Ah, music. Ah, dance. The Old Globe has a winner this time, with the Broadway-bound world premiere of “Come Fall in Love: The DDLJ Musical,” at the Globe’s Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage through October 16.
Based on one of the most popular Bollywood movies ever made (“Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”), “Come Fall in Love” is a toe-tapper that can’t help but engage, even fascinate American playgoers.
Directed by Aditya Chopra, with book and lyrics by Nell Benjamin, music by Vishal Dadlani and Sheyjkhar Ravjiani and choreography by Rob Ashford and Indian choreography by Shruti Merchant and expansive and beautiful backdrops by scenic designer Derek McLane, this is a singin’, swingin’, dancin’ wonder.
The original story is about Simran, a young undereducated Indian woman whose future is planned for her: an arranged marriage to a man picked by her father.
This version updates the place to Boston, where dad still works hard to feed the family, but Simran is in college at Harvard, where she argues in philosophy class that love sometimes means doing the selfless thing rather than the one that most appeals. “Don’t chocolate heart and rose me,” she sings.
But Simran dreams of touring Europe, and is thrilled when dad Baldev (Irvine Iqbal) agrees to send her to Europe for a month with her friend Cookie (Hannah Jewel Kohn). Cookie invites her boyfriend Ben and American student Roger (called Rog) to come along.
Simran arrives with a guidebook and a long list of things she wants to see. Cookie and her boyfriend laugh at this, but American student Rog (Austin Colby) agrees to go along with Simran’s list.
Well, as you can guess, Simran and Rog fall in love. Much music, dance and comedy ensue, including a hotel room scene featuring quick costume changes, misunderstood requests and general hilarity.
But soon enough, Simran and Cookie must return to Boston, and Simran will face the difficult task of whether to marry her father’s choice or try get him to agree to let her marry Rog.
The show features wonderful actor/singers all around, including Kate Loprest as Rog’s sexy mom Minky, Rupal Pujara as Simran’s sympathetic mom Lajjo and Kinshuk Sen, the husband chosen by Simran’s dad, who in this version is an American-style materialist with the hots for Minky.
But the real star of this show is magic of seeing all these folks singing and dancing together, with their gorgeous, colorful Indian costumes (by Linda Cho).
The show could stand some cuts from its current two-hour, 45-minute length. There’s a long number in which the students sing “Party and Spend Daddy’s Money” that makes its point rather more than necessary, for example.
But the cast, dancing and music (by Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani, with book and lyrics by Nell Benjamin) are terrific, and I can pretty much guarantee that you’ve never seen anything like this show. See it while you can.
The details
“Come Fall in Love” plays through October 16, 2022 at The Old Globe’s Donald and Darlene Shiley Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.
Shows Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 and 7 p,m.
Tickets: $52 and up
Phone: (619) 234-5623
No comments:
Post a Comment