Synopsis
Set in the fast-paced world of 1950s New York City, Sweet Smell of Success follows powerful newspaper columnist J.J. Hunsecker, whose gossip column can make or break careers overnight. When his younger sister Susan falls in love with a struggling jazz musician, Hunsecker enlists ambitious press agent Sidney Falco to break them apart and protect his public image. As Sidney becomes entangled in J.J.’s web of manipulation, he discovers the devastating personal cost of chasing power and success. With a jazzy score by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Craig Carnelia, this darkly stylish musical exposes the cutthroat world of media, ambition and moral compromise beneath the glittering lights of Broadway.
Review
“If Lithgow holds the show together, then Brian d’Arcy James drives it forward, unrelenting, inch by inch. Always the consummate musical theatre performer, his doomed press flack Sidney Falco is responsible for what emotional and musical impact the show has. Here, Brian d’Arcy James assumes the stature almost of a force of nature. The lust for the sweet life is right there on the surface and he plays it for all it’s worth in a performance that completely overpowers everyone else on stage. Sweet Smell only truly comes alive during his numbers.”
Talkin’ Broadway