Susan Granger’s review of “Diana: the Musical – on Broadway” (Longacre Theater)
Producers of “Diana: the Musical” were clever to have Netflix stream this new pop musical before it opened because I suspect – sooner rather than later – the ‘live’ performance will be only a memory.
By any theatrical standards, it’s not very good – certainly not as compelling as “The Crown,” as intriguing as Pablo Larrain’s “Spencer,” or as comprehensive as the recent CNN series. But there is still something fascinating about a tacky, campy musical interpretation of the Diana/Charles/Camilla scandal.
From the beginning, as she sings “Underestimated,” it’s obvious that Diana (Jeanna de Waal) is a hapless heroine, facing two formidable adversaries. There’s scheming adulteress Camilla Parker-Bowles (Erin Davie), encouraging her lover Charles (Roe Hartrampf) to marry this naïve, virginal 19 year-old to produce Windsor heirs. Plus the omnipresent, trenchcoat-clad paparazzi, relentlessly hounding Diana.
Supporting players include the Queen and Diana’s step-grandmother/romance novelist Barbara Cartland (both played by Judy Kaye), along with Diana’s butler Paul Burrell (Bruce Dow), her older sister Sarah Spencer (Holly Butler) and hunky lover James Jewitt (Garth Keegan), emerging bare-chested like a Chippendale’s dancer, proclaiming: “You don’t need a messy divorce! All you need is a man on a horse!”
One of the more bizarre scenes is the fight-ring staging when the smirking Princess of Wales confronts her cheeky rival with lyrics heralding “the thrilla’ in Manila with Diana and Camilla.” It has more suds than a soap-opera.
With ironic book/lyrics by Joe DiPietro and simpering music/lyrics by Bon Jovi’s keyboardist David Bryan (Tony winners for “Memphis”), it’s inanely directed by Christopher Ashley (Tony winner for “Come From Away”) with couture costumes by William Ivey Long.
Years ago, producers would have shunned filming a musical, thinking that it would cannibalize theatrical sales but – in the case of “Chicago” – it only helped. Even poorly received film adaptations, like “Phantom of the Opera” and “Rent,” seemed to help lift their respective stage productions.
So, while “Diana the Musical” is embarrassingly abysmal and will inevitably be considered a Broadway flop, audiences will have the Netflix version to remember why.