JOY TO THE WHIRL

For every inventive soul who’s ever heard “no,” “pass,” or “next,” Joy is for you. Based on the life of Miracle Mop inventor Joy Mangano, this briskly staged musical delivers an energetic blend of domestic chaos, entrepreneurial grit, and interior musical theater gold to keep it well fueled for its two-hour running time. Ken Davenport’s efficient book and AnnMarie Milazzo’s emotionally tuned score—part folk-pop, part contemporary theater—bring warmth and urgency to a tale that, in lesser hands, could’ve easily been buried in the kitsch of a late-night infomercial.

Stylistically, the show lives more within musical theater than traditional musical comedy. There’s sincerity at its core, but also quick-witted choreography, comedy that emerges from the drama, and fast-paced scene shifts that keep the tone lighter than the stakes might have predicted. Joshua Bergasse’s choreography gives the cast a perpetual sense of motion, like gears turning in Joy’s brain. And director Lorin Latarro matches that with staging that moves like a camera—swooping from Joy’s home to school yards, boardrooms, QVC studios to courtroom showdowns without a hitch.

Betsy Wolfe gives Joy the kind of vocal and emotional anchor that can ground a swirling show. She sings with conviction and vulnerability, especially in the ballads that trace Joy’s interior struggle, “The Shape of Things” and “Have You Ever Felt That?” As Joy’s daughter Christie, 13-year-old newcomer Honor Blue Savage—a great name for show business—lends appropriate teenage angst within her vocally skilled “Is This as Good as It Gets?” Adding to the drama is Joy’s ex-husband, Tony (Brandon Espinoza) who is too busy pursuing his own dreams of singing to notice Joy’s struggle. Also living in Joy’s home are her separated parents, Toots (Jill Abramovitz) and Rudy (Adam Grupper), who have the trickiest balance of staying within the show’s context when much of their journey teeters within the silly absurdity of musical comedy—especially Rudy dating one of Joy’s teammates from high school, Lorraine (Jaygee Macapugay).

Set designer Anna Louizos uses sleek, transformable panels and sliding furnishings to suggest numerous locations without slowing momentum. Tina McCartney’s costumes strike a smart sense of clarity within the whirlwind of characters played by the ensemble. However, when Toots finally emerges from her self-imposed isolation wearing a bold red-sequined gown, it teeters on musical comedy silliness and nearly topples a key emotional beat of the mother/daughter reconciliation. The lighting (Yael Lubetzky) and sound (Daniel Lundberg) are both top-notch, and along with Jillian Zack’s music direction, keep vocals clear and well-shaped.

The hard-working ensemble morphs into too many characters to list. Thanks to razor-sharp casting from Claire Burke (The TRC Company), the talented ensemble switches between the multiple roles with clarity and commitment: Dana Costello, Ryan Duncan, Gaelen Gilliland, Sydni Moon, Manuel Santos, Brian Shepard, Allysa Shorte, Alan Wiggins, Briana Brooks, Lael Van Keuren, and Jerome Vivona.

As musicals go, Joy doesn’t reinvent the mop, but it spins familiar tropes into something heartfelt. There are occasional bumps toward the end. Must Joy’s self-serving ex-husband and parents soften into decency? The turn toward redemption feels a bit convenient. But even when plot twists push credibility, the show’s emotional clarity wins out.

Framing the story is Young Joy (Nora Mae Dixon), whose innocence and big dreams invite us to recall the dreams we may have left behind. This device could be precious, but Dixon delivers it with such quiet sincerity, it works. Joy is a modern fable about resilience and reinvention—with enough heart that sings forth a classically timeless message. For the inventive souls in the audience, this just might be the “yes” you’ve been waiting for.

photos by Joan Marcus

Joy: A New True Musical
Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center, 111 West 46th St
Tues-Sat at 7:30; Wed and Sat at 2; Sun at 3
ends on August 17, 2025
for tickets, call 833.274.8497 or visit Joy
digital album available for streaming here

Gregory Fletcher is an author, a theater professor, a playwright, director, and stage manager. His craft book on playwriting is entitled Shorts and Briefs, and publishing credits include two YA novels (Other People’s Crazy, and Other People’s Drama), 2 novellas in the series Inclusive Bedtime Stories, 2 short stories in The Night Bazaar series, and several essays. Website, Facebook, Instagram.