It’s hard to imagine how anyone could tell such a gut-wrenching, personal story to audiences night after night without going over the edge, but Abigail Bengson — who performs with husband Shaun in The Bengsons — is doing just that in “The Lucky Ones,” now playing at the historic Connelly Theater in Manhattan’s East Village.
The piece is charming and entertaining, but gripping and emotionally exhausting at the same time. It’s much more emotional, at least to me, than their previous musical, “Hundred Days.”
I regretted waiting so late in the game — not until Black Friday last year at New York Theater Workshop — to see the Bengsons’ first musical, which centered on their quirky love-and-marriage story. By then it was in what seemed like it umpteenth incarnation. I had passed up opportunities to see earlier versions at Joe’s Pub, The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Series, and probably other venues.
Embed from Getty ImagesAbigail and Shaun Bengson in January 2017
I have no idea why. But because when I finally did see it, I found “Hundred Days” to be so enjoyable and endearing experience that I wasn’t about to wait too long to see The Bengsons’ next project.
I was thrilled to see that “The Lucky Ones” was getting its world premiere in New York this month, and got the ticket-buying out of the way early. Continue reading
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