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‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ Review: Musical Adaptation is a Promising, Boldly Unconventional Retelling Anchored by Standout Performances
This admirably bold, unconventionally self-aware new stage musical version of the blockbuster bestseller shows considerable promise.
In the admirably bold, unconventionally self-aware new stage musical version of John Berendt’s 1994 blockbuster bestseller “ Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” transgender icon The Lady Chablis emerges from being one of many eccentric ensemble characters in the Savannah-set book (and the 1997 Clint Eastwood-directed film, in which she appeared as herself) into the full-on spotlight. In fact, at the end of the first act in Taylor Mac ’s script, J. Harrison Ghee ’s intensely entertaining Lady Chablis steps in front of the shooting scene that formed the storytelling spine of both book and film, alarmed that attention may stray from her starring role: “Don’t look at the True Crime,” she directs us. Tom Hewitt, as the antiques dealer Jim Williams — white, rich, gay and therefore both insider and outsider — then proceeds to welcome the writer (that’s us, the audience) to town with a cocktail offer, delivering some of the most perfect opening lyrics of what is likely composer Jason Robert Brown ’s best score to date: “Raise your glass and sing a high hosanna/You who pine for fine Americana./Let me welcome you to sweet Savannah./What a lovely place to die!”
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