SHORT TAKES : ‘King’ Musical Hits Sour Notes

“King,” the troubled London musical about Martin Luther King Jr., opened Monday to a four-minute standing ovation but poor reviews from the critics.

“Someone should put on a musical about the making of ‘King.’ It would probably turn out to be a good deal more entertaining than ‘King’ itself,” Charles Spencer wrote in the Daily Telegraph. The show bowed at the Piccadilly Theater after its original opening date, April 4, was postponed three times. Maureen Paton in the Daily Express wrote: “This treatment comes across as a simplified version for children. It may be well-meaning, but it’s an insult to adults.”

Monday’s premier brought to an end weeks of speculation about the show, which for several weeks was making headlines almost daily as various directors and writers parted company with the project. On March 6, Coretta Scott King announced in a statement that she was withdrawing her support because the show trivialized her husband. She restored her support a week into previews.