We went in to see Ghost on Monday having heard the negative chatter. We were prepared for dreadful, but thankfully we got entertaining but mediocre instead!
The one big thing missing from the musical was heart! For a show all about love, it seemed like a lot of love was lacking in the process of putting it all together.
Ghost felt very cold, in every sense. It felt like somebody had an idea to cash in on a hit film and assembled a musical by-the-books. Unfortunately, it failed to meet the standard of excellence one expects from a hit Broadway musical!
What was MOST disappointing in the musical was the music! Rather shocking how lackluster the songs were, considering the A-list team behind the score and lyrics. Hit songwriters Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard failed to deliver. Big time! Their songs felt uninspired!
When the only memorable song in your musical is the only song you didn’t write (Unchained Melody), as they say in the show: “You in danger, girl!”
If Ghost the musical had launched in the early 90s, we think it would have been a big hit! But it just doesn’t work in this day and age.
Having said all that, we were entertained. The show was just a missed opportunity! It didn’t live up to its full potential!
The illusions and special effects were super rad! The staging and scenic design was big and impressive! The choreography and modern dance numbers were dreary, though.
But there were some fabulous performances! Da’Vine Joy Randolph stole the show playing the Whoopi Goldberg part! And Richard Fleeshman was so charismatic and likeable in the Patrick Swayze role.
Caissie Levy, however, felt miscast in the Demi Moore role. She has a great voice, which she overused with some major oversinging at times, but she failed to bring anything special to the part. She lacked, in this role, the charisma that Fleeshman and Randolph brought to theirs.
If you’re in NYC, though, and can get cheap seats to Ghost, then it’s definitely worth your time and money!