Almost Famous – C-

Why bother? The original film was memorable, and presumably is still available, and was sharper, more intelligent and, of course, more original. The actors in the musical are appealing, especially when viewed from our seats in the second row, center, but inevitably invite unfavorable comparisons with Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson and Philip Seymour Hoffman, not to mention others I’d forgotten: Frances McDormand, Zooey Deschanel, Jason Lee, Jimmy Fallon (I concede props, though, to Rob Colletti in the Lester Bangs role). If the added attraction was new music, the score is blandly generic; the story plods along, between trite and obvious. Perhaps the show will survive through the holiday season on its name an nostalgia. The actors work hard but deserve better.