𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐈𝐍'𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 ¥ 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐒 & 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐒

𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊𝐋𝐘
𝘎𝘐𝘓𝘋𝘌𝘋 𝘓𝘐𝘓𝘠: 𝘈 𝘔𝘜𝘚𝘐𝘊𝘈𝘓 𝘊𝘖𝘔𝘌 𝘛𝘖 𝘗𝘈𝘐𝘕𝘛 𝘉𝘙𝘖𝘈𝘋𝘞𝘈𝘠 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏 𝘛𝘌𝘈𝘙𝘚.
By Mari Conners.

Perfection, heartache and hope crushing dynamics are only a fraction of what a person can find at The Winter Garden Theatre. Two time Tony Award Winner Lorianne Giacometti's "Gilded Lily: A musical" is a story about  a child's pursuit of happiness and the complex nature of life and family.

The musical is a sensational take on the age old question: "why is life like this?" And much like the many philosophers who have spent their lives thinking themselves down an inescapable hole, Gilded Lily leaves us with no answers and a gaping pit in our hearts. With a phenomenal cast, heart wrenching lyrics, beautifully crafted dialogue and an over flowing amount of symbolism, Gilded Lily is the perfect fit for a night of tears, ice cream and a heavy glass of wine.

It all kicks off when Lily Dutch (Zawadi Agentow), a ten year old girl from a disgustingly wealthy family finds that her life is lacking. Despite all the things she has, she finds herself discontent with the life she is living and so much like any child her age she begins to ask questions, giving way to the heartbreaking exploration into the deep complexities of the relationships that make her who she is and the discussion of what happiness is and if anyone is truly entitled to it.

Lorianne Giacometti in her directorial debut balances the line of hope and soul crushing disappointment in this slow swell of a story that she happened to also write. With her strong stage direction, Daisy Han's perfect choreography and Joshua Matthew's  well time spotlights—Gilded Lily is elevated to heights unmatched .

While Giacometti, Han and Matthew pave the way, Gilded Lily's success ultimately rests upon the  chemistry of their phenomenally casted four piece ensemble—although we cannot forget to give the dancers and background characters their dues— to not only maintain overall heaviness of the show but also stun the audience with their jaw dropping talent.

Agentow in her debut role as Lily Dutch, portrays her character as a subdued but witty and charismatic girl that somehow moves with a sadness and resentment that can only run soul deep. Capturing the slow but devastating swelling bitterness that a child should never be subjected to with a chilling accuracy that leaves the viewer gaping at the empty stage stunned and heartbroken. Her acting paired with the vocals of an Angel we might as well be looking at a future Award winner.

Odom Jr is stellar in his role of the harsh, hard hitting and complex Louis Dutch. The former Rent cast member presents the character as a near tortured man pushing his child into the role of perfection that he could never hope to achieve....turn the page for more.

𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐄: 𝐀+