What We're Reading: Princeton Critics Weigh In (With Thumbs Up and Down) on Empire Records at McCarter

Princeton, NJ – T he new musical at McCarter Theatre, Empire Records, opened with everything but a big searchlight sweeping through the sky on opening night. It’s a world premiere, based on a 1990s movie with a cult-like following. The musical score was created by Zoe Sarnak, who grew up in Princeton, went to Princeton High School, and has fond memories of the Princeton Record Exchange, a retail enterprise not unlike the setting of the musical now running on the Berlind stage through Sunday, October 6.

“Empire Records is set to be another landmark event in McCarter’s storied history,” said McCarter’s artistic director, Sarah Rasmussen. “In the intimate Berlind Theatre—and with a limited run—it's the unmissable live performance event of the fall.”

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So what do the critics have to say? Our two central New Jersey critics offer a thumb up, and a thumb partly down. Let’s take the less enthusiastic view first.

Neal Zoren, writing in U.S. 1 , notes the “capital” that Empire Records enjoys. “Though the 1995 film on which it was based was not popular upon its release, it later developed a following that reached cult status. It is the rare child of the ’80s, ’90s, and naughts who does not have affection for the movie, its story, and most importantly, its characters, a motley crew of teens that works behind the counters and cash register of a major record store. (Think Tower Records, but as a one-of-a-kind, stand-alone oasis on a small city’s cultural landscape.)”

But, Zoren writes, “Not until the 10 minutes before the end of Empire Records . . . does the piece coalesce in any significant way. Once it does, you wonder where the heart and depth of a sequence that features a mock funeral and personal revelations from core characters was for the rest of the show.”

The problem, in Zoren’s view: “Those beloved characters come into their individual and collective own in the late passage I cite, but before then, they don’t register as strongly or as compellingly as they do in the movie. It is almost as if book writer Carol Heikkenen, also the scenarist of the 1995 film, and composer Zoe Sarnak took understanding of the Empire personnel too much for granted. As someone who is familiar with the film, I watched the musical wondering if I would be aware of some character nuances if I wasn’t.

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“There are scenes that have impact, and a cliched yet entertainingly effective spoof of a has-been rock-and-roll idol, but Heikkenen tells her story too patly for it to be more than a decent tale that passes the time. Broad brush strokes are used to reveal the mise en scene of a record shop while letting the character details that earned the movie its second chance get lost in the size and commotion of it all. The result is being told things you need to be shown.”

Meanwhile, in Town Topics , reviewer Donald H. Sanborn III writes that “the exuberant production begins with a high energy level that it steadily maintains, even as it breathes to allow for character development that is by turns comic and poignant.”

Sanborn compares the theater production to the film.

“As a film Empire Records was poorly received by critics; in a typical negative review, Variety described it as a ‘soundtrack in search of a movie.’ Viewing the film 30 years later, its plot feels a bit thin, introducing arcs that could be developed more fully.

The musical fixes this. Characters and story arcs are more fully developed; and story time is used more effectively and efficiently. There is a much steadier rhythm, both musically and story-wise, with the songs now directly connected to the plot.

Arguably, Empire Records was a story in search of a musical, as the fun and heartfelt plot notably benefits from being conveyed via a live stage. Empire Records: The Musical starts McCarter’s season on a high note, and one looks forward to seeing how it develops from here.

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