A HANDSOME, AMBITIOUS
REVENGE MUSICAL TAKES SHAPE

Strong design and performances elevate Dumas’
tale, even as tonal shifts occasionally blur its focus

The York Theatre’s ambitious world premiere of the new musical Monte Cristo stages Alexandre Dumas’ revenge-driven tale of Edmond Dantès (Adam Jacobs), an innocent man wrongfully imprisoned by a corrupt system and betrayed by those closest to him. After spending 18 years in a dungeon, he emerges educated, refined, and newly wealthy—thanks to a fellow prisoner’s tutelage and secret fortune—and, by the end of Act One, engineers a daring escape to exact his vengeance. It’s a sweeping adventure that’s been adapted several times for the screen (from 1934 through 2024). While the epic scope intimidates a stage version, the York Theatre’s gifted design team and talented cast deliver a production that is both handsome and admirably realized.

The story begins in 1815 before leaping ahead to 1838 through 1844, and from the outset, Anne Mundell’s scenic design of haunting stone walls and archways—deepened by Alan C. Edwards’ shadow-rich lighting—sets the ominous tone described in the opening number, “Dangerous Times.” When a curtain parts within an archway, Shawn Dufraine’s projections on the back wall fluidly transform the space, conjuring romantic sunsets and turbulent skies with cinematic ease. The visual storytelling is masterfully striking throughout.

Equally impressive is the work of costume designers Siena Zoë Allen and Amanda Roberge, whose meticulous delineation of class is rendered, especially in the sumptuous gowns and sharply tailored suits. The visual polish exceeds Off-Broadway expectations and budgets, raising the question: might this Monte Cristo be quietly positioning itself for a future life on Broadway?

Act Two shifts fully to Edmond’s campaign of revenge as he reenters society under an assumed identity, the Count of Monte Cristo, exposing the rot beneath political ambition and unchecked authority. Yet the musical never loses sight of its central love story between Edmond and Mercédès (Sierra Boggess), now wedded to the scheming Fernand (Daniel Yearwood). Alongside the morally compromised Danglars (James Judy), Villefort (Norm Lewis), and Morrell (Eliseo Roman), their choices ripple toward inevitable ruin.

Stephen Weiner’s score, with a book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg, finds its strongest footing in the terrain of love songs and dramatic interior ballads. The up-tempo songs often lose their grounding in the musical theater world that director Peter Flynn achieves with compelling, evocative success.

Despite all the drama, comic relief arrives via the innkeeping couple (Danny Rutigliano and Karen Ziemba), recalling the tonal function of the innkeepers in Les Misérables. Both performers are expert theater veterans who shine brightest with their song “You Have the Wrong Man.” I wished the comedy remained solely with them. Later, when Albert (Jadon Lopez) and Eugenie (Kate Fitzgerald) are pushed toward broader musical comedy silliness, the tension slackens and the stakes dissipate, undercutting the truth of their characters.

One of the libretto’s most intriguing elements is its restoration of the long-suppressed queer subtext from Dumas’s novel, wherein Eugenie rejects her fiancé after meeting the former princess Haydée (Stephanie Jae Park). Her sudden attraction awakens a new interior identity, whereupon “he” sells “his” former jewelry and flees in male attire, adding a progressive dimension that feels freshly resonant. It’s a thread that could be explored even more boldly.

Musical Director David Hancock Turner (also orchestrations, vocal arrangements, and keyboard) fills the space (onstage and in the orchestra pit) with emotional clarity and melodic richness. Norm Lewis is a musical theater treasure, and his commanding “A Great and Noble Man” is delivered with vocal authority and moving subtext. Daniel Yearwood’s final reprise of “One Small Thing” admirably underlines his character’s interior conflicts. Adam Jacobs offers a classically appealing leading man throughout, while Sierra Boggess settles into a mature, grounded performance after a false, over-precious start. Danny Rutigliano deftly distinguishes his dual roles—the conniving Caderousse and the paternal Abbé—with clarity and skill.

For all its ambition, Monte Cristo presents a strong, impressive debut—one that occasionally struggles to reconcile its tonal shifts but never lacks for theatrical sweep or conviction. When it trusts the darkness at its core, it reveals a genuine power with emotional resonance. With further refinement—leaning into shadowy truths rather than silly laughs—Monte Cristo will be an impressive, haunting musical epic.

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Photo credit: production photos courtesy of The York Theatre

Monte Cristo
The York Theatre
Theatre at St. Jean’s, 150 East 76th St
ends on April 5, 2026
for tickets, ($29–$85), visit York Theatre

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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.