The Wall Street Journal
August 22, 2003
Crooked Pols and Seasoned Pros
For the 'Urinetown' Crowd
by Terry Teachout
Far more to my liking was
For the Love of Tiffany, a smartly silly farce custom-tailored for the
Urinetown crowd. The deliberately thin plot -- it's all about Stephanie, a mousy young lady who is addicted to the cheesy made-for-TV movies seen on the "Wifetime, Television for Women" channel -- is a mere pretext for high-energy spoofery. Staged with crisp assurance by co-author Matthew Brookshire,
For the Love of Tiffany has good songs, good jokes and a terrific cast. At just over an hour, it's too short to produce on its own, and too tightly carpentered to be expanded to full length. What it needs is an equally funny companion piece, and I have no doubt that its witty creators are more than capable of turning one out. I hope they get cracking, because I'd like to see this show reach a larger audience.
For the Love of Tiffany moves with sure-footed professionalism. I was particularly impressed by the deftly crafted lyrics of Amanda Green, a cabaret singer-songwriter of whom I had heard much but whose work I'd never before heard. Ms. Green, who is also a member of the ensemble (among other things, she plays a triple amputee), knows how to put a wicked spin on her punch lines, and "Be a Little Less Stupid," the finale, is one of the best new comic songs to come along in ages. I almost hate to mention that she's the daughter of Adolph Green, for her own talents are considerable enough to merit flattering comparison with those of her famous father, who would doubtless have been bursting with pride had he lived to see this show.
