Some might find it hard to believe but I actually don’t enjoy writing negative reviews especially for theatre. This is especially true for a production that tries their hardest but is working with underwhelming material. It seems unfair to be overly harsh when they did all they could to salvage a weak book and music but alas sometimes that is simply the case and it certainly is true for the new production of Bonnie & Clyde at Pioneer Theatre Company. While I appreciate them trying out new shows that aren’t done often in Utah this is perhaps one that its scarcity of performances is for a reason. Suffice it to say I really didn’t like this musical.

Of course, Bonnie & Clyde tells the story of American bandits Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow who during the 1930s led a gang that robbed banks and funeral homes in Louisiana and Texas. They also murdered at least 9 police officers and 4 civilians. Their story received media attention at the time and then was memorialized with the 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. One of the most interesting parts of the film is they chose to portray Clyde as a virgin who resists Bonnie’s advances through most of the movie. I have no idea if this is accurate to the man but it makes the film more interesting because Bonnie has so little to motivate her into the life of crime and Clyde is a more unusual, complex character. I wish Ivan Menchell had brought some of that complexity into the book in this musical version. As it is the relationship between Bonnie and Clyde is romanticized and as bland as it gets. It’s then not helped by schizophrenic songs (music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Don Black) that can’t decide whether this is a gospel, country, jazz or musical belt style of show. There’s no cohesion with the music and even the reprises are weirdly placed with no great 11 o’clock number to bring everything together.

Like I said, there are positives to Bonnie& Clyde at PTC. The sets by Bryce Cutler are some of the most impressive I’ve ever seen there with pictures of the real life Bonnie and Clyde and a theatre marquee that lit up the title of the name of the place whenever the setting changed. The production is overall directed and choreographed well by Gerry McIntyre. There is also a very impressive vehicle that I wish had been used more (they really only get on the run at the very end of the long first act.) but it was cool when we did get to see it. In addition, there is an impressive bedroom set that is in on the 2nd story of the backdrop that was integrated successfully into the story particularly in act 2.

The singing is across the board excellent with Alanna Saunders and Michael William Nigro doing all they could with the songs as Bonnie and Clyde. I also enjoyed Gina Milo’s performance in the very strangely written character of Blanche Barrow. The character was poorly done but she was trying as hard as possible to make it work.

Speaking of Blanche I was baffled in a Bonnie & Clyde musical how much time was devoted to Clyde’s sister-in law. You could easily make an argument that she is a co-lead and is given 6 songs including several with a preacher that make no sense with the overall narrative. This show isn’t trying to say anything about religion. Bonnie and Clyde are not religious characters. There is no reason to have sister-in law Blanche singing with a preacher about “God’s Arms Are Always Open.” What on earth? And we get a reprise of the song with the Preacher back for the second act! As if it wasn’t bad enough the first time.

Blanche also gets such bland numbers as “You Love Who You Love” and “That’s What You Call a Dream.” I frankly felt bad for Milo because she was so good with such a poorly written character. Sometimes the theatre just isn’t fair.

Honestly if I hadn’t been reviewing the show I might have left at intermission. That’s how much I disliked the music and story (and almost I never do that.) It was so oddly paced with huge exposition dumps and characters given arcs that added nothing to the overall narrative. For example, did we really need the police officer who has a crush on Bonnie to get a whole story with songs? At one point it’s almost portrayed like Clyde is a Jean Valjean archetype being poor persecuted inmate even though that makes no sense as he actually committed serious crimes to end up in jail. Bonnie and Clyde were also not much of a Robin Hood type of characters as often who they were hitting up were small establishments that needed the money just as much as they did if not more so. Not that it matters the musical doesn’t stick to history, but what they chose instead was blander and less interesting than the actual events.

Since I saw Bonnie & Clyde last week I’ve spoken with some people who really enjoyed it. That’s the subjectivity of theatre I suppose. They did all they could at Pioneer Theatre Company to make it an entertaining show but it could not be saved from the muddled and poorly written book and songs. A great production can only do so much. At least in the case of this critic, you can add wasting everyone’s time by inspiring this musical to the list of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Darrow’s crimes…

Bonnie & Clyde is playing through March 9th and tickets can be purchased here.

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