Ghost the Musical

At the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre located at 205 West 46th Street. The musical opened on April 23, 2012. It is an opened-ended run. The show runs for two hours and thirty minutes with one intermission.

Based on the 1990 romantic drama film starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film.

The musical premiere at the Manchester Opera House in Manchester England and ran from March 28, 2011 to May 14, 2011. It then moved to the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End on June 22, 2011.

Richard Flessman and Caissie Levy are reprising their roles from the London production.

The new original score is by Grammy Award winners Dave Steward and Glen Ballard. The score includes the song "Unchained Melody" performed by the "Righteous Brothers" in the film.

Sam Wheat (Richard Fleesham) and Molly Jensen (Caissie Levy) have just bought a raw loft that they are converting to an apartment/studio. Molly is an artist and Sam is in finance. Sam's friend and co worker Carl Bruner (Bryce Pinkham) hangs out with them.

Molly has an opening at an art gallery. After the opening they go for coffee. Sam and Molly are in love. Sam has trouble saying so. When Molly says I love you he replies "Ditto". This irks her but she tells him she thinks they should get married.

On there way home Sam is killed in a botched robbery. At the hospital, the "hospital ghost" (Lance Roberts) tries to help him with the transition.

Sam spirit won't leave He has to warn Molly who has killed him. He comes across Oda Mae Brown (Da'Vine Joy Rabdolph) who people come to so that they can hear from their love ones. She is a con artist. However for some reason she can hear Sam. He convinces her to talk to Molly, even though she never goes to Brooklyn.

Sam learns to tunnel his energy from a "subway ghost" (Tyler McGee). He saves the day. I would tell you how but its fun to see it yourself .

The cast is great and the ensemble adds flavor to the show.

Lance Roberts is outstanding as the "hospital ghost".

Da'Vine Joy Randolph is divine. She is so good she out shines the rest of the cast. No wonder why she is up for a Tony Award for this role.

The best of all is the visual effects. I have never see the likes of it except in part in Spiderman. This alone is worth coming to see. Hugh Vanstone is up for a Tony award for "Best Lighting Design in a Musical". He has won three Olivier Awards in London for "Pacific Overtunes" (2004), "The Cherry Orchard" and "The Graduate" (2001) and "The Unexpected Man" and "The Blue Room" (1999). Hugh has won a Tony Award for "Spamalot" (2005).

If you like love stories, ghosts, great visual effects, one or all of the above you will definitely like "Ghost the Musical".

Review by Rozanna Radakovich

Photos by Annazor.