Concept albums are having a moment. Hamilton was originally intended to be a concept album and Hadestown was recorded as a concept album nine years before the Broadway album. In a similar path, The Wrong Man by composer Ross Golan is now on stage at MCC Theater in New York and just like those Tony winners, this musical blew me away.
Ross Golan has written hits for Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Flo Rida, and many others. But his passion project began nearly a decade ago, inspired by murder ballads such as Eminem’s Stan, he wanted to tell the story of someone wrongfully accused of murder. The Wrong Man follows Duran, an everyman in Reno who just wants a normal life with somebody to love. But when his lover’s abusive ex-husband frames him for a double homicide, he must go through the process of convincing investigators, a jury, society, and the audience that he doesn’t deserve execution. It’s a haunting story that grips you from start to finish and makes you examine your thoughts about the criminal justice system while not falling into the trap of being preachy or cheesy.
The Wrong Man is sung-through, so the score is forced to carry the musical, and it truly soars. The modern music has bits of Hamilton in it, but plenty of pop music similarities as well, such as Ed Sheeran or OneRepublic. There’s great variety in the score, with songs ranging from acoustic to rock, from hip-hop to pop. The highlights for me included the powerful Break Me Out, the procedural Line Up, the anthem Stay Positive, and the titular The Wrong Man. My tastes are contemporary, but this was one of the best musical scores I’ve ever heard. Still no word on if there will be a cast recording, but it absolutely deserves one.
Singing the songs and performing the turmoil is a talented nine-person cast led by the incomparable Joshua Henry as the lead Duran. The Tony-nominated Henry is one of the best performers in New York and delivers a sensational performance as a relatable innocent man pleading his case and reckoning with the horrible circumstances. His voice can’t be beaten and his acting made you feel like he truly was facing his own mortality. Henry’s performance is worth the price of admission alone. Also standing out was Ryan Vasquez as the ex, perfectly performing his villainous songs with a playful sadism that provides levity (think Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors). The ensemble is made up of fantastic dancers who are on stage for much of the show. Dance captain Tilly Evans-Krueger stands out with some of the best dancing I’ve ever seen.
There are definitely shades of Hamilton in this show, and a big reason for it half of its creators (deemed The Cabinet) worked on The Wrong Man. Director Tommy Kail brought the album to the stage in his first directorial show since his 2016 Tony Award. The movements tell entire stories and the momentum never loses steam. He works well with scenic designer Rachel Hauck and lighting designer Betsy Adams to let a bare bones set convey the essence of important moments (red for murder, blue for police, orange for prison). The other genius behind this show is music supervisor, orchestrator, and arranger extraordinaire Alex Lacamoire. Lacamoire won his first Tony for In The Heights but has since gone on to be the music mind behind Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman and more. The music he works on never seems to fail in leaving an imprint in your brain.
It’s unclear what the future of this show is. After finding the perfect leading man and multiple extensions at MCC, it’s anybody’s guess if the next step is a cast recording, more development, licensing, or Broadway. It doesn’t feel like a finished product, but between the music, the storytelling, and the performances, it’s got monumental potential. Since being blown away by The Wrong Man, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. I can only hope what follows is a bigger platform to share its powerful story and its stellar music.