Falling For Eve
Nehal Joshi, Sasha Sloan, and Jennifer Blood in Falling For Eve. Photo by Carol Rosegg.
BOTTOM LINE: A sparklier, sexier, snappier, and most importantly, shorter Children of Eden. Me like.
I love me some new musicals. I will always doff my cap to the people who start from scratch, so j'applaud, creators! Original Musicals, Now and Forever.
What the press notes say (I'm paraphrasing for brevity's sake): Falling for Eve offers a second look at the world’s first love story. Creation is going perfectly. Eve, curious about what lies beyond the Garden of Eden, and obsessed with the notion that something is forbidden, bites the infamous apple. Then Adam doesn’t. How exactly they’ll get together to create the human race is anybody’s guess.
What I say: A mercilessly cute, revisionist rendition of Adam & Eve (Sex & The Paradise 2!). My particular taste runs favorably to shorter shows that sparkle with self-deprecating whimsy, and this show was all that and a bag of chips. Starring a cute ensemble with cute lines and some fierce singing voices, the show runs by like a winking sprite - now you see it, now you don't.
I love the snark, I love the pizzazz, I think most of the music and lyrics work well (with a few exceptions), and I don't think the book is quite resolved. The emotional journey that Adam and Eve travel feels a bit belabored; there were moments where I, a first time viewer with entirely fresh eyes lost interest, as it seemed we were covering territory we'd already seen.
The actors are a fine group, with excellent singing voices, and I call particular attention to the two angels, Jennifer Blood and Nehal Joshi (Sarah and Michael, respectively) because at the end of the show, I was most happy for them, which says alot about the acting job they do.
The direction, by Larry Raben, is quick, smart, and sassy - just like the show itself. The design is an interesting mix between really fabulous and slightly intrusive. Overall, Falling for Eve has an funky, fun aesthetic that works well.
There are problems and its not perfect, but it's adorable and giddy, and what else can one ask from a musical comedy of the first bible story? And hey, if you don't like it, remember - it's only an hour and a half.
(Falling for Eve plays at the York Theatre Company at The Theatre at Saint Peter's, 54th Street just East of Lexington, through August 8th. Performances are Tuesdays at 7pm, Wednesdays through Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2:30pm and 8pm and Sundays at 2:30. Tickets are $68 and are available at yorktheatre.org or by calling 212.935.5820. Get $43 with discount code TCEVE. For more show info visit yorktheatre.org.)