Any of you who still believe I have even a small amount of taste will probably change your mind after reading this review. I absolutely loved GHOST THE MUSICAL. It is a complete guilty pleasure. It is a technical marvel that is unlike anything I have ever seen outside of a Vegas Cirque spectacular. The score hsa a few mistakes but for the most part, I'm a fan. Critics may hate it but the audience tonight at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre embraced it and cheered for it. The show follows extremely close to the classic film GHOST. Bruce Joel Rubin, who wrote the original screenplay also wrote the book to the musical and a few of the lyrics as well. Dave Stewart & Glen Ballard wrote the score. Matthew Warchus is the director. I can't say enough regarding the technical elements in the show. Some amazing stage magic. All of the scenes from the film that one would think would be impossible to stage succeed brilliantly. The original lead actors from the London production reprise their roles of Sam and Molly on Broadway. Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy both sing beautifully and make you immediately forget Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. Fleeshman is the stronger actor of the two, but Ms Levy can sing anything and make it work! Bryce Pinkham is a little too creepy in the Tony Goldwyn role of Carl. Even if you didn't know he was the villain of the piece, he's so slimy that you immediately suspect him of something. The true standout of the cast is Da'Vine Joy Randolph who plays Oda Mae Brown, the role that Whoopi Goldberg won her Oscar for. Ms Randolph doesn't do a Whoopi imitation and truly makes the role her own. Her singing voice is incredible and she absolutely steals every scene she is in. GHOST THE MUSICAL is far from perfect, but it's goal is to entertain and move the audience and tonight, it did that. I think it's the best screen to stage adaptation since LEGALLY BLONDE and if tonight's audience is any indication, it just might have a long life on Broadway in spite of the lack of critical praise and Tony nominations.
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