Death Takes a Holiday

The Grim Reaper is the smiley hero of this ludicrous musical tribute to mortification, set at an Italian villa, which lurches between lame comedy and icky pseudoromance. Maury Yeston’s stirring music and a strong cast of singers are sadly yoked to a terminally dopey libretto (and creaky direction). The production's assets are wasted on a show that has one foot in operetta and the other in the grave.—Adam Feldman