NOSTALGIA IN THE SPOTLIGHT,
MODERNITY IN THE WINGS

At a time when most new musicals chase novelty, Reunions looks lovingly backward. Conceived as a pair of one-act chamber pieces performed back-to-back without intermission, the evening runs about an hour and forty minutes and draws its stories from early-20th-century plays. Both feel distinctly old-fashioned (but, in their defense, they are set in 1910)—the first in a London drawing room, the second in a park in Madrid—and together they offer a genteel meditation on memory, love, and the slow march of self-discovery.

The Company

I won’t lie: it took a few songs to warm to the opening musical, in which a chorus of servants sing joyously about their employer’s impending knighthood. But then Chilina Kennedy enters as Kate, a hired typist, and instantly grounds the world with emotional truth and a conflict worth caring about.

Chilina Kennedy and Courtney Reed

Based on J.M. Barrie’s play, The Twelve Pound Look serves as a cautionary tale. Harry Sims (Bryan Fenkart), soon to be knighted, is basking in self-importance when he hires a typist to handle his correspondence. The moment she walks in, sparks fly—it’s his first wife, Kate, who had left him years earlier without explanation. Through their encounter, we learn why. Kate is a woman with “the twelve-pound look”—a woman who dares to want more than ornamental respectability, who finds empowerment in her own financial and creative independence. (A typewriter, costing twelve pounds, becomes her passport to freedom.)

The Company

As Harry’s world unravels through flashbacks and realizations, Fenkart mines the role for all its comic potential—his puffed-up self-absorption draws laughs early on—but the heart of the piece lies in his gradual reckoning. The age-old battle between husband and wife becomes a plea for growth, and for a more enlightened legacy for his two sons, the next generation.

Courtney Reed and Bryan Fenkart

A clever lyrical transition by Jeffrey Scharf bridges the two musicals, seamlessly shifting the scene from London to Madrid. A Sunny Morning, based on the Quintero Brothers’ Spanish play, introduces two elderly curmudgeons (Chip Zien and Joanna Glushak) squabbling over a park bench—until their shared past surfaces, revealing they were once in love. Thanks to the wit and skill of Zien and Glushak, the piece becomes a miniature master class in musical comedy—lighthearted, wistful, and charming.

Chip Zien and Joanna Glushak

Director-choreographer Gabriel Barre keeps the evening fluid and visually engaging, aided by Edward Pierce’s revolving circular rug—a stylish touch that keeps the action literally moving. Jen Caprio’s costumes are elegant and finely detailed, from the servants’ crisp uniforms to the rich red gown of Harry’s new wife (the radiant Courtney Reed). Two musicians, positioned on either side of the stage, add intimacy, with and additional one occasionally wandering the scene—violin or accordion in hand (Pearl Rhein)—an inventive flourish in Barre’s staging.

Joanna Glushak and Courtney Reed

The ensemble is uniformly strong, and the production gleams with polish. While Jimmy Calire’s music and Scharf’s lyrics evoke an earlier era, the score’s sincerity and craftsmanship are undeniable. Sonny Paladino’s orchestrations enrich the chamber scale with violin, accordion, and guitar, lending warmth and intimacy that mirror the production’s reflective tone. The sound is deliberately nostalgic—light, conversational, and wistful—anchoring both stories in the genteel civility of a bygone age. Reunions may not feel urgent or groundbreaking, but for audiences nostalgic for the charm and refinement of musical comedy’s yesteryear, it’s a warmly appealing evening.

Daniel Torres and Chip Zien

photos by Jeremy Daniel Photography

The Company

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Reunions
New York City Center Stage II, 131 W. 55th Street
Tues-Sat at 7:30; Wed, Sat & Sun at 2:30
1 hour 40 minutes, no intermission
ends on December 14, 2025
for tickets ($29-$149 + fees), visit NY City Center

Chilina Kennedy and Bryan Fenkart

Gregory Fletcher is an author, theater professor, playwright, director, and stage manager. His publishing credits include a craft book on playwriting entitled Shorts and Briefs, as well as a collection entitled A Playwright’s Dozen: 13 short plays. Other publishing includes 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 five essays. Website, Facebook, Instagram.