THE VANITY
Inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Book, Music & Lyrics by PETER COVINO

Featuring

ROSALIE BURKE, PATCH DAVID, REMY GERMINARIO, BRANDON HAAGENSON
KATE HOOVER, ILENE KRISTEN, ERIK RANSOM and ROGER YEH
Directed by RACHEL KLEIN

Theatre Row - The Clurman Theatre
410 West 42nd Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues)
(212)239-6200 or www.telecharge.com

September 1 - 25, 2016

Peter Corvino’s THE VANITY is a campy production inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Set in Hollywood in the 1940’s Julian Gray (Patch David) sells his soul to the devil (Brandon Haagenson) in return for eternal youth. The first act is riddled with melodramatic overacting in unconnected performances punctuated by undistinguished music and iffy voices. Redemption comes in the second act which is set 20 years later in 1966 Hollywood. It begins with an impressive interpretive dance and gets better from there. A truly hilarious rendition of “I Dig the 60”s” performed by Remy Germinario, Ilene Kristen, and Erik Ransom sets the pace for a rowdy and raucous events to follow. Germinario steals almost every scene in which he appears, and Kate Hoover blossoms into an amusing gun-toting, laugh-snorting potential photographer and wronged daughter. Roger Yeh and Rosalie Burke complete this cast who are allowed to showcase their talents in the second act.

This musical is clever with some comedic updates, and the characters are eccentric enough to produce laughs. It all comes together finally and the audience leaves amused. Rather than eternal youth, eternal patience is needed until THE VANITY shines and delivers.

- Laurie Lawson -