Michael John LaChiusa's original stage production (based on Arnold Schnitzler's La Ronde) featured current Tony winners and heavy hitters of the 90s Broadway scene such as Donna Murphy, Judith Blazer, Michael Park, Carolee Carmello, John Cameron Mitchell, Malcom Gets, Michelle Pawk, and John Dossett. Obviously, big shoes to fill.
The movie is extremely stylized and achieved the intended result, but slightly missed the mark as a tale of finding one's self as told through the narrative of the senator, played by Martha Plimpton. Plimpton executes the role brilliantly and in this version, the role is now gender swapped. Audra McDonald as The Actress is the star of this project, with Cheyenne Jackson as a close second.
Ultimately, the piece is a good representation of the source material, but somehow lackluster. Musical theatre die-hards will love this adaptation because it's an obscure live letter to an esoteric musical that only musical theatre geeks know and love: myself included.
