My Own Take: Off-Broadway Musical 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'

The show: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” at off-Broadway’s The Public Theater.

What makes it special?: A new musical based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story about a man who is born old and ages backwards. (The story first appeared in Collier’s magazine and then was in a 1922 collection of the author’s short stories.) This North American premiere of the Brit-centric musical won the 2025 Olivier Award in London as best new musical but is recast here starring multiple Tony Award nominee Andrew Durand (“Shucked,” “Dead Outlaw”).

But the Fitzgerald story wasn't Brit-centric, was it? You’re right, but like the 2008 David Fincher film that starred Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, this musical adaptation has taken quite a few liberties, too — but unfortunately not to the better. But I’m getting ahead of myself. So first some basics.

Fitzgerald wrote his gentle fantasy/fable about a birth of a boy in 1860 in Baltimore. Well, not quite a baby boy. He is born looking and feeling elderly and the premise is that he grows increasingly younger over the years, over many decades, until his inevitable end. (Think of the Ages of Man speech in reverse.)

The film, which is set in the U.S., has as its time span from 1918 to 2005, with Benjamin in his 80s when he is born. Both the short story and the film takes Benjamin to far flung places where he has many adventures and experiences.

And for the musical?: The musical is set in a small fishing harbor in southern England’s Cornwall region and is quite rooted there (mostly), and throughout in its tone, music and dance. Its book and lyrics are by Jethro Compton, music and lyrics by Darren Clark, choreography by Chi-San Howard, direction by Compton, who also designed its single wooden dockside set.

In this adaptation, Benjamin (Durand, and cute as a button) starts off in his 70s in 1918 with the actor as an old man sporting a three-piece suit, bowler hat, and pipe. We know he’s an old man this because he wears glasses, hunches, and needs a cane and Durand plays him with a gentle charm and a combination of wisdom and guilelessness.

Benjamin’s mother, feeling shamed for delivering Benjamin into the world, commits suicide. His father, likewise, is embarrassed by his son’s physicality and keeps him in the cottage attic thinking that the old boy will die soon and that will be that.

But Benjamin gradually grows younger and stronger until a few years later — with more physical strength — he manages to slip away to a local pub, which becomes his regular escape. Everyone there just sees him as an old codger but he strikes up a special friendship — and perhaps something more — with a young barmaid Elowen (Kelsee Kimmel) who prefers the company of an older man. Benjamin eventually leaves his village before his secret becomes too evident and he goes off to explore the world — first as a sailor, then to fight in WWII — as he increasingly ages backwards in time.

It’s quite an epic narrative which is told sparingly in the short story, Unfortunately here it is told in story-theatre fashion, not my favorite type of theater because it usually — though there are exceptions — tells more than it shows. Here it’s more like audio book dramatized on stage set to Celtic ditties.

The ensemble cast takes turns telling snippets of exposition as they also take on the other many characters. It’s also the de facto band, playing all the instruments, too. But despite Benjamin’s travels, this version is rooted in a particular place.

Which is?: The village of his birth. But in so doing it takes away from the sweep of his life from the original story (and film) and makes it a tea-cozy of a piece. But making it more about home, community and family, minimizes its scope into a folkloric trifle. There’s little insights or nuance about life or love ; just cliches, given with unearned and exhausting enthusiasm.

The ensemble cast plays the many “colorful” thick-accented characters from the hamlet. But to my mind, for little purpose or point. The characters are so twee that one’s attraction to this broad — and not particularly clever — playing depends on one’s tolerance for the Celtic cutes. My level is pretty low. (Though there’s a few lovely melodies that manage to survive all the redundant lyrics and foot-stomping, hand-clapping and line-dancing, lean-to the left, then lean-to-the right choreography. And oh, let’s not forget the sea chanties, too. )

The script is heavy-handed with these tedious country-quirky characters and its themes that keep hitting you over the head with throbbing intensity. (You could make a great drinking game out of the number of times “It’s a matter of time” or some variation of a time reference is spoken or sung. (You’d be dead drunk within just a few scenes.)

Durand is touching as Benjamin, in a lovely understated performance. (His wide-eyed bewilderment at times echoes his Brad in the recent “The Rocky Horror Show.”) Kimmel works hard to bring life, warmth and intelligence to her character, too If only the other performances were so grounded and authentic.