If “Les Miz” and “Evita” were to conceive a musical child, with a little help being raised by “Cabaret” and “The Great Comet,” then presto! You’ve got yourself “Lempicka”: probably the most original musical, about a true original one should add, to have been birthed onto the Broadway stage this season. Now I wouldn’t call it a perfect musical, and I talk about that more in the sense of its book. It moves very swiftly, but barely gives enough establishment as to when and where (minus the years being projected on a slick, gloriously industrial setup illustrating the rise of machines at the time), along with some questionable scene placement and characters that could feel very 2D. But hey, almost all the dialogue alone actually lands very nicely, and every actor does their due diligence in enhancing the characters into living and breathing 3D figures. Much of the staging was creative, sleek, and enjoyable, if only slightly lacking in the way Rachel Chavkin was able to conjure up her ingeniousness she utilized on “Hadestown” across the street, and “The Great Comet.” But that doesn’t mean she can’t paint a theatrical picture that is moving and empowering all at once. There are 3 winners when it comes to “Lempicka.” First, the score by book writers Matt Gould and Carson Kretzer. Their evocative, revealing lyrics partnered with pulsating pop-infused music, smartly bleeding the past into the present, is the biggest element of this show that was done right; not one number disappointed throughout the show’s 2.5 hours. Kudos to the writing team for the little hints of various other musicals that likely led to”Lempicka’s” initial conception (see it to understand what I mean). Second, the production design (sets, costumes, lights, all of it). Like the music, it bleeds then into now with such chicness that it actually made me smile (that never happens with design for me). You could feel like you’re at a concert for Cher or Madonna thanks to time-bending costumes that are so bleeping cool, only I don’t think they had such intense, electrifying lights that covered every inch of the set mentioned earlier. Third, and finally, the lady who proved to be the true star of the show: Amber Iman. A composite character indeed, but not one that should be forgotten, and all of that is thanks to Iman's amazing vulnerability, her shining stage presence, and her mind blowing vocals that blow the roof off the Longacre. She actually overshadowed the title character, someone who l wanted more from but never really got. This is not to say Eden Espinosa did injustice to the role; she actually had many great moments. But something about her vocals felt tight and pitchy, and I didn't wanna believe that after first hearing her sing on the few tracks released for the show. I was not disappointed, I just wanted more is all (I'm hoping it was just an off night). But at the end of the day, after all of perfectness and imperfectness presented at the Longacre, you're gonna fall in love with "Lempicka." You won't find anything else original on Broadway this season unless you make it up to 48th street. Art can start up many things from trends to debates, and that is exactly what this one intends to do: start something that will spark a new generation in theater. I have high hopes it will do just that.
