Critical Reaction

Critical Reaction

"Intelligently put together... attractively personal"
– The New York Times

"A gripping story.... [It is] very witty, has a certain moral force and, best of all, it has style.... Pure Broadway."
– The New York Times

"Effervescent music and acute, colloquial lyrics... the book is a model of concision and clarity – a solid piece of work."
– The New York Times

"A colorful historical pageant that told an uplifting true story of Jewish emancipation.... Its most powerful moments are its confrontations between the irresistible force of the Rothschilds' will to succeed and the disdainful, self-regarding European aristocrats for whom the oppressed Jews are convenient scapegoats."
– The New York Times

"A thoroughly enjoyable musical by one of the most important teams in Broadway history.... The Rothschilds is a more-than-credible score that has only a few hints of the Jewishness of [Fiddler on the Roof]. Many of the songs sound classically inspired; Harnick was aiming for a score that 'reflected the music of the show's period,' according to Mandelbaum. 'Pleasure and Privilege' indeed sounds like a period minuet, though it segues into the droning cry of the 'ghetto closing' refrain. There is also a lot of counterpoint singing, which gives the show a distinctive air. The lyrics are easily up to Harnick's standard."
– Rational Magic

"The Rothschilds uses simple story-telling techniques. Almost a musical docudrama, it moves through the years at breakneck speed, seemingly equally divided between scenes and a kind of ambulatory narration. This emphasis on events rather than characters makes for a fascinatingly intellectual evening of theater."
– The Chicago Reader