Review Roundup: VANITIES at York Theatre Company

The York Theatre Company is presenting Vanities-The Musical, with book by Jack Heifner, music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum, music direction by Deborah Abramson, and choreography by Shannon Lewis. The show is directed by Will Pomerantz.

The cast includes Jade Jones (Beauty and The Beast, Olney Theatre Center; New York stage debut) as Mary, Amy Keum (KPOP, Broadway) as Kathy, and Hayley Podschun (Hello, Dolly!, Broadway; Cheek to Cheek: Irving Berlin in Hollywood, The York), as Joanne. Olivia Kaufmann (Mean Girls, Broadway) will stand by for Mary, Joanne, and Kathy.

Vanities-The Musical is the heartfelt and humorous chronicle of the lives of Joanne, Kathy, and Mary-tracing them from their late teen years through adulthood. They grow and change, testing the limits of what they thought they knew about themselves, as well as the narrow views of women society has presented them.

Based on the hugely successful play of the same name by Jack Heifner (who also wrote the book for the musical), the action takes us through four decades in these women's lives from 1963 to 1990-starting as vivacious small-town cheerleaders and best friends in high school, then sorority sisters in college, and, finally, women with separate and very different lives.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Elysa Gardner, New York Stage Review: With Pomerantz and his winning company on board, Vanities-The Musical nonetheless remains not only diverting but endearing, right up to the feel-good conclusion that Heifner and Kirshenbaum have provided. Heifner’s play was never a searing piece of social commentary to begin with, and by continuing to brighten both the presentation and the resolution of this spinoff, he’s giving his nearly 50-year-old baby room to grow.

Mark Miller, Talkin' Broadway: In its girl-bonding giddiness and primitive stirrings of feminism, the original Vanities somewhat resembled a contemporary effort by Wendy Wasserstein, Uncommon Women and Others, only the latter was more consistent and dug deeper. Vanities- The Musical cobbles such themes together with reasonable dexterity and isn't a chore to sit through, but it simmers, simmers, simmers, never reaching a boil. Those themes may land more strongly with ex-sorority girls of a certain age than they did with this curmudgeon. You'll enjoy Kirshenbaum's pleasant melodies, perhaps identify with the uncomfortable pangs inherent in long-term friendships, and probably be mildly moved by the end. But Vanities–The Musical ends where it does only because it has no place else to go.

David Finkle, New York Stage Review: Well, musical lovers, here’s the tuner again, now as Vanities–The Musical. It’s surely pleasant enough but not so much a revival as, according to advance word, a revisal. Again, as in 2009, it extends the years – originally 1963-74 – that a trio of small-town Texas vanity owners, Kathy, Mary, and Joanne, promise eternal friendship only to strain that promise and in 1990 acknowledge the error of their ways. (Writing in 1976, Heifner understandably had a grasp on 1974 but hadn’t bothered to imagine the future.)

Suzanna Bowling, Time Square Chronicles: Part of the problem is Podschun, Keum, and Jones are not charismatic as friends. What is done well are the musical arrangements by Carmel Dean and Bryan Perri. The harmonies are well crafted and they blend beautifully. Podschun is the standout here. She has the best vocals, if not the best songs and makes the most out of her breakdown solo “The Same Old Music”. We believe her character every step of the way and she is believable. Keum’s songs are sweet and well meaning. As for Jones who has the best songs, I just was not a fan of their vocals.