This musical version of the Oscar-winning film Never on Sunday, first presented on Broadway starring Melina Mercouri in a reprise of her film role, manages to capture the spirit of daily life in a Greek harbor town but is unable to overcome the weakness of the script. After the great success of the film, composer Manos Hadjidakis, lyricist Joe Darion, and book writer Jules Dassin saw an opportunity to adapt the film to the Broadway stage. The play opened in 1967 with Mercouri, ran 320 performances, and earned nominations for Mercouri and the creators.
Unfortunately the script does not bear the weight of time very well. The magic of the film was in the atmosphere it created, and, despite the efforts of director Angeliki Giannakopoulos and a gifted cast, it is difficult to recreate that magic onstage. What is left is a mostly rambling script that meanders around a pretty familiar premise: the experiences of a sensitive American intellectual abroad as he confronts the sensuality of Mediterranean culture and tries to reconcile his mind and his heart--as well as other parts of his anatomy. Director Giannakopoulos makes great use of her bilingual, culturally rich cast to pepper the production with atmospherics, but her efforts simply are unable to carry the story.
Christina Concetta does wonderful work as Illya, the streetwise hooker in love with life and her own illusions. She brings a sexy sophistication to the production and is a joy to watch. Others in the cast, including Theo Pagones as Tonio and Ismail Kanater as No Face, add a wonderful sense of authenticity to the piece.
Giannakopoulos wisely injects a dash of sexy spice to the evening, with lots of fun flirting by the local hookers and some glorious hotfooting by the Greek workers and visiting American sailors. But while the show is billed as a musical, there are few musical numbers beyond the signature "Never on Sunday" and a few other songs, delivered in mostly straightforward, realistic fashion with simple piano accompaniment.
While Americans may have to be content this year with a trip to the theatre rather than a flight to Greece, this production will prove to be a only a pale substitute for the real thing.