On the 20th Century

On the 20^th Century

Roundabout Theatre Company

American Airlines Theatre

July 2, 2015

Photo courtesy of
Roundabout Theatre Company

RoundaboutTheatre Company has outdone itself with their production of On the 20^th Century.  The cast, the sets, the costumes, the direction, the choreography – all brilliant!  It makes you remember what Broadway is all about.

The musical comically entwines the desperate need of a failing Broadway producer with a glamourous Hollywood starlet as they travel aboard the Twentieth CenturyLimited, the high speed train of 1937, which sped its passengers from Chicago to New York in just sixteen hours.  The score, by Cy Coleman, drives the play with rhythm and speed of the famous steam engine.  The book and lyrics, by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, provide the hilarity and screwball comedy that keeps the plot alive on the journey.  Director Scott Ellis finds every second of comic timing.  Together with choreographer Warren Carlyle, they create a stylistic work of genius.

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

The cast of Kristin Chenoweth, Peter Gallagher, Andy Karl, Mark Lin-Baker, Michael McGrath, and Mary Louise Wilson is strong and funny, vocally tremendous, and engaging on every level.  The entire ensemble moves vigorously and smoothly throughout the show with extraordinary vocal expertise.  The four porters steal every moment they are in, and perform the best tap dancing on Broadway. 

The sets, by David Rockwell, fill the moderately sized stage of the American Airlines Theatre with sharp, mesmerizing art deco designs.  William Ivey long’s costumes capture the time period and exude a richness that sets the characters apart on this luxurious mode of transportation.

Kristin Chenoweth & Peter Gallagher
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

On the 20^th Century is scheduled to close on July 19.  Treat yourself to this monumental production while you still can!

Domenick Danza