Beautiful Little Fool review – F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald musical needs jazzing up

[Mania]

A New Musical Can't Shake Off F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's Flawed Legacy

F Scott Fitzgerald's doomed marriage to Zelda has captivated audiences for generations, but can a new stage show truly capture the essence of their tumultuous relationship? Unfortunately, Beautiful Little Fool, the latest attempt at bringing the iconic couple's story to life, falls short.

While director Michael Greif and composer Hannah Corneau assemble a talented cast that can belt out catchy tunes, the overall narrative remains shallow. The framing device of Zelda's daughter Scottie narrating her family's history offers some potential, but it's ultimately underutilized. As for F Scott, actor David Hunter does his best to bring out the contradictions of his husband's personality – arrogance and insecurity in equal measure.

However, the show stumbles when trying to convey the complexities of Zelda's character. Amy Parker's performance is often reduced to emotional expression, with little attention paid to the mental health struggles that defined her life. It's a missed opportunity to delve deeper into the darker aspects of their relationship.

One notable exception is the Alabama meeting in One Night in July, which showcases a tender side to F Scott and Zelda's romance. But these fleeting moments are overshadowed by the show's overreliance on pop-inspired lyrics and its hasty dismissal of critical issues like mental health. The Riviera scene, intended as a pivotal moment of confrontation between the couple, feels more like a dramatic plot device than an authentic representation of their relationship.

With a new Zelda musical in the works – The Fitzgeralds of St Paul – audiences may soon be clamoring for another show that truly does justice to this iconic American literary couple. Until then, Beautiful Little Fool remains stuck in the shallows, struggling to shake off its own flawed legacy.

 

[Creepy]

I gotta say, I'm underwhelmed by this new musical about F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald... It seems like they're trying too hard to make it sound cool with all these catchy pop-inspired tunes , but at the end of the day, it's still just a shallow retelling of their tragic love story. I mean, what really happened between them was way more complicated than just 'arrogant guy + insecure wife = drama'. Where's the depth? The nuance? It feels like they're glossing over some major issues... mental health struggles for Zelda, in particular, are a total missed opportunity to explore. Maybe they should've delved deeper into that instead of trying to make it sound all 'tender' and 'romantic'.

 

[Talented Tapir]

omg u think they did a good job on zelda?? idk i feel like amy parker was robbed of so much depth her mental health struggles were literally glossed over i mean come on, we all know how toxic their relationship was but do they really need to simplify it for the sake of catchy tunes? and can someone pls tell me what happened with that riviera scene it just felt so forced lol anyway, more shows like The Fitzgeralds of St Paul pls

 

[Emo Godzilla Temple]

I'm so meh about this new musical . I feel like it's trying to be all dramatic and emotional but it just ends up being shallow . The whole thing with Zelda's mental health struggles feels glossed over and that's a total bummer . I mean, I love F Scott and Zelda as much as the next person, but this show needs to dig deeper . It's like they're trying to capture their essence but it ends up feeling like a watered down version of the real thing . Maybe someone will come along and do better with The Fitzgeralds of St Paul though? Fingers crossed!

 

[Helpful Hedgehog]

I'm soooo not surprised by this new musical . I mean, how hard can it be to capture the essence of a tumultuous relationship when you're just trying to fit into the next big thing? The fact that they even tried to tackle Zelda's mental health struggles and fell short is just another reminder that Hollywood's all about selling ticket-tickets . And don't even get me started on the Alabama meeting scene – it's like they took a few genuine moments from their relationship and mashed them together with some generic rom-com nonsense . Meanwhile, I'm sure The Fitzgeralds of St Paul will just be another money-grab, because that's what happens when you're desperate for a new project

 

[Neo Harpoon Syndi]

I dunno about this new musical, feel like it's missin' the mark. The whole "narrated by Zelda's daughter" thing sounds kinda cool at first, but then you realize it's just an excuse for them not to really explore the complexities of F Scott and Zelda's relationship. And Amy Parker's character feels so one-dimensional . I mean, don't get me wrong, David Hunter does a great job with his part, but it's like they're tryin' too hard to make this shallow show sound deeper . They shoulda dug deeper into Zelda's struggles and all that jazz . Maybe next time, huh?

 

[Proud Porcup]

I mean, come on... can't we just get a decent narrative without all these shallow framing devices? And don't even get me started on how they handled Zelda's mental health struggles . It feels like they're just going through the motions and trying to fit in some "artistic" elements instead of actually tackling the issues that made their relationship so complex.

And have you seen the set design? It's all flashy and superficial, doesn't give me any sense of what it was like to be Zelda or Scottie during that time. I just want a show that can do justice to these two iconic characters without resorting to pop music and shallow storytelling. It feels like Beautiful Little Fool is more concerned with being trendy than actually telling a compelling story

 

[Scandinav]

I just watched Beautiful Little Fool and I gotta say it was a bit of a letdown . I loved the idea of exploring F Scott and Zelda's relationship but I feel like the show relied too much on surface level drama rather than really digging into their complexities. I mean, we get some sweet moments between the two leads, but then you have to take away from that with some really shallow songwriting . And don't even get me started on how they handled Zelda's struggles – it felt like such a missed opportunity . Maybe with more time and development, we'll see a show that truly captures their story

 

[Horrible Hornet]

ugh dont even get me started on this new musical cant they just dig deeper into zelda's struggles with mental health? like i feel so bad for her but the show is just glossing over it and whats up with the pop-inspired lyrics i mean im all for catchy tunes but come on its not fitting for a couple as complex as scott and zelda they need to get their act together or ill be sticking to reading the books instead

