Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

Carol Rosegg ©2025  Lynne Wintersteller, Sal Viviano, Sally Mayes & George Dvosrky

 As a tone-setter, I'll relay the following exchange heard by myself and a few others at intermission of Closer Than Ever, the 20th anniversary staging of the Richard Maltby Jr.-David Shire tuner:

MAN: What kind of musical is this“
WOMAN: It's opening doors. Different paths of life.
MAN: Phantom of the Opera, it's not

And thank God for that. This sung-through musical (which has no book) is not for those seeking cheap thrills and scenery that awes your wallet. A 26-song cycle about mid-life adults navigating dating, marriage, children, work, happiness and heartbreak, Closer Than Ever retains its sheen because the thematic elements of the beautifully wrought songs will always be in vogue. An underrated score-even twenty years later-with not a single dud in the bunch, it makes the case most fervently that a song in itself can tell a layered, poignant story without a lot of excess dressing. And this stellar redo at Queens Theatre on the Park is a must for musical theatre afficonadoes, not simply because of the remarkable score, but the four supple, terrific singers that make each number a mini-lesson in how to sell a story song. And most surprisingly, bumping the ages of the performers results in even richer rewards, as one song even explicitly laments the march of time. But with age, in this case most especially, comes experience.

Actresses Sally Mayes and Lynne Wintersteller return to their original off-Broadway roles with tremendous success, playfully and heartrendingly suggesting the spoils and wonders of womanhood with professional candor and blessed-by-the-heavens pipes. They are joined by two newcomers to the production, George Dvorsky and Sal Viviano, who are on equal ground with the ladies and are similarly powerful. There probably isn't a better-sung performance to be seen in the five boroughs these days, from the delightful opener “Doors” to Mayes' dreamy, kittenish take on the lascivious “Miss Byrd” to the gorgeous group number “Something in a Wedding”, but I could go on all day about how many good, solid numbers this splendid Maltby-Shire contribution has.

Maltby has remounted the show with co-director Kurt Stamm, and though it has a bit too much of a cabaret vibe to it, the idea to make the songs become the main attraction is so admirable in these overkill days. Backed wonderfully by musical director Patrick Brady (who even guests on a few numbers) and bassist Bob Renino (Mayes's real-life hubby-they share a great scat-jazz number called “Back on Base”), who both also partnered on the original 1990 production, the actors never wear out their welcome in the two hours, and if you're a showtune junkie who's always wanted to see this blissful score performed, well, here's the ultimate fix.