The film Days of Wine and Rose did not seem to be an obvious candidate for musicalization, to say the least, so one has to ask why composer Adam Guettel felt compelled to take it on. To heighten the story’s emotional impact, one would assume, much in the way that his Tony-winning score for 2005’s Light in the Piazza enhanced its filmic inspiration. But why does this musical, now receiving its world premiere at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theater Company, lack the power of the 1962 movie starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick, despite a cast and creative team to die for?
Perhaps it’s because, unlike the relatively subtle source material for Piazza, the film written by JP Miller based on his teleplay already packs such an emotional punch that the musical version feels muted by comparison. It doesn’t help that in the 61 years since the movie premiered, the subject of addiction has been depicted in countless books, films, and plays, making the themes feel redundant if sadly no less relevant. And let’s face it, these stories mostly follow the same general pattern. A character (or characters) starts out sober, becomes addicted, recovers, has a relapse. Rinse and repeat.
[Read David Finkle’s ★★★★☆ review here.]
Brian d’Arcy James and Kelli O’Hara, reuniting 21 years after they co-starred in another musical adaptation of a classic film, Sweet Smell of Success, play the lead roles of Joe and Kirsten, whose lives spiral downward into alcoholism shortly after they fall in love. The show is a chamber musical, its score often bordering on operatic, that offers rich possibilities for its two stars to shine, both vocally and dramatically. Not surprisingly, neither disappoints. It’s a privilege to see these talented veteran performers in such intimate circumstances — d’Arcy James last appeared on Broadway in Into the Woods, while O’Hara was part of the all-star ensemble in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of The Hours — and the production also reunites Guettel with book writer Craig Lucas, with whom he collaborated on Piazza.
Unfortunately, Days of Wine and Roses, although a more than respectable effort in every way, never quite comes to life. The story feels overly compressed, providing little insight into the characters after an obviously hard-drinking Joe introduces the teetotaler Kirsten to the pleasures of alcohol via a chocolate Brandy Alexander in the opening minutes. We’ve barely been introduced to them before they’re both struggling to preserve their marriage while in the throes of their addiction. Lucas’ book hews closely to the film, with the exception of an expanded role for the couple’s young daughter, Lila (Ella Dane Morgan), but it lacks the same texture. It’s a short musical, running an intermissionless 100 minutes, that somehow feels much longer.
It doesn’t help that the deadly serious tone occasionally shifts into distracting silliness, such as Joe comically searching for a bottle of booze he’s hidden in a greenhouse or Kirsten drunkenly warbling a ditty while cleaning house. With a few exceptions, the most notable being the songs “There Go I” and “Forgiveness” (the latter sung by d’Arcy James and later gorgeously reprised by O’Hara), the music, although lovely in an ethereal, unmemorable sort of way, doesn’t do much to enhance the material. Too often it feels like underscoring with vocals added. It’s not fair to make the comparison, but you find yourself internally humming the film’s immortal theme song composed by Henry Mancini. Guettel also provided the lyrics and orchestrations, with the former too often lacking specificity and the latter feeling wan.
Not that the score isn’t beautifully sung, especially by O’Hara, whose voice has never seemed more lustrous. And although both performers are technically a bit too old for their roles, their powerful performances and obvious rapport make you feel deeply for their characters. Byron Jennings delivers a moving turn as Kirsten’s crusty father, and the rest of the ensemble, including David Jennings as Joe’s aggrieved sponsor, provide solid support. Michael Grief has effectively staged the small-scale production, which would necessitate some upgrades if the show makes a risky commercial transfer to a larger theater.
It’s obvious that Days of Wine and Roses is a deeply felt effort — Guettel has made no secret of his own addiction issues in his past — and the piece has much to recommend it. But one ultimately comes away feeling more admiring than shattered.
Days of Wine and Roses opened June 5, 2023 at the Linda Gross Theater and runs through July 16. Tickets and information: atlantictheater.org
