Review: Monte Cristo
- The Verdict
- Mar 19
- 4 min read
A Triumphant World Premiere
Adapting a story as complex and beloved as The Count of Monte Cristo for the stage will always be a challenge. However, I am delighted to report that the world premiere production of Monte Cristo: A New Musical at The York Theatre is a smashing success. This version, with a book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg (Anna Karenina), music by Stephen Weiner, and direction by Peter Flynn, captures the essence of Alexandre Dumas’s original story, while creating a digestible version for a theatrical audience. Like any world premiere production, there are certainly flaws to be ironed out before the next staging, but overall, this production is very close to accomplishing its narrative and emotional goals.
As in Dumas’s novel, the show follows Edmund Dantès (Adam Jacobs), a wrongfully imprisoned sailor, in his quest for justice. Dantès falls in love with the beautiful Mercedes (Sierra Boggess), but is arrested on his wedding day after Fernand Mondego (Daniel Yearwood), Mercedes’ jealous suitor, and M. Danglars (James Judy) plot to take him out of the picture. It is an intense story of revenge, redemption, and justice, staying fairly faithful to Dumas’ original novel. This show gets a lot right: the simplified story streamlines the narrative, which makes it accessible to an audience who might not be familiar with the book. Furthermore, the performances are stellar and the score is very well written, yet therein lies the show’s biggest flaw.
Perhaps it is over-musicalized. There were some moments, primarily in the first act, where I found myself wondering why this was musicalized instead of spoken. Sometimes these excess songs did indeed move the plot along or provide the context for a character’s actions, but more often, they were good character-building opportunities, just for the wrong characters. I would rather see the time dedicated to the central relationships, instead of a side relationship that mirrors a central one, because it is not a plot point that impacts the show as a whole. However, I can still say with certainty that many of these perhaps unnecessary songs provided some of the most memorable scenes of the show, particularly Abbé Faria’s hilarious, if slightly out-of-place soliloquy. Still, the score was phenomenal overall. Mercedes’ solo towards the end of Act I, “How Did I Get So Far Away,” was a highlight for me, and is the number I left the theatre thinking about.
A real accomplishment of the writing team is their ability to find moments of humor in an otherwise dark and dramatic story. Kellogg and Weiner pulled out the inherently comedic plot points of the show and used them to relieve tension. The delightful Danny Rutigliano was a main source of this through his dual roles as Abbé Faria and Caderousse, often delivering the punchline or providing other tension-relieving moments. However, that became another pitfall of the show: its quick relief of high-intensity moments; as a result, the show never fully allows the audience to feel the stakes. Still, the writing was clear and, through its use of comedy, opened the door to this story for audiences intimidated by classic literature.
The cast was a clear strength of this production. Monte Cristo features an all-star lineup of performers, with some of the biggest names and most spectacular voices onstage. Adam Jacobs (Aladdin, The Who’s Tommy) played Edmund Dantès brilliantly. His emotional and physical transformations throughout the show are compelling. The audience watches him evolve from a nineteen-year-old into a man hardened by corruption and driven by justice. This is also where the characterization falters slightly, as I did not always fully believe in his drive for revenge, though this is more an issue of the writing than the performance. Even so, Jacobs gives a fully committed and often excellent performance.
Still, the standout of the production is without a doubt Sierra Boggess (The Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock, Harmony), in a sensational performance as the resilient, yet tragic Mercedes. She brings wisdom and grace to the role, representing her conflict flawlessly, and with her beautiful, crystal-clear voice, she steals the show. Her character is given, in my opinion, the show’s best material musically, and also showcases her wide range of characterizations. Boggess truly is a sensation, and is giving a career-defining performance in Monte Cristo.
Supporting the two lovers is a cast of excellent performers, including Daniel Yearwood (Sweeney Todd, Hamilton) as Dantès’ rival and Mercedes’ husband, Fernand Mondego. He makes this character just as detestable as he deserves to be through a wonderfully nuanced performance. Rounding out the central quartet is Norm Lewis (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables) as the prosecutor M. Villefort. I was thrilled to see him back on stage, but left disappointed by his limited stage time, as he (spoiler alert) dies after the first song of the second act. He had little time to establish the character or fully justify his decisions. He also had very little musical material to show off his stellar baritone. Complementing the central pair is a cast of excellent supporting performers, who each play a multitude of different roles in addition to one or two featured roles. As a whole, the cast is instrumental in bringing the world of the show vividly to life.
Overall, this is a fantastic world premiere production. Everything from the writing and cast to the very clever use of projections worked together to build a successful show. While there are flaws that I have acknowledged, I was able to look beyond them and thoroughly enjoyed the show. With further refinement, Monte Cristo is poised for a strong future, and I look forward to seeing how it evolves.
4/5 stars
2 hours and 20 minutes, one intermission
Theatre at St. Jean’s, The York Theatre
Through April 5, 2026
