Calamity Jane NYC Reviews and Tickets

85%

(10 Reviews)

Positive

100%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Delightful, Entertaining, Great singing, Dated, Funny

About the Show

Musicals Tonight! presents this 1962 musical based on the 1953 Doris Day film celebrating the life of a frontierswoman and professional scout who was also a pal of Wild Bill Hickok.

In the wild-west outpost of Deadwood City, 1876, we find the sharpshooting tomboy, Calamity Jane surrounded by cowboys, townsfolk, and the famous Wild Bill Hickok. After a mix-up in the talent pool at Deadwood’s saloon-theater, Calam goes to Chicago to import to Deadwood the glamorous actress, Adelaid Adams, but returns by mistake with her maid, Katie Brown instead. Musicals Tonight's productions are all fully staged, choreographed, and costumed. There is live musical accompaniment and no amplification.

Member Reviews (10)

Fluffy fun, Strong singing, Dated, Long, Musicals tonight's last production

See it if you need silly escapism. Out-dated book, but lively songs w/many good performances. Calam (KW) is a standout. Well-staged.

Don't see it if you want a strong plot or up-to-date characters/attitudes. A song or two should be cut. Unusually bad costumes/wigs. Good musicians. Read more

Entertaining, Funny, Delightful, Great singing, Great acting

See it if It's a western classic Musical funny and you'll have a good time

Don't see it if Not a high-budget play, no fancy outfits Read more

Old-fashioned fun, Broadway-worthy performers, Nostalgic, Entertaining, Family-friendly

See it if you don't want to miss a super-fun, albeit slightly-dated, musical--which is Musical Tonight's final one; can look beyond poor set and wigs.

Don't see it if you expect elaborate staging or super-theatricality; can't see past sexism and racism and consider the post-Civil War, Western context. Read more

Enchanting, Dated, Fluffy

See it if you like good old fashioned musicals. Calamity Jane is a very cute show. Kristen Wetherington (Calamity) stand out. Enjoyable evening.

Don't see it if you want new. Or a more seasoned cast. you don't like a Low budget set, costumes & wigs, 1 lead was miscast and couldn't sing. Read more

Delightful, Dated, Romantic, Historically curious

See it if you enjoy the musicals written before you were born. Miller has been doing them so well, and for so long, and the end of this road is sad.

Don't see it if you are not interested in musicals from the 1950s--it's a story about a tough gal from Dakota, and is a historical curiosity.

Delightful, Great singing, Funny, Dated, Fluffy

See it if Musicals Tonight! goes out with a bang - this is the best one yet. Funny, peppy, silly, great songs, great performers, just a fun time.

Don't see it if The costumes & wigs are cheap, the sets are almost nonexistent, but when you go to Musicals Tonight you know that going in & look past it. Read more

Entertaining, Funny

See it if You want to see a well directed, well paced and acted production of a rarity… And pay homage to Mel Miller’s 100th and final production.

Don't see it if You have no stomach for hokum and shenanigans.

Delightful, Entertaining, Great singing

See it if Enjoy revivals of musicals where you know all the songs.

Don't see it if You don't enjoy musicals

Critic Reviews (4)

"The choreography by Vogel is far more elaborate than in most productions of this scale...The songs remain breathtaking--and beautifully delivered...Not every number is a hit, but the vast majority of songs are clever and entertaining...Harmonies are particularly strong in the all-male or all-female numbers, thanks to strong musical direction and vocal arrangements by Lozano...A worthy musical skillfully rendered by a talented, cohesive cast clearly having a ball."
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"It would be a pleasure to say that Musicals Tonight! is going out on a high but that would not be accurate. While the book by Hanmer and Park based on the play by Freeman is very old-fashioned and the original score by Fain and Webster is quite derivative, the real problem is with the production staged by Devin Vogel making his Off Broadway directing debut. While the Wild West material suggests color and ambiance, 'Calamity Jane' is devoid of those things."
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"The stage musical takes liberties with real history and is formulaic...In a typical old-fashioned ending, 'Calamity Jane' ends with not one but three weddings. The dialogue is hokey but one must recall the time period in which it was written. Some of the songs are lovely while others are quite clever...The production is ambitious, especially the dance numbers...Costumes are simple, as is the staging. The play and the cast get stronger in Act 2."
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"Wetherington makes a terrific Calamity. She’s expressive, sings extremely well, and embraces just the right proud, pugnacious, rough-and-tumble demeanor...Vogel does better with groups than solos. Ensemble numbers are lively and well executed. Lozano offers appealing arrangements and some spiffy harmony. Costumes and wigs are unflattering and predominantly wrong for period."
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