Love Life Off-Broadway Reviews

If anything, this production will hopefully encourage others to take a stab at “Love Life.” A better staging may be on the horizon — and perhaps that, too, is a metaphor for America.

The first half of the Encores! production is unwieldy but terrific, with the lush romantic duets “Here I’ll Stay” and “I Remember It Well” (which was later repurposed by Lerner in the movie musical “Gigi”) interposed against the comic commentary of “Progress” and “Economics” and operetta-style sung conversations involving the full cast. Mitchell, one of Broadway’s most vital leading men since “Ragtime,” sings beautifully and brings an everyman persona to the role, while Baldwin is bright and vocally pristine. All the while, the large orchestra (conducted by Rob Berman) sounds glorious.

The grandfather of the concept musical, nearly lost to time without a published book or recording, promises the niche, almost academic experience Encores! has lately forgone in favor of guaranteed crowd-pleasers. Handsomely directed by Victoria Clark and with stellar lead performances from Kate Baldwin and Brian Stokes Mitchell, the production likely makes the best possible case for the material, which follows a never-aging married couple through three centuries of American innovation. But after its run ends on Sunday, it’s probably best to put this one back on the shelf. Which is not to say it doesn’t offer certain pleasures. Vocals aside, most come from seeing Lerner (who wrote the book and score) attempt to bust through typical narrative structures while mending his then-recently broken heart, and hearing Weill’s (who co-wrote the music and lyrics) musical take on America writ large. And there’s a naughty thrill in noting where their successors clearly took note.

But Love Life is not one of those lost gems; were it not for the participation of composer Weill, the show likely would have disappeared along with other flops of the time. Sleepy Hollow, anyone? Which is not to say that there aren’t some elements on hand that work. Baldwin and Mitchell, both, are consummate actor/singers. Just about every one of their songs lands exceptionally well. Child actors Jordan and Guzman, who appear to have more than twice as much to do in this version as their counterparts in 1948, are both delightful. Singer John Edwards—who walks on stage from out of nowhere, story-wise—makes a strong case for one of the two stunning songs in the show, “Love Song.” (The other number that deserves high ranking in Weill’s catalog is the exquisite “Here I’ll Stay.”) And there’s the Encores! Orchestra, with longtime music director Rob Berman returning for the occasion. Berman has a keen understanding of the score, and the players know just how to play it. But Love Life, the musical, simply isn’t very good.