‘A Walk on the Moon’ Makes an Assured Stage Landing

By design, the new musical “A Walk on the Moon” invites skepticism. For starters, it’s a film adaptation, and we’ve seen plenty of sloppy and silly attempts to turn screen favorites into fresh sources of revenue. In this case, the movie in question might be described as a chick flick, as it follows a woman who, at least initially, seems to find self-actualization in the form of a hot guy.But that characterization wouldn’t be entirely fair to the 1999 film that gave “Moon” its title, which followed a married woman with kids who in 1969, during the summer that brought the first moon landing and Woodstock, gets swept into an affair with a sexy stranger. The romance unfolded in the Catskills, where our heroine, Pearl Kantrowitz, was vacationing with her family, as many Jewish women did at that time, with their husbands often staying home to work or visiting periodically; thus the story had more cultural and historical resonance than, say, your typical Jennifer Aniston vehicle.In adapting her original screenplay for the stage, Pamela Gray has retained those elements. Even better, she has, with composer and lyricist Annmarie Milazzo —Ms. Gray contributed additional lyrics — given her characters reasons to sing, rather than just musical embellishment to keep the plot chugging along. As a result, the initially modest charms of the show, now playing off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theater, blossom over its two acts, providing both winsome entertainment and genuinely moving moments.Pearl is portrayed here by Talia Suskauer, who projects a natural ebullience and, frankly, looks a lot more Jewish than Diane Lane did playing the role on screen. As Pearl’s husband, Marty, Max Chernin is instantly likable, an obvious mensch, and it’s established that while the two had to marry as teenagers when Pearl became pregnant, they remain in love, albeit not untouched by the challenges and occasional drudgery that come with longtime relationships and raising children.Enter Walker Jerome, a free spirit, played by a ruggedly handsome Sam Gravitte, who arrives to sell blouses to the women summering at Dr. Fogler’s Bungalow Colony we occasionally hear announcements from Mrs. Fogler, voiced by a perfectly placed Tovah Feldshuh. All of Pearl’s girlfriends are titillated by his presence, but naturally, she’s the one who catches his eye. Pearl is reticent, but when Walker convinces her to buy a tie-dye T-shirt, it becomes obvious that this respectable wife and mother is in trouble.Pearl’s age and background are central to the inner struggle that develops. Though born before the baby boom, she’s still young enough to have been touched by the cultural upheaval of the sixties, as Walker, who’s also in his thirties, clearly is. But marrying and becoming a mom so early in life set her on a very different path, in which enforcing rules for her two children — the elder, Alison, is now a teenager herself — has taken precedence over breaking them, or pursuing her own dreams, for that matter. Marty has also had to make considerable sacrifices, of course, as his mother, Lillian, played with great warmth by the marvelous Andréa Burns, reminds her daughter-in-law. When Pearl laments that she “never got a chance” to define herself as an individual, Lillian retorts, “You think you’re the only one?”Sophie Pollono, Talia Suskauer, Caroline Pernick, Becca Suskauer, and MeganKane in ‘A Walk on the Moon.’ Photo by Joan MarcusWhat makes the musical most refreshing, as it did the movie, is that it is neither a romantic fantasy nor a sermon on female autonomy. Men and women alike make mistakes and compromises and, accordingly, suffer disappointment and heartache. Everyone comes across as essentially a good person, including the feisty Alison, who is given a fetching portrait by Sophie Pollono, and her eager, guitar-wielding boyfriend, Ross, played by an adorable Oscar Williams.Tal Yarden’s scenic and video design combine bucolic beauty with stirring images, from psychedelic patterns to footage of soldiers in Vietnam and anti-war protests. But the most poignant moments play out with little visual embellishment, such as when Marty, trying to comfort Alison after she has discovered her mother’s infidelity, sings “We Made You,” a ballad describing the love he immediately felt both for his future wife and for Alison herself when she was born.“One night fifteen years ago my life came into view,” Marty sings. It’s a corny lyric on the page, but Mr. Chernin gives it an emotional authenticity that, like the best moments in “A Walk on the Moon,” may put a lump in your throat or, more frequently, a smile on your face.

‘A Walk on the Moon’ Makes an Assured Stage Landing

‘A Walk on the Moon’ Makes an Assured Stage Landing

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