Written by David Greenspan with Music by Stephen Merritt
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Synopsis: Poor bored Coraline. She's left to rattle round her perpetually distracted parents' house all by her lonesome. Then one day, her dreams of a better reality are answered as she steps through an old oak doorway and passes into a perfected replica of her own world. Greeted there by a vastly loving Other Mother and kindly Other Father, she's thrilled! But, as the saying goes: Be careful what you wish for...
NEW YORK TIMES:
"“Coraline” is a grown-up exercise in story theater that asks its audience to take a childlike leap of faith into fantasy. But the invitation is couched with such self-conscious craftsmanship that you wind up frozen in admiration of its elegance and inventiveness instead of taking that necessary step into make-believe. Though steeped in off-kilter charm, “Coraline” is too cool to be truly seductive."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK POST:
"With David Greenspan penning the book and the Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt in charge of the score, this musical had an intriguing creative team. That the show turns out so flat and timid is a crushing letdown."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS:
"It's naggingly repetitive and, at 90 minutes, long outstays its welcome. This "Coraline" is wise, brave and tricky, yes. By the end, though, it's become trying"
Read the whole review HERE
THEATERMANIA:
"Stephin Merritt's charming score to the new musical Coraline, presented by MCC Theater at the Lucille Lortel, is played largely on toy piano. That's just one of many bold choices in this adaptation of Neil Gaiman's nove...While not every choice works, enough of them do to make the show a memorable and worthwhile experience."
Read the whole review HERE.
VARIETY:
"After so many literal musical adaptations of existing material that overillustrate while displaying too little invention of their own, there's something delightful about the way "Coraline" demands giant leaps of imagination from its audience."
Read the whole review HERE.
BACKSTAGE:
"Coraline is an adventure story, and its title character is an adventurer. That's about it. The tradeoff is that the stakes can feel a bit lightweight if you step back, but there are usually more than enough theatrical pleasures to keep you firmly invested in the present."
Read the whole review HERE.
AMNY:
"Rather than turn “Coraline” into a conventional children’s musical, rock singer-songwriter Stephen Merritt and downtown playwright-performer David Greenspan have opted for a decidedly off-kilter, otherworldly and openly theatrical production that resembles John Doyle’s creepy actor-musician revival of “Sweeney Todd” more than perhaps “Shrek."
Read the whole review HERE.
