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Benjamin Button Musical: Too Sweet, Lacks Bite
22 Oct
Summary
- Musical adaptation of Fitzgerald's story moves birth year to 1918.
- Production praised for performer talent but criticized for earnestness.
- Story's moralistic tone and excessive sweetness are highlighted.
Jethro Compton's musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" has drawn criticism for its overwhelmingly earnest and sweet tone, deviating significantly from the original 1922 short story.
While the production shifts Benjamin's birth year to 1918 and sets the story in Cornwall, the reviewer found it shares little with Fitzgerald's 18-page tale beyond the central premise. The musical leans into moralistic themes such as seizing the day and love conquering all.
Despite strong performances from the cast, who also serve as the band, the show is described as "aggressively cozy" and "mechanically twee." The reviewer noted that the musical's excessive sentimentality flattens its potential poignancy and misses Fitzgerald's original, clearer-eyed commentary on selfishness and vacuousness.
The adaptation's focus on Benjamin's love story and its formulaic presentation of life lessons were highlighted as drawbacks. Moments of sincere theatrical magic were present, but the overall effect was diminished by a perceived lack of balance between sweetness and bitterness.
