Review Highlights: TIANANMEN - The Phoenix Theatre Company

Ellie Wang and Kennedy Kanagawa
Photo by Brennen Russell

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through October 29

"Tiananmen, the new musical that centers on the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, aims to bring a monumental historical event to the stage. While it's commendable that the production seeks to shed light on an important chapter in history, and there is much passion from the actors and the creators in telling this story, the production at the Phoenix Theatre Company falls short of capturing the depth and complexity of the subject matter. The music and storytelling, while at times engaging, often also lacks the emotional resonance needed to do justice to this important event....While Elmegreen's book does a fairly good job conveying the weight of the events, it lacks the deep emotional connection to the characters that there should be....Fornarola's score is a well-composed pastiche of traditional musical theatre songs and 1980s music styles (even with a bit of rap), though, like the book, it occassionally feels disjointed in its attempt to convey the emotions and struggles of the characters, which lacks the consistency needed to create a lasting impact. While some songs have the potential to be moving, others fall short in capturing the gravitas of the subject matter."  - Gil Benbrook, TalkinBroadway.com (click here to read the complete review)

"...The show is not without faults but the timely story applies to many places struggling for egalitarian principles....The show’s score by Drew Fornarola sounds reminiscent of several recent musicals but the conventional musical sound never provides the feeling of the Chinese society the show depicts. The Tiananmen riots counted over 100,000 protestors but the small cast of 16 has difficulty conveying the insurrection’s overwhelming size and impact. Darren Lee stages and choreographs well but the story drags on too long with unnecessary details.  Sharp edits won’t hurt the show’s thoughtful message."   -Chris Curcio, Curtain Up Phoenix (click here to read the complete review)

"The production of TIANANMEN: A NEW MUSICAL has been preceded by some pretty exceptional marketing, proclaiming the show, for example, as an “epic love story” and emphasizing the historic importance of the surrounding events. The problem is that the show just doesn’t measure up to the hype and buildup...seems stuck between two intentions, neither one of which is well-fulfilled. If it is meant to be the vibrant love story of two fictional characters, Sheng Peiwen and Fan Xiaoli, with the student protests as a backdrop, the arc of that affair lacks authenticity and credibility. If its aim is to be a vivid account of the student struggle, it lapses into the kind of tutorial preachiness that has become all too familiar with political theatre. The noble effort to remember Tiananmen would be all the better with a compelling and consistent story line that trusted the audience to draw their own conclusions."  - Herbert Paine, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)