My overall impression
When I heard that there was a musical version of Count of Monte Cristo I thought, “How are they going to pull that off?” Turns out when you have extremely talented people making it you can pull off quite a bit. This is an ambitious and engaging new look at the story we are all familiar with. Edmond Dantès going from prisoner to count has been told and retold several times in the decades since it was written, but I have never seen it told quite like this. The songs (especially the big numbers with the whole cast) are hum worthy and I found myself singing “Carnival” from the show while walking back to my car. You can tell that the cast is totally committed to the story and music because it comes across in their performances. This isn’t just some “retelling of the book with a couple of songs thrown in” this is a REAL musical… songs are woven throughout to tell the story with a cast that runs with it. Director Kelly D’Angelo and composer Matt Dahan somehow pull this all off. Great cast, Great creators, Great show.
