Press Reviews
PRAISE FOR A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER
“This delightful show will lift the hearts of all those who’ve been pining for what sometimes seems a lost art form: musicals that match streams of memorable melody with fizzily witty turns of phrase. Bloodlust hasn’t sung so sweetly, or provided so much theatrical fun since Sweeney Todd first wielded his razor with gusto many a long year ago. Written by Robert L. Freedman (book and lyrics) and Steven Lutvak (music and lyrics), both welcome newcomers to Broadway. Their score establishes itself as one of the most accomplished (and probably the most literate) to be heard on Broadway in the past dozen years or so. ” Read full review
“It has become a clichéd grumble amongst those exiting new musicals that you can’t remember any tunes, but Lutvak and Freedman buck the modern condition. Their songs, too organic and surprising to be dismissed as pastiche, assimilate influences from Gilbert and Sullivan, Sondheim and English music hall. They range from broadly satiric ‘I Don’t Understand the Poor’ to the campy ‘Better With a Man’ and the brilliantly constructed operetta-ish trio ‘I’ve Decided to Marry You.'” Read full review
“At last, a good new Broadway musical. Really good, in fact. If you’re tired of apologizing to out-of-town visitors for the shaky state of 21st-century American musical comedy, send them to ‘A Gentleman’s Guide’ and rest assured that they’ll go home happy.” Read full review
“Restores our faith in musical comedy! In an increasingly risk-averse Broadway landscape where more and more musicals come from mainstream-brand movies or hit song catalogues, this bright jewel is a legitimate treat. The Broadway musical can often seem a hermetic art form, with the same handful of directors bringing their signature stamps to the majority of new projects. This is a case where a creative team of first-timers yields rewards across the board. That applies to the devilish book by Robert L. Freedman; to Steven Lutvak’s tuneful songs; to the inventive direction of Darko Tresnjak, a seasoned veteran of the Off Broadway and regional trenches, graduating to theatrical primetime with honors. With its sumptuous design elements and versatile ensemble taking on multiple roles, this is a small-scale show that feels both intimate and lavish. ” Read full review
“There are different ways to make it to the top. You could start at the bottom and work hard, or breeze into the family business — or you could try murdering your way to success, as in the dazzlingly funny new musical comedy ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder.’ The farcical vaudevillian tour de force features a book by Robert L. Freedman, rousing music by Steven Lutvak, and wry, wonderful lyrics by Freedman and Lutvak that call to mind the light-hearted puns and wit of Noel Coward. Darko Tresnjak directs with a flair for slapstick surprises and exuberant sight gags and special effects, while Peggy Hickey provides clever choreography for the versatile ensemble.” Read full review
PRAISE FOR LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND: ME AND MY SHADOWS
“Sharply focused direction and a sleek script.”
“Robert L. Freedman’s screenplay is a marvel: smart, catty, knowing, sympathetic but unflinching.”
“Writer Robert L. Freedman and director Robert Allan Ackerman skillfully lead us through the well-known basics of Garland’s life.”
“Robert L. Freedman’s teleplay presents Garland’s life as the quintessential show-business story.”
“Spectacular television. Robert L. Freedman’s script, Robert Allan Ackerman’s direction, the sets, the costumes, the performances, and the recreations are astounding.”
“Thanks to a snappy script by Robert L. Freedman, as well as Davis’ incredible performance, Luft succeeds in showing Garland’s strength and little-seen, razor-sharp wit in the face of exploitation, illness and adversity.“
“Writer Robert L. Freedman and director Robert Allan Ackerman has made this much more than the saga of a suffering star.“
PRAISE FOR WHAT LOVE SEES
“Hurdles could be more formidable but Robert L. Freedman’s frank script has a satisfying symmetry dealing with courage.”
“Robert L. Freedman’s script creates complex characters with well-defined traits, treats the material with respect and hits the emotional beats with assurance.“
“Robert L. Freedman wrote the gentle teleplay, based on the book by Susan Vreeland“
PRAISE FOR HONOR THY MOTHER
“Robert L. Freedman’s well-honed teleplay recounts the sinister unraveling of a family’s bond… The script skillfully blends the past and present into an intriguing, semi-documentarylike series of events. It’s all done with a minimum of story fat, which adds to the pic’s effectiveness.“
PRAISE FOR R & H’S CINDERELLA
“In Freedman’s teleplay, the story itself has been gently updated to reflect current ideas about what we should be teaching children.”
“The new script by Robert L. Freedman restores the idea from Hammerstein’s original teleplay, omitted in the second version, that one must depend on oneself rather than a fairy godmother for happiness.“
“Original Oscar Hammerstein teleplay has been given a rewrite by Robert Freedman that packs in more verbiage and quickens the pace.“
