‘Wanted’ Broadway Review: Dazzling Cast Can’t Elevate the Musical’s Muted Narrative

One of the most beautiful things about legends and myths is they often stem from the truth. Written by playwright and lyricist Angelica Chéri and directed by Stevie Walker-Webb, the new Broadway musical “Wanted” is inspired by Chéri’s great-great aunts, Mary (Solea Pfeiffer) and Martha Clarke (Liisi LaFontaine). These Black women living in post-emancipation Texas decided to pass for white and wield their beauty and guns to save their family’s land and legacy. Unfortunately, despite the exceptional performances and vocal talent, the play’s actual narrative isn’t as compelling as it could be.

According to the Kinfolk, the ensemble that leads the audience into the story, this tale begins in 1893 in Marlon, Texas, in the middle of a cotton field. After struggling and saving with their mother, Tallulah (a phenomenal Ledisi), sharecroppers Mary and Martha are eager to finally buy the land the Clarke family has worked on for generations. However, the landowner, Mr. Billingsley (Nathan Quay Thomas), has other plans. Fueled by racist fury when the women offer a sum of $200 for ownership of the property, he snaps. Rejecting their hard-earned money, he claims the Clarkes are behind on rent and demands double, or he’ll evict them.

With little recourse beyond their pale skin, courtesy of their long-vanished French father, Mary and Martha set out together beyond Marlon’s country roads to earn money and save themselves and their mother from destitution. Yet as single women traipsing around the 19th-century American South, they become an immediate target. Armed with Ole Bessie, Tallulah’s pistol, the sisters soon discover that stealing and intimidation earn them cash much faster than any other profession. Though their criminality affords them more than they ever hoped, their carefully laid plans are thwarted when they stumble upon a saloon owned by the infamous Jesse Banks (Bradley Jaden), who immediately sets his sights on Mary.

Yet the Clarke sisters aren’t really the outlaws the play tried to make them out to be. Aside from a couple of stick-ups and some seducing and scheming, the rebel storyline fizzles before it even really gets started. Instead, Mary finds herself enamored with Jesse, a wealthy white man who has no idea she is a Black woman. Meanwhile, Martha reluctantly finds herself charmed by Elijah (Luke James), a Black man employed by Jesse. Only through their relationships with these different men does the conflict between the sisters arise, making the story less intriguing and more par for the course.

Though the narrative isn’t particularly distinct, especially since the central plot largely focuses on the sisters finding love rather than their outlaw status or the true costs of passing, the show’s vocal talent is beyond exceptional. Ledisi, LaFontaine and Pfeiffer are all phenomenal. Backed by an orchestra led by Paul Byssainthe, Jr., the play has several standout numbers, including “Inheritance” and “Mary’s Nightmare.” But the rest of the musical numbers and lyrics don’t exactly pack a punch. Scenic design by Beowulf Boritt and video and projection design by Stefania Bulbarella give the stage much-needed depth, allowing the audience to understand the texture of the time period and place. The singing itself, though, is truly the glue that holds the entire show together.

Though passing as an act of defiance and self-preservation is certainly interesting, these themes have been explored to a fault in films like 1934 and 1959’s “Imitation of Life” and books like Brit Bennett’s “The Vanishing Half” and Nella Larsen’s “Passing.” Unfortunately, what Mary experiences isn’t a new or refreshing take on the subject. Instead, “Wanted” presents her as dangerously naive and bewilderingly selfish, far from the badass criminal she’s initially depicted as.

In the end, because of its overstuffed book and themes, “Wanted” doesn’t quite know what it’s about, resulting in an underwhelming account of who the Clarke sisters were and why their story stands out in American history. Lacking true focus and direction, and leaning heavily on a rushed love story, “Wanted” works best as a musical album. As a Broadway show, however, it simply doesn’t measure up.