NEW YORK — The chill factor at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb.15 was minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit. We walked to the corner to hail a cab, and I felt like I was naked on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The matinee destination was Andrew Bergman and Jason Robert Brown’s Broadway musical “Honeymoon in Vegas,” based on the 1992 Castle Rock Entertainment motion picture that starred James Caan, Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker. Seeing the stage musical, which stars Tony Danza, Rob McClure and Brynne O’Malley, is not the reason for a New York trip in the depth of winter. When asked to pick a Broadway show for our group, I chose this one for several reasons: There were tickets available fourth row center; I’m a fan of Brown’s intelligent songwriting; and McClure masterfully played the title role in “Limelight: the Story of Charlie Chaplin” at La Jolla Playhouse in 2010. My friends/relatives and I were not disappointed by “Honeymoon,” an excellent choice in the frivolity department. In my opinion, McClure outshines larger star Danza, but I must admit Danza is attractive and has a certain urbane appeal, which is exactly what his wheeler-dealer role calls for. You remember the story. On her deathbed (in a hoot of a scene), Bea Singer (delightful Nancy Opel) makes her son Jack (McClure) promise never to marry: “No one loves you like your mother.” Ergo, when the musical begins, Jack has been engaged to Betsy (O’Malley) for five years, unable to commit and perhaps rendered impotent by the promise turned curse. Betsy delivers an ultimatum, and the couple goes to Vegas to tie the knot. Here, high-stakes gambler Tommy Korman (Danza) spots Betsy, a ringer for his deceased wife, and wins a weekend with her in payment of Jack’s poker loss in a rigged game. Tommy takes Betsy to his impressive Maui home, with Jack in hot pursuit. At the Hawaiian Garden of Disappointed Mothers, Jack rids himself of the curse and with the help of a troupe of Flying Elvises wins Betsy back. Jack’s ardent sincerity versus Tommy the slimeball’s slime is no contest, of course, and everyone goes home happy. One seldom sees so strong an ensemble. The incredibly good onstage band, led by music director Tom Murray, is worth the price of admission. Brown turns out a string of tuneful, clever songs that include a repetitive little “ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, aah” motif similar to Stephen Sondheim’s vocals for the Princes and Rapunzel in “Into the Woods.” It’s intentional, of course, and vastly amusing. As some have noted, the show, with 21 musical numbers, seems long at 2.5 hours, but as others have noted, the story-telling is so tight one can’t begin to imagine where cuts might be made. Monday night, we went to see the hot ticket in town, playwright Simon Stephens’ “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,” based on Mark Haddon’s prize-winning 2003 book. Remembered from numerous roles at La Jolla Playhouse, Francesca Faridany plays Sioban, the 15-year old protagonist’s special-needs teacher/mentor. A mathematical genius, Christopher is somewhere on the autism spectrum. The play, which opened in London (where it is still playing) in 2012, premiered on Broadway in October 2014, is extraordinary as staged by Marianne Elliott, who directed “War Horse.” The real reason to visit New York City was the Feb. 17 world premiere of Jake Heggie’s “The Work at Hand: Symphonic Songs” at Carnegie Hall. Author of the text is my late daughter, Laura Morefield.
