THE PEN IS IS MIGHTIER

Duncan Sheik’s seductive score elevates
a sumptuous but emotionally uneven musical

Cory Jeacoma and Sophia Anne Caruso

Reminiscent of the immersive experience of the most recent revival of Cabaret, which transformed the entire August Wilson Theatre into the Kit Kat Klub, Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen similarly turns the main space within the Culture Club into “The Night Egg,” a stylish brothel in the early 1900s. Also performed in the round, but, instead of Berlin, this 90-minute musical is set in Paris. With music and lyrics by the late Duncan Sheik, who died last month at the young age of 56, and a libretto by Leah Nanako Winkler, the show is based on the manga series by Moyoco Anno. We are welcomed with the song “Your Perversion Is Our Pleasure,” but it’s far more than a Cabaret or Moulin Rouge knockoff. This brothel focuses more on seduction as therapy, meeting the needs of its clients without judgment. It’s a brothel worth the visit.

Sophia Anne Caruso

The story follows a budding writer discovering her artistic voice, confidence, and eventual success. Colette (Sophia Anne Caruso) is a young sex worker paired with Sakae (Marc delaCruz), a Japanese writer who, hoping to jump-start his failing writing career, gives her an empty book, asking her to record the stories in her head. She begins to write about the love of her life, Léon (Cory Jeacoma), who quickly reveals himself to be a deadbeat grifter on the run from dangerous loan sharks. Colette also includes the lives of her fellow sex workers (Leanne Antonio, Elsa Keefe, Jaedynn Latter, and Jessie Peltier), the Madame (Jenny Powers), and, of course, the amorous gentlemen callers (Michael Everett, Austin Lesch, Caleb Marshall, and Michael Starr). Rounding out the cast is Nkeki Obi-Melekwe as Nana, a high-class woman who has learned a thing or two from her checkered past, and ensemble members Kailin Brown, Nika Lindsay, Thomas Winter, and Alexa de Barr.

Marc delaCruz

Scott Pask’s scenic design transforms the space into one that is stylish and cozy. Beyond the arena stage, four mirrored platforms occupy the corners of the room. A few set pieces are carried on—a chaise lounge, a trunk, and a park bench—but the show’s centerpiece is a sexy, luxurious bed that descends from above. The first ring of audience members sits along a ledge where they can place their drinks, while the second ring occupies small tables illuminated by red lamps. Draped curtains surround the space, allowing actors to come and go with little notice. Brian Tovar’s lighting beautifully enhances the atmosphere, with moving lights functioning as roving spotlights, period chandeliers adding elegance, and carefully cultivated shadows capturing the mood of a secret getaway where men indulge in an assortment of kinks and fantasies: a bird fetish, a circus kink, a shaving craze, and a dog obsession.

Nkeki Obi-Melekwe

Protruding breasts adorned with decorative nipples, corsets, and the sumptuous textures of period costumes fill the stage. Drawing on her experience with Moulin Rouge, Catherine Zuber makes the most of an Off-Broadway budget, delivering exquisite, classy gowns alongside working-class chic. With plenty of bare skin and gorgeous bodies on display, Memoirs may well be one of the sexiest shows in town.

Sophia Anne Caruso

Rob Ashford’s staging transitions smoothly from scene to scene, thoroughly accommodating the audience seated on all sides. His choreography is inventive and satiating. However, the overall presentational style keeps us engaged as spectators without always drawing us in emotionally, which is odd, since there’s a lot to care about here: Colette’s passionate devotion to Léon, even as he mistreats her; and Sakae’s dismissal of her work, despite having inspired her to put pen to paper, just as others have dismissed his. Encouraged by her fellow workers, Colette perseveres, discovers her own strength, and pursues a future she never imagined. The uplifting ending arrives somewhat abruptly, but its success is undeniable.

Jenny Powers (left)

Sheik’s music is passionate and original. His song for Colette, “Immured,” brims with pain and bone-chilling sounds, making it a standout in his musical-theatre repertoire. The score gives each character a moment to shine, and the triple-threat cast rises to the considerable demands of the material. (Or Matias, music supervision and arrangements; Amanda Morton, music director and conductor.) The production is dedicated, justifiably, “to the memory of our friend and collaborator, Duncan Sheik.” That tribute lends an added poignancy to an already affecting work of theatrical artistry. Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen is worth experiencing for its sensual staging, its story of a woman discovering her voice, and, above all, the remarkable musical legacy of a composer and lyricist whose work deserves to be celebrated and remembered.

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photos by Andy Henderson

Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen
The Night Egg at Culture Club
530 W. 27th St. in New York
90 minutes
ends on Jan. 3, 2027
for tickets, visit Memoirs Musical

for more shows, visit Theatre in New York

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