When the enormously talented Miss Jessie Mueller first appears on stage, as Helena Landless, in the Roundabout's revival of "The Mystery Of Edwin Drood," what hairs are left on the back of my neck were raised, in artistic anticipation of the artistry about to be witnessed from this gifted performer, whom I am still telling you to keep your eyes on, girls!!!!!!!!!!! And Jessie delivers, to be sure. And if that had been it, things would have been fine with me.
But!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The production that director Scott Ellis, choreographer Warren Carlyle, set designer Anna Louizos, and that costume veteran William Ivey Long has mounted is so gorgeous, and the company surrounding Jessie--Chita Rivera, Greg Edelman, Betsy Wolfe, Jim Norton and Will Chase--so perfectly assembled, that, while this has never been one of my favorite musicals, it is only the second time in my theater going (the first was "Ragtime") experience I felt the revival was better than the original!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It helped, too, that with some life experience on me, and having recently read the incomplete Dickens novel, I was in a better position to appreciate what was going on onstage. Indeed, when I first heard Roundabout was going to do this, I thought, "Why?" And when I heard Jessie Mueller was going to be in it, I knew I was going, no matter what. But, girls, I am telling you, if you want a show to see for Christmas, (very apt, as Edwin "vanishes" on Christmas Eve!!!!), if you are a Dickensian, or if you just want to be entertained by a satisfying time spent in the theater, look no further than this production!!!!!
I never expected to be saying this, but I am!!!!!!!!!
I loved everything about it, and while the score is still not one of my faves, it serves the production well, and vice versa, so that whatever deficiencies the show may have are risen above.
And when the incomparable Miss Mueller walks about, hands gesturing in eloquence, you cannot keep your eyes off her. And when her gorgeous voice blends with the others in the "Moonfall Quartet," you only want more--a solo, a concert! Something from Jessie, who is more than capable of carrying a vehicle herself!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had forgotten that, within its British Music Hall framework, this is essentially a "concept musical," very close, in structure, to "Cabaret." And there are a couple of nods, in Warren Carlyle's choreography, to that greatest of concept musicals, "A Chorus Line," incidentally, produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, who also produced the original production of "The Mystery Of Edwin Drood."
So--Jessie Mueller, a superb company, exquisite staging--it adds up to a show well worth visiting or re-visiting. I may just do the latter, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But, Jessie, honey, PLEASE!!!!!! A CD, cabaret, something where it is just YOU!!!!!!!!!!! I have waited lo these many months to hear you sing "What Did I Have?"
I shall keep fanning those flames, loves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait, darlings, I am forgetting something!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, I am no groupie or Eve Harrington; far from it. But I just HAD to go to the stage door, after the show, to acknowledge this new Legend Of The Musical Stage, Jessie Mueller!!!!
There were a slew of folks waiting--I would assume for Chita, though most of the Theater Queens who remember her are dead by now!!!! Other actors, like Stephanie Block, came out, and were incredibly gracious. As was Jessie, who was so inconspicuous, I almost missed her. Poised and lively, she signed my program, took my card, and, hopefully by now, knows the Raving Queen is in her corner!!!!!!!! So, it was a memorable day all round, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can't wait to see what's next for Jessie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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