Elvis Costello’s musical adaptation is ‘fitfully engaging’

Based on Elia Kazan’s 1957 movie, this musical adaptation with songs by Elvis Costello is ostensibly about the power of the media to influence and manipulate the electorate. It charts the rise of a Arkansas drifter ‘Lonesome’ Rhodes (Ramin Karimloo) who is picked up by ambitious local radio producer Marcia (Anoushka Lewis) to appear on her morning show. His good ole boy personality and downhome songs prove very popular and before long he is on his way to New York City and a TV contract.

As his ego swells along with his bank balance he is courted by a presidential candidate to help him in his race to the White House. It seems an odd choice for Kwame Kwei-Armah’s final production although the combination of Costello, Sarah Ruhl’s script (closely based on Budd Schulberg’s screenplay that exposes populism over competence) and the theme of media influencers must have seemed very persuasive.

But it hasn’t come together as fluently as it might. Without making any reference to current events, it is stitched into its era and sometimes the satire misfires.

The big showboat number Blood and Hot Sauce in which we are all encouraged to wave Stars & Stripes flags in ‘ironic’ appreciation of a Republican candidate doesn’t work at all. Karimloo has an amazing voice and charisma to spare, however, and Lewis makes Marcia less innocent than Patricia Neal in the film and plays the media Frankenstein well, growing in stature as it progresses; her big closing number American Mirror is pregnant with regret. A fitfully engaging night.