It Shoulda Been You, is a musical comedy for anyone with parents. The bride is Jewish. The groom is Catholic. Her mother is a force of nature, his mother is a tempest in a cocktail shaker. And when the bride's ex-boyfriend shows up, the perfect wedding starts to unravel faster than you can whistle "Here Comes the Bride!"
The cast of It Shoulda Been You includes Tony Award-winner Tyne Daly, Tony Award-winner Harriet Harris, Sierra Boggess, Lisa Howard, David Burtka, Tony Award nominee Montego Glover, Chip Zien, Josh Grisetti, Adam Heller, Michael X. Martin, Anne L. Nathan, Nick Spangler, and Edward Hibbert, along with Farah Alvin, Gina Farrell, Aaron Finley, Mitch Greenberg, and Jillian Louis.
'It Shoulda Been You' is awfully funny. That's strange, because there's nothing especially clever about this musical comedy...The characters are broadly caricatured comic types you might find at a sitcom wedding (overbearing Jewish mother, high-strung bride, alcoholic mother of the groom, flamboyantly gay wedding planner, etc.), and instead of saying 'Comedy Tonight!' the music says 'Take a Nap!' But with impeccable instincts for finding their laughs, Hyde Pierce and his terrific ensemble players make this hokum seem terribly funny.
A musical in that antique vein would seem to be a nonstarter now...But it's not that bad...It helps that its ambition is modest: It's trying to amuse, not overwhelm. Brian Hargrove's book...is cleverly constructed, laying out its wedding plot according to musical-theater best practices...it's worth pointing out that neither plot twist is very credible, and the big one, however contemporary it may be in fact, already feels stale. Still, it has been set up well enough to produce a roar of laughter, and to carry the story swiftly to its unexpectedly touching conclusion. This is in part the result of David Hyde Pierce's understated direction, with its emphasis on comic timing and full commitment to stock characters...it's a nice surprise to find that the real star of the show is Lisa Howard...Howard...has the unusual ability of making likability and warmth, so often boring onstage, theatrical. She also sings beautifully, and gets most of the evening's best songs, which isn't saying much.
| 2015 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Sierra Boggess |
| 2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Lisa Howard |
| 2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Josh Grisetti |
| 2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Tyne Daly |
| 2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Tyne Daly |
| 2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Lisa Howard |
| 2015 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | It Shoulda Been You |
| 2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Tyne Daly |
| 2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | It Shoulda Been You |
| 2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | David Hyde Pierce |
| 2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Josh Grisetti |
| 2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | It Shoulda Been You |
| 2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Score | It Shoulda Been You |
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