In the big dance numbers and in some of the songs this once-radical Broadway musical – in 1983, the first to feature a gay central relationship – knocks it out of the park. But man oh man, the ropey storyline and the acting in Tim Sheader’s glitzy production drag it down.
It’s gorgeous to look at, thanks to fantastically camp set and costume designs and a supporting troupe of drag kings and queens. But it’s also dated and emotionally hollow, all lamé frock and no knickers, an imperfect swansong for Sheader at a venue he’s turned into a destination and a place to reappraise neglected musicals.
