Theater Thursday - The Harder They Come

We were given complimentary tickets to The Harder They Come for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: The Harder They Come 

Where: The Public Theater 

            425 Lafayette Street 

            New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 13 and Up

When: Through April 9, 2023

Me - The Harder They Come is a new musical based on a movie. It's about this guy who wants to make records. Some parts of the show are enjoyable, but other parts are a little too sad for me. I liked the music though. I was kind of surprised that I liked the music because I usually don't like reggae.  It was really good though. I would definitely listen to it again if I had the chance. That was my favorite part of the show. 

Mom - The new musical, The Harder They Come, currently playing at The Public Theater in New York City is based on the 1972 Jamaican crime film of the same name and features the music of Jimmy Cliff who starred in the film and wrote the music.  The story revolves around a man who wants to be a songwriter but instead finds himself on the wrong side of the law. It is loosely based on the life of a real-life criminal.

The main character, Ivan's unwavering conviction in himself and his propensity to stand up for what he believes is his due to the point of taking things just a little too far can be grating at times. However, Natey Jones performance imbues the character with a kind of earnestness that keeps him likable. In fact, many of the characters in the show are just outright unlikable or make choices that are inconceivable. They may be morally right but that doesn't account for familial loyalty and bonds of the heart.  After all, isn't blood supposed to be thicker than water? The only truly loyal character in the show the only one who doesn't seem to have his own moral (or immoral) agenda is Pedro.

The shows uniquely reggae-influenced score is partly made up of songs from the movie and partly made up of new songs. In fact, the movie itself was credited with introducing reggae to global audiences. The music is lively and engaging. It can easily be enjoyed by anyone even if they don't think they like reggae music. It is definitely the highlight of this show.  While the story initially draws you in, it is just hard to reconcile some of the choices that the characters make, the music, however, is mostly just fun.

And that's our view. For more about The Harder They Come or to purchase tickets, visit publictheater.org/productions/season/2223/the-harder-they-come.

Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop.

Photo credits:

All The Harder They Come production photos by Joan Marcus