More Theater Monday - label.less and Love Life

We received complimentary tickets to label.less for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: label.less

Where: Theatre Row

             410 W. 42nd St.

              New York, NY

When: This event concluded on March 30, 2025

Label.less is a new musical written and created by former 98 Degrees boy band member, Drew Lachey and his wife, choreographer, Lea Lachey. The show doesn't really have a storyline with a linear plot. Rather, it is part concert and part rallying cry for a better world where people see beyond what is on the outside and judge each other for who they are inside. 

The songs were made up of a mix of new songs written expressly for the show and pop songs by the likes of Lady Gaga. They were punctuated by heartfelt monologues by the performers regarding the negative effects of constantly being judged and mistreated because of gender, nationality, skin color, etc.  

The extremely diverse cast of talented young performers included the Lachey's own daughter, Izzy.  The singing and dancing skills displayed throuought the show were both amazing. The heartwarming way the performers interacted with each other should be a blueprint for how it should always be for us all. Unfortunately, the negative experiences they recounted far too often prevail in the real world. However, the show reminds us that we all need to do better and continue striving to make a better, fairer world for all. 

And that's our view. For more about the show label.less visit www.labellessmusical.com.

XXX

We received complimentary tickets to Love Life for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: Love Life 

Where: New York City Center

             130 W. 56th St.

             New York, NY 

When: This event concluded on March 30, 2025 

Love Life, the only joint effort by legendary composers Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner, lasted less than a year on Broadway from late 1948 to mid-1949 and has only received one German production since then. However, two new productions are slated this year, including a recently concluded run as part of City Center's acclaimed Encores! series. 

The show examines one couple's marriage told through a strange combination of domestic scenes broken up by satirical vaudevillian acts. Although the show takes place over more than 150 years, it is always the same couple, and they don't age. The couple deals with the major issues of each era, including the Industrial Revolution and the depression and their resulting effects on their marriage. It can be a lot to deal with at times, particularly if you are struggling in your own relationship or recently went through a difficult divorce. 

The vaudeville numbers are mostly amusing. They cover a range of styles common to such shows, including comedy, dance, and even magical illusions. The dancing in the show, in general, was quite good and seemed more of an integral part of the show than in many Encore! shows. The score contained some fun, upbeat numbers, although the ballads were mostly not as interesting, even when sung by the hugely talented Brian Stokes Mitchell and Kate Baldwin.  None of the songs from the show have ever been recorded, although one was transformed into a number in Mr. Lerner's Gigi.

In addition to the previously mentioned Mr. Stokes and Ms. Baldwin as the husband and wife, respectively, the other main characters in the show were their children, Johnny and Elizabeth, played by newcomers Christopher Jordan and Andrea Rose Guzman. As the main narrators of the show, these young people had a lot riding on their slim shoulders. They were more than up to the task. They acted, sang, and danced with great aplomb and displayed enormous talent as they kept the show moving along smoothly. Expect to see more great things from these talented performers in the future.

And that's our view. The next and final show in this year's Encores! series will be Wonderful Town, which will begin performances on April 30. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2024-2025/wonderful-town.

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo credits:

All Label.less production photos by Angie Lipscomb

All Love Life production photos by Joan Marcus

Images used in this post have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission. If there is a problem with the rights to any image,  contact us here, and we will look into the matter.