overall tone is generically cheerful and cute. There is way too much mimed jollity...There are some compensatory charms in the production’s make-do spirit."
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Deadline
May 12th, 2017

"The essential silliness of an incoherent plot takes nothing away from the qualities that have made the score treasured by Broadway cultists...The music has an infectiously Coplandesque appeal, careering from folksy to modern...The performances were utterly charming. But the true strength of the production lay in Berman’s musical direction of a plush-by-Broadway-standards orchestra playing spectacularly intricate, exuberant orchestrations. Earwormy bliss."
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New York Daily News
May 11th, 2017

"It's hit and myth, frankly...The delightful and punchy orchestral prelude gets things off to a rousing start — but it’s a mixed bag from there. Suffice it to say that compacting the whole Trojan War and its aftermath gets a bit zzz-inducing...Director Michael Berresse has assembled a game and talented cast of Broadway vets and new faces...When all is said and sung, the seldom-performed show is a curiosity worth seeing."
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AM New York
May 11th, 2017

"An unusual, daring and unapologetically brilliant 1954 musical...The Encores! staging is clean and simple but vibrant and beautifully sung by a fine cast led by Mikaela Bennett...Whether 'The Golden Apple' grows on you or not, this production shows off the Encores! series at its best, in producing a unique and extraordinary but underappreciated musical that probably would not have otherwise received another major New York production."
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Theatermania
May 11th, 2017

"Individual elements may be scrumptious, but consumed together you're likely to walk away with a massive stomachache...Unfortunately, this ambitious staging of an even more ambitious musical can't manage to keep the show's wings from melting under the blazing stage lights...There's just so much going on, audience members are liable to tune out from sheer exhaustion. This is inherent in the script and not for lack of effort by director Michael Berresse and his capable cast."
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BroadwayWorld
May 13th, 2017

"Bookwriter/lyricist John Latouche mixes literary wit with hearty folksiness...An excitingly eclectic Americana sound that's rarely heard on Broadway...Lindsay Mendez shines brightly as Helen, singing with warmth, humor and gleeful sexuality...There are plenty of juicy supporting roles to go around and Encores! has gathered a top cast to play them...A musical that retains its youthful vim with its consistent cleverness...This one deserves a far greater following."
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Talkin' Broadway
May 10th, 2017

"While the show certainly has its serious, deeply moving sections...overall it's notable for the creators' wonderfully light touch, and there's general agreement that the Moross/Latouche score is among the very best ever created for a flop Broadway musical...The quality and range of the music in 'The Golden Apple' is astounding, the lyrics true genius...One of the essential series' finest and most noteworthy achievements."
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TheaterScene.net
May 14th, 2017

"Excellently presented but underwhelming due to the patchy material...What may have been smart and cute long ago in a small Off-Broadway theater becomes dull on a large stage...Latouche’s lyrics have wit and craft, but his book is weak...Latouche and Moross’ efforts yielded a collection of likable songs...Berresse’s staging is lively and inventive...This spirited and mildly entertaining incarnation is an exciting event for musical theater aficionados, but is ultimately an uneven experience."
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