I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little skeptical when I first got wind of What’s It All About: Bacharach Reimagined. The idea for a Bacharach review had already come to Broadway and, according to most, it had failed pretty badly. (Bacharach himself wasn’t a big fan.) The concept of another Bacharach review, especially one conceived and arranged by a 26-year-old musical theater performer and which promised a “re-imagining” of Bacharach’s music, sounded like a train wreck waiting to happen.
I’m happy to report that Kyle Riabko’s show, which is being staged with Bacharach’s support, appears to be a resounding success. It opened at the New York Theatre Workshop on Nov. 19 to mostly positive reviews and was recently extended through Feb. 2. Updating Bacharach for the millennial generation while still remaining true to the songs was a tall order, but Kyle Riabko seems to have pulled it off.
Here are a few reviews:
And just for good measure, here’s a not-so-positive review by Newsday.