In Brief: ‘Taking a Chance on Love,’ ‘The Big Bang,’ and Betty Buckley at the Carlyle

John Latouche wrote some clever lyrics for many a fine musical, but perhaps not quite clever enough for a full evening, Taking a Chance on Love. Especially not if of the four performers only Jerry Dixon and Eddie Korbich are vocally viable; Terry Burrell is more actress than singer, and Donna English impresses more with her figure than with her voice… . The Big Bang is a two-clown musical revue tracing mankind’s path from Eden to Woodstock. Sophomorically performed by the co-authors, Boyd Graham and Jed Feuer, the material is mostly hollow, unsurprising, and often tasteless, with only Edward T. Gianfrancesco’s sly scenery holding one’s interest… . At the Café Carlyle, the major singer-actress Betty Buckley offers a fine and various program of memorable songs, rendered with the ultimate in vocal and histrionic finesse.

In Brief: ‘Taking a Chance on Love,’ ‘The […]