Musical take on Jane Austen’s story from a Tony Award nominee
Year: 2020
Certificate: 15
Jane Austen’s stories, and particularly Pride & Prejudice, are so robust that you can do almost anything with them. This musical had its opening night in late 2019 and was then broadcast online to the world during the early stages of Covid, when Broadway was shut down. It comes from Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon, who also made musicals of Emma and Sense And Sensibility.
It stars Mary Mattison as Elizabeth Bennet, and Justin Mortelliti as Mr Darcy. He has to overcome his pride and she her prejudice, just as in the book, only now they’re doing it through the medium of song. Mattison is a youthful Elizabeth and a cheeky hoot in the role, while Mortelliti feels somewhat like he’s strayed in from a Disney production. Still they work well together, and that’s what matters in the story.
If you like this, have a hunt around on Tubi and you’ll find other similarly offbeat Austen productions, but not all of them as charming as Gordon’s. (129 minutes)
