Allegro review

Allegro Review - Broadway musical

Stephen Sondheim – the director of this musical – did everything in his powers to talk about inner feelings of the protagonist through the prism of the format of the genre. Joseph Taylor, Junior – the son of a small businessman that was born in 1905 and experienced his best form, the heyday of physical health, during all-over-the-country crisis of the Great Depression that broke many souls and destinies.

At first, we watch long (maybe too long) on quite normal, ordinary person, growing up, going to school, to college, meeting a local girl, communication with which will be felt throughout the play (and many years of life that prospectively and retrospectively shown us from the stage), only to effectively display absence of happy ending.

The most important thing in the play – the mapping of constant uncertainties of the protagonist (and some supporting characters), in relation with the changing outside world, which is full of both heavy choices and temptations offered to you if you are quite ambitious person, loving your job and are ready to give yourself fullest with all heart to it.

Despite the availability of opportunities to display in this piece of everything that surrounds our heroes, and to give more time to each to reflect all of the tragedy that happened to them, the director Stephen Sondheim decided to concentrate fully on what is happening in the world of the main hero. So we see anguish over the fact that seems like his girlfriend (who left in a small town) begins dating the other (of course she would – because he is far away!). Temptations in the form of the active friend, who takes him on every party where he meets a beautiful lady. Cycle of a financial collapse that has gripped the country and the background of this – when he is offered excellent and promising work, with an increase in salary and the guarantee of a comfortable existence. All this is woven together and poured in portions along with the songs of Joe, who takes his not very interesting statement the bigger part of time. The play almost does not develop. If in his place was a really active person – all these mental anguishes would have resulted in 1 or 2 minutes, after which he, gritting his teeth, reluctantly but inevitably would go further to meet the new opportunities that are available in a crisis the most. Actually, the crisis for people with an internal self-motivation is the possibilities that are opened for you at this time, when it is good to reconsider your approach and look on life, to dive into the maelstrom of the new attracting world, which itself changes along.

Off-town plays of this musical were truly disastrous. Broadway audience also reacted with caution to the play, often not even buying-off all the tickets to it. What is this called if not a commercial failure?
Last Update:April, 06th 2016