The Off-Broadway revival of the 1983 musical Baby, presented by Out of the Box Theatrics in a limited engagement at Theaterlab through December 12, has received mixed reviews from New York theater critics. The creative team includes Sybille Pearson (book), David Shire (music), Richard Maltby Jr. (lyrics), Ethan Paulini (direction, choreography), Geoffrey Ko (music direction), Emily Marshall (music supervision), Rien Schlecht (production design), Scout Hough (lights), and W. Alan Waters and Dimlywit Productions (sound). The cast includes Julia Murney (Arlene), Johnny Link (Danny), Jamila Sabares-Klemm (Nicki), Liz Flemming (Lizzie), Robert H. Fowler (Alan), and Danielle Summons (Pam), with ensemble members Jorge Donoso, Marisa Kirby, and Jewell Noel.
Danielle Summons, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Johnny Link, and Liz Flemming. Photo: Jo Chiang.
New York Stage Review (Melissa Rose Bernardo): The bouncy score by Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire is packed with toe-tapping, instantly memorable songs. … Now, thanks to Out of the Box Theatrics’ extremely intimate, heart-on-its-sleeve production, those terrific tunes are stuck in my head once again. Out of the Box first decided to … “bring Baby into the 21st century” in 2019; this revival of the revival continues the company’s rethink of the original. … This Baby is on its way, but still has some growing to do. Too many of the book scenes bring the show to a screeching halt, and are in desperate need of trimming. 4 out of 5 stars.
New York Stage Review (Steven Suskin): The joys of Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire’s score for the 1983 musical Baby are immediately apparent through the first scenes of the revised version. … You might well wonder, then, why Baby has been relegated to the sidelines of musical-comedy memory. The answer becomes apparent soon thereafter, when that old devil “book trouble” overtakes the songwriters. … But let’s give credit to good intentions and express hearty appreciation: This new-generation Baby offers the opportunity to hear a present-day team of good actors sing these delightfully good and exuberantly tuneful songs. 3 out of 5 stars.
Theatre Mania (Hayley Levitt): Out of the Box Theatrics, true to its name, has given an inventive update to … Baby, a sweet musical about three couples maneuvering the trials of pregnancy. It seems like a timeless enough premise to endure at least a few decades of cultural evolution. And yet, despite its best intentions, not even a well-placed edit or a creative restaging can free Baby from the amber in which it is frozen. … Paulini attempts to have these couples push a few more boundaries, but with their narratives rather firmly set, most of these changes barely make a dent.