[yasr_overall_rating]
The musical is based on the animated film Dreamworks from 1998. For this version, the composer Stephen Schwartz, adds 10 songs to those he had written for the film. Philip LaZebnik adapts his script for the stage version.
The story has its roots in the book of The Exodus and we follow Moses from his life as a prince to his destiny of leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.
To learn more about the plot of the show, click here.
Visually impressive
Sean Cheesman's choreographies push back the barriers of possibilities of the human body. The dancers are all acrobatic athletes. The choreography is very demanding and we do not miss an opportunity to show the flexibility of the dancers even if it does not add much to the story.
This group of dancers brings rhythm to the show which badly needs it. Dancers are used in almost all of the scenes for visual training. They become the river which carries the basket of the infant, the wagons in the race, the burning bush or the doors and statues of the temple.
Hard to compete with the movie hits
For the stage version, Stephen Schwartz added nearly 10 songs to the show. All this is in addition to the 5 songs already present in the film. They are very good but they are often overwhelmed by the visual prowess of the sets, projections and dances. It's a shame because the hits of the film, like "Deliver Us" and "When You Believe", which open and end the show, are really grandiose.
When the cast recording is released in November 2020, it will be worth it to listen to everything again!
It's hard to adapt a well-loved and quick-witted animated film for the scene. Here, the show lasts 2:40 and we have time to explore the relationship between Moses and Ramses. But Philip LaZebnik's libretto, which was so funny in the film, loses its liveliness.
The show is also long, with the 15 songs and the number of transitions and different scenes, the show could afford some rewritings.
An incredible troop
If the libretto is sometimes uneven, you really have to applaud the performance of the actors. First of all, the whole which is the glue of the show.
Luke Brady who interprets Moses is remarkable and allows a true emotional trip to the character and sings the new songs of Schwartz, which are very intense vocally, to perfection.
We also note Liam Tamne, in the role of Ramses, the brother of Moses, the heir to the throne of Egypt.
We must applaud all the actors who bring to life characters who are very uneven in their development and who change character from one scene to another in order to advance the story.
While all in all, quite a lot of sense, the show remains visually and vocally impressive. It was also very exciting to see a very diverse audience in the Dominion Theater hall!
The show is playing at the Dominion Theater until October 31, 2020 (the show will probably be extended!).
Looking can buy your tickets here.