Liars and Saints

  This week, I was asked to name my three favorite musicals, and my current response seems to be: "Sweeney," "Little Shop," and "Kimberly Akimbo." Here are a few reasons for putting "Kimberly" so high, so quickly: (1) Most art is about death, but "Kimberly" finds a new way to address the theme. How often does that happen? (2) This show begins in an intense mood, and then its sense of urgency grows and grows all the way through the final number. You can't even say that about "Hamilton." (3) This show's villains--e.g., Buddy and Pattie--are as "rounded" and even as relatable as the star. Hard to pull off. Finally, I love that this show is about a crime. And--like just about any other crime--this one is amazingly different from its blueprint. Kimberly believes that the crime will help her to feel closer to her family. (Wrong.) Aunt Debra thinks the crime will help to send her to Hawaii. (Wrong.) Seth believes th...

  A tentpole number might happen midway through the First Act; it's when the writers want to move beyond exposition and assault you with lightning. One of the standout examples, right now, is "Better," from "Kimberly Akimbo": I met a nice guy at the dog track. He was young; he was Greek. He was possibly gay. He needed a green card; I needed the cash. We got married in Passaic last May. We have this wonderful Greek man betting on hounds; he marries for legal reasons, and then he is (possibly) murdered. An entire episode of SVU--boiled down to a stanza. I met a lady with dementia. She was old; she was sweet. She was legally blind. She needed a roommate; I needed the room. I was outta work; she was outta her mind. A second great character--who is perhaps not as addled as she seems. The elderly woman designs a situation that works for her. The "rule of threes" says that we need a third excellent story in the song, and this takes the form of a parable: When...