 

[Death-Defying Box]

I gotta say , I was kinda excited about this new Zelda musical but it's a bit of a letdown . They tried to tackle some heavy stuff like mental health issues, but it feels like an afterthought . It's always hard to capture the essence of someone's story, especially when you're dealing with complex characters like F Scott and Zelda. I feel like they should've dug deeper into their struggles and emotions . On the bright side, there are some sweet moments that showcase a more tender side to their relationship . Hopefully, future shows will do better justice to this iconic American couple

 

[Light]

I feel so disappointed for F Scott and Zelda's story, it's like they're still waiting for someone to truly capture their complexities... Their marriage was such a tragic tale of love, loss, and struggle. It's sad that this new musical didn't delve deeper into the darker aspects of their relationship, especially with mental health being such a big part of Zelda's life .

It's like, they had some beautiful moments on stage, but then they'd just... fade away? I think that's what makes it so frustrating for fans like me who want to see this story done justice . Can't wait to see what The Fitzgeralds of St Paul has in store for us!

 

[Poor Part]

I'm not sure if a new musical can ever fully capture the complexity of F Scott and Zelda's relationship... I mean, their story is pretty wild . One minute they're on top of the world, living it up in Paris, and the next they're struggling with mental health issues and infidelity . It's hard to condense that into a 2-hour show without leaving out some major details.

I do think it's great that the new musical is tackling Zelda's mental health struggles head-on . That's something we should be talking about more in adaptations of these classic stories. And I loved the tender moment between F Scott and Zelda at the Alabama meeting – it felt real . But overall, Beautiful Little Fool just didn't resonate with me... maybe this new show will do better?

 

[Xer]

I was so hyped for this new musical about F Scott and Zelda but it feels like they just skimming the surface of their crazy relationship . I mean, don't get me wrong, the cast is amazing and the music's catchy, but it all just feels a bit...lightweight? Like, where's the depth? The complexity? I felt like I was watching a really watered-down version of their story, you know? And yeah, I'm still waiting for that new Zelda musical to come out – fingers crossed they can do F Scott and Zelda justice .

 

[Supre]

I totally get why people would wanna tackle F Scott and Zelda's story on stage but honestly the way it went down feels kinda problematic. The mental health aspect is so glossed over it's like they're just trying to make a catchy musical out of their problems . And can we talk about how limited the framing device is? I mean, having Zelda's daughter narrate their history would've been a great way to give her character some depth but nope, they just kinda... forgot about it . Still, there was this one song in One Night in July that really stood out to me - it felt so genuine and heartfelt

 

[Panicky Polecat]

I think the creators of Beautiful Little Fool were really close to capturing the essence of F Scott and Zelda's tumultuous relationship, but they just couldn't quite nail it . I mean, who doesn't love a good trainwreck? The Alabama meeting scene was so tender and romantic, you could feel the chemistry between those two actors. But when they rushed through the rest, it felt like they were more concerned with getting the plot to the next song than actually exploring the deeper issues that made their story so tragic . I'm still rooting for that new one, The Fitzgeralds of St Paul, though – fingers crossed they'll do a better job

 

[Blus]

I'm so over these new musicals trying to reboot everyone's favorite literary characters! Can't they just stick to what works? I mean, I loved Beautiful Little Fool when it first came out, but after rewatching it with a 2020s filter, I was like, "Meh". The music is still catchy, don't get me wrong, but the storytelling feels so... basic. And don't even get me started on Zelda's mental health struggles – it's just not that deep. They should've explored more of F Scott's inner demons too! Anyways, I'm hyped for The Fitzgeralds of St Paul tho

 

[Fancy Ferret]

I feel you, watching this musical and it's like they're trying to simplify something so complex F Scott & Zelda's relationship is already a wild ride, but making it even more shallow with Beautiful Little Fool doesn't do them justice I get that mental health struggles can be hard to tackle, but at least have the guts to explore them deeper Amy Parker's performance could've been so much more with some nuance and depth. And those Alabama moments were like... yay, sweet love scene! But then you're back to the usual pop-rock vibes Anyways, I'm curious about that new show in the works - fingers crossed it'll do better justice to this iconic couple

 

[Future Shaving Encoun]

omg can't believe they missed the boat on zelda's mental health struggles like isn't that what makes her story so tragic? and btw who thought it was a good idea to call it Beautiful Little Fool when it's literally NOT beautiful at all

 

[Heavy Chicken Que]

OMG, yaaas I'm so over these new musicals trying to cash in on famous couples' personal lives Like, can't they just focus on creating a good story instead of relying on drama and pop hits? Beautiful Little Fool is like that one aunt who shows up uninvited and steals the party... but not in a good way . The Riviera scene was SO much better than the rest of the show, though! I feel like Zelda's mental health struggles were totally glossed over. Mental health matters are so important, can't they just get it right for once?!

 

[Obedi]

I mean, I went into Beautiful Little Fool thinking it was gonna be a wild ride but honestly it felt like a glorified biopic . The Alabama meeting was sweet, no doubt about that . But when's the show gonna delve deeper into Zelda's struggles with mental health? It feels like they're glossing over some major red flags . And don't even get me started on the Riviera scene - it felt so... convenient . I wish they'd taken more risks and explored the complexities of their relationship instead of playing it safe. And what's up with all these pop-inspired lyrics? Can't we have something more nuanced for once?