Mystic Pizza – Short Review

Not every old movie has a stage musical begging to burst out of it. Take Mystic Pizza, the 1988 romantic dramedy best remembered for showcasing a galaxy of future stars like Julia Roberts (pre-Pretty Woman) that has now inspired a lacklustre stage musical. Sandy Rustin’s book has a lot of ground to cover, including three parallel love stories, but she doesn’t go far enough to streamline the story, particularly in the clunky first act. 

The music seems like it’s been pulled from a period playlist left on shuffle. We get multiple reprises of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and Wilson Phillips’s ‘Hold On’. But all too often the songs stop the narrative momentum to leave you scratching your head. The randomness of the musical numbers might not matter if director Casey Hushion staged them with more verve and ingenuity. Kat and her crush don’t even look at each other for most of their second-act duet, ironically titled ‘When I See You Smile,’ while the hard-working ensemble spends more time rolling set-pieces on- and offstage than they do in actual dance breaks.

 Despite a standout comedic performance by Deánna Giuletti as the sex-positive Jojo, Mystic Pizza is more of a too-thin slice than a deep dish.   

Production credits

Mystic Pizza by various (music, lyrics) and Sandy Rustin (book)

Paper Mill Playhouse, New Jersey, 2 February 2025

Cast Krystina Alabado, Alaina Anderson, Deánna Giulietti, Ben Fankhauser, F. Michael Haynie, Vincent Michael, Jennifer Fouché, Mia Gerachis et al

Direction Casey Hushion