Broadway World calls the new production of The Nutty Professor “a triumph… a flavorful, melodic concoction with every song feeling like an old friend you’ve enjoyed time and again.” Here’s an excerpt from their review:

---

The joyful regional premiere of The Nutty Professor on Hale Centre Theatre’s Centre Stage in Sandy is one of the first productions of the new musical since the composer unexpectedly passed away during the initial run in Nashville in 2012.

The Nutty Professor (music by Marvin Hamlisch, book and lyrics by Rupert Holmes, original story and concept by Jerry Lewis) is based on the classic 1963 comedy film. Unassuming college science professor Julius Kelp is tired of being bullied by his students and peers. When he meets new faculty member Stella Purdy, he is inspired to create a formula that will change his life for good. But will it be for the better?

This score is the last major work of the A Chorus Line composer, and it is a triumph.  With notes of popular 50s and 60s music, along with both classic and contemporary Broadway, it is a flavorful, melodic concoction with every song feeling like an old friend you’ve enjoyed time and again, even on the very first listen. There is a time or two (like the late detour “Step Out of Your Shell”) when it can feel slightly overstuffed, but a reluctance to trim any of this music is understandable. The score absolutely deserves a cast recording to preserve and share with a broader audience.   

If you are a fan of Jerry Lewis, romantic comedies, or tuneful musicals, this show is a breath of fresh air. Support Hale Centre Theatre’s laudable efforts to bring theatrical premieres to Utah by adding it to your must-see list, and maybe even coming back for an encore.

The Nutty Professor plays through August 17, 2024. For tickets, call the box office at 801-984-9000 or visit www.hct.org.

Read more here!