‘Lennon’ gets critical disdain
Most of the critics who reviewed the pre-Broadway tryout of the biographical songbook musical “Lennon” in San Francisco are urging author-director Don Scardino not to just “let it be.”
Robert Hurwitt of the San Francisco Chronicle was perhaps the most upbeat about the John Lennon musical, but he still concluded that “though it often makes for a rocking good time, it doesn’t succeed in illuminating the man or adequately depicting the genius.”
Karen D’Souza of the San Jose Mercury News suggested starting over from scratch and said that, while watching the show, the sentiment that kept running through her mind was “Let it be ... over.”
“Imagine something awful. It’s easy if you see ‘Lennon,’ ” began Pat Craig of the Contra Costa Times. The review ended with the hope that “the producers will take a good hard look at ‘Lennon’ and find a way to give change a chance.”
Chad Jones of the Oakland Tribune found “a clever, fluid kind of storytelling” but said “the Beatles period is glossed over much too quickly.”
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Don Shirley
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