Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Public)
🌟VERDICT’S PICK🌟
It should come as absolutely no surprise that when The Public Theater announced the North American premiere of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as part of this season, I was elated, to put it lightly. Ever since seeing it in London in the summer of 2024, I’d been hoping to see it again. And now, finally, my wish has been granted, at least through December 6. Now playing at The Public’s Newman Theater, this production retains its unique charm and beautiful approach to storytelling, reminding me exactly why I fell in love with it in London, even as it makes the transatlantic journey to New York.
Even while the show was still running in London, talk of an American transfer inevitably raised the question of whether the Cornish setting would feel too British for New York audiences; I can now say with confidence that it does not. Following the life of Benjamin Button, a man born old who ages backward, this musical continues to transcend time and place, resonating deeply with audiences through its themes of home, family, and the preciousness of time. Especially in New York, a city perpetually abuzz with life, this show reminds us all to slow down and savor the time we have.
In its New York transfer, the production retains the bulk of its original material. I noticed a few subtle changes to Jethro Compton’s book, though most audience members likely wouldn’t. The more significant changes are to the score, both to the lyrics by Compton and Darren Clark and to Clark’s beautiful, Cornish-infused music. The lyrics have been tweaked, particularly in “Home” and in the recurring lines Benjamin writes in his messages in a bottle, giving him more opportunities to reflect on his longing for Elowen.
The most noticeable musical changes, however, are in the orchestrations. In New York, the show is performed by an incredibly talented ensemble of eleven actor-musicians (two fewer than in London) who play a variety of instruments as they sing, dance, and tell this story. Nearly every number also moves at a noticeably slower tempo than in London. This was slightly jarring at first, given how firmly the original tempos are ingrained in my memory, but as the show progressed, I came to appreciate the extra space to fully absorb the stunning music emanating from the stage. For the most part, the revised orchestrations are barely noticeable. The one exception for me was “Rollin’ Away,” where I found myself missing the distinct cornet and whistle parts of the original arrangement. With Katie Horner playing both instruments in this iteration, the number loses a particular musical moment from Darren Clark and Mark Aspinall’s original orchestration that I especially love. These are the sorts of small adjustments required to accommodate a new cast, none of which negatively affected my enjoyment of the show.
Speaking of the cast, the eleven performers make up one of the tightest ensembles I have ever seen. Each seamlessly shifts between multiple characters in Benjamin’s world while playing a variety of instruments live onstage. Every ensemble member gets moments to shine individually, whether vocally or instrumentally. As Mary Button, Benjamin’s mother, Sachiko Mae has an early opportunity to shine in the haunting solo “The Kraken’s Lullaby,” lamenting her inability to cope with her son’s extraordinary circumstances. The song ends with a beautiful, heartbreaking moment as she blows out a candle, symbolizing her death. Trevor Lindley Craft, as the Landlord, also leads the ensemble on guitar in the rousing number “When E’er She Looked at Me,” a true musical celebration of Cornwall. I must also commend the company’s Cornish accents, which are consistently convincing despite the dialect’s notorious difficulty.
As Benjamin Button, Andrew Durand delivers one of the most brilliantly nuanced and meticulously crafted performances I have ever seen. The role requires him to convince the audience that he is a seventy-year-old man when we first meet him, then gradually age backward to twenty-two by the end of the show. He accomplishes this through subtle adjustments to his posture and vocal inflections, his singing growing stronger as Benjamin grows younger. His voice reaches its full power just in time for his major second-act solo, the reprise of “Home,” in which his soaring vocals feel entirely natural to the character. Durand also develops beautifully realized relationships with the other people in Benjamin’s life, particularly his father, Roger (Brandon J. Ellis), and his son, Locryn (Kris Saint-Louis). Both relationships are marked by considerable tension, but Compton and Clark’s writing allows them to evolve through a series of hard-won, emotionally satisfying moments.Â
Opposite Durand is Kelsee Kimmel, who principally plays Elowen Keene, “the only woman Benjamin ever loved.” She brings maturity and depth to the role, with grace and energy throughout the show. As she and Benjamin age in different directions, their relationship evolves too, from the shy spark in the Pickled Crab to a beautiful reconciliation in the second act. Kimmel brings passion to every beat of Elowen’s journey, whether portraying the delightful young barmaid in the Pickled Crab or the older woman with the wisdom of someone who has lived far longer than she. Kimmel also has a distinctive voice, its rich, deep tone fitting beautifully with her characterization of Elowen.Â
The set, costume, and lighting designs remain almost unchanged from London. Designed by Compton, the steeply raked stage features a series of multi-leveled platforms that evoke a fishing harbor. Adorned with fishing nets, buoys, and other nautical trinkets, some gathered from the beaches of Cornwall themselves, the set is as beautiful as it is functional. Anna Kelsey’s costume designs give each member of the ensemble a distinct personality, with pieces added to distinguish named characters. Perhaps Kelsey’s most ingenious idea is the series of smaller jackets Benjamin dons as he ages backward, helping sell the illusion that he is getting younger. The effect is subtle enough to go unnoticed, but it’s a neat detail once you know to look for it. Zoe Spurr’s lighting truly ties the entire visual feast together. Evocative and emotional, it creates some of the most stunning stage pictures I’ve ever had the privilege to see. Through fluid, wave-like light cues, she brings Benjamin’s apparent drowning to life in a sequence as haunting as it is mesmerizing. Finally, her collaboration with Compton to transform a fishing net into a starlit sky or a buoy into the moon completes the transformation of this Cornish beach litter into art.
I think I’ve said enough: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at The Public Theater is an absolute must-see. This New York production captures much of what made me fall in love with the show in London while proving that its story reaches far beyond its Cornish setting. With its stunning music, extraordinary ensemble, and inventive visual storytelling, it’s a rare musical that leaves you thinking not only about the lives unfolding onstage but about the people and moments that give your own life meaning.
5/5 stars
2 hours and 30 minutes, one intermission
The Public, Newman Theater
Through December 6, 2026
