A DICKENS OF A DELIGHT

A few shortcomings scarcely diminish
this tuneful Dickens adaptation

Copperfield! The New Musical

It’s a long story. It began in the mid-1800s as writer Charles Dickens’s lengthy episodic tale of a fellow named David Copperfield, with decidedly autobiographical elements, one chunk parceled out at a time, in 19 segments over the course of 18 months. A summary of its many adaptations for various media makes for a big history of retellings. Now add one more, with attractively evocative songs having an unapologetically traditional, openhearted musical theatre style rather than being self-consciously modern or aching to sound as if written by a Victorian historian. Happily, the score contains an appropriate hint of old-school British music hall and a dollop of ardent operetta in its declarations of romantic love. This is a highly recommended and ambitious, mostly delicious enterprise.

Bobby Conte

Generally efficient and effective, tough and tender, Copperfield! treats the sprawling novel with considerable care, but doesn’t shy away from its harsh and heavy elements. It officially opened last night on West 42nd Street at The Duke. The respectful and admirable music, lyrics, and book by Jeffrey Scharf are enhanced by Gabriel Barre’s simpatico, thoughtful direction and choreography. The arrangements and glorious orchestrations, featuring some elegant string accompaniment, are the splendid work of music supervisor Sonny Paladino.

Copperfield! The New Musical

The chronology begins with baby David’s birth and is presented as a mix of action, commentaries, and memories, set up with narration by the characters, with most of that done by the adult David, powerfully played by Bobby Conte. This oft-told long story unfolds on the building’s second story on a stage that itself is a two-story performance space. Scenes take place on both levels, and occasionally in the audience area, with most of the excellent actors playing two or more of the many, many characters from the novel. They also serve as musicians for all the songs.

Bobby Conte

As with the novel’s form of first-person narrative, David reports and recalls the highlights and horrors of his life as the show deftly uses a favorite dramatic device: having older and younger versions of the same character on stage at the same time. It’s very moving to see David “watching” himself. Functioning as a silent “witness” allows him (meaning adult OR child David) to review, consider, and confront his past. The role of David as a boy is played at different performances by either Henry Witcher or the actor I was fortunate to see at the October 16 preview performance. He is Calvin Knegten, who turned 11 years old a few weeks ago. Whether his remarkable performance calls for him to be fearful, tearful, or stoic, he is completely believable, endlessly endearing, and refreshingly natural in singing and movement. In the first act, a caring Conte hovers over his younger version as if to protect and comfort him, visibly disturbed and recoiling when the youngster is mistreated or tragedy strikes. In the second act, when adult Copperfield copes with life’s travails, the younger version materializes, as if to supportively transmit the message, “Remember and learn. I am the child still inside you.” At various times, the actors lock eyes, with increasing physical proximity.

Henry Witcher and Bobby Conte

Calvin Knegten

And oh—what pains and disappointments both young and older David face: a series of loved ones’ deaths; loneliness; bullying; horrible treatment as a student and child worker; discomfort when there’s uncertainty about certain people sharing romantic or unreserved familial feelings; the dishonest, fawning fake-humble creep named Uriah Heep and a monstrously cruel stepfather (both played with disturbingly sinister chill by Will Reynolds); and misplaced trust in a presumed friend Steerforth (Owen Squire Smith, dazzling and slinky in this role, is also the dance captain, fight captain, and understudy for adult David).

Owen Squire Smith and Henry Witcher

The 13-member cast works well as a team, and watching them switch characters and drift on and off as musicians on both stage levels adds to the production’s appeal. Still, one might want Cathryn Wake’s proud ditziness as Dora, David’s self-described “childlike wife,” toned down a bit (she is more successful early on as the protagonist’s loving mother, crooning a sweet “Darling Boy”) and that Tatiana Wechsler and Nancy O’Connor (also the music director) as the two other love interests might make a stronger impact earlier in the proceedings. Perhaps inevitably, minor characters without major subplots of their own get somewhat lost in the shuffle.

Tatiana Wechsler, Nancy O’Connor, Amelia Cormack, and Cathryn Wake

With his father having died before his birth, his mother dying while David is still a kid, and his stern stepfather and nasty step-aunt being anything but comforting replacements, our hero is just one in a long line of orphans in Dickens’s books. As emphasized in the reprised key song “I Am Home,” David seeks a facsimile family during much of the saga, as he finds varying degrees of successful substitutes with his initially reluctant Aunt Betsey (a solid Kara Mikula) and her companion (an intriguing if sketchy portrayal by Aaron Michael Ray), kindly former housekeeper Peggotty (a warmly maternal Amelia Cormack) and her family, as well as the colorful, optimistic Mr. Micawber and his wife (energizing Andy Taylor and—again—Miss Cormack, leading the peppy gem “Something Will Turn Up”). Alexander Sovronsky and Jed Feder complete the cast in various roles.

Andy Taylor, Henry Witcher, and Amelia Cormack

Jeff Croiter’s lighting works well, especially during the scary moments involving a storm and corporal punishment, with Edward Pierce’s set design and costumes (Jen Caprio) being fairly basic and non-ornamental.

Bobby Conte and Cathryn Wake

Free of irony, pretension, and condescension, quite welcome and winning is this timeless, time-tested tale.

Cathryn Wake and Bobby Conte

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

photos by Jeremy Daniel

Copperfield! The New Musical
Act Two Theatricals
The Duke on 42nd Street at New 42 Studios, 229 W. 42nd St. in Manhattan
2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission
Mon & Wed–Sat at 7:30; Wed & Sat at 2:30; Sun at 3
ends on December 6, 2026
for tickets ($59–$99), visit Copperfield the Musical

for more shows, visit Theatre in New York

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