SCANDALOUS has a book and lyrics by Kathie Lee Gifford and music by David Pomeranz and David Friedman.  It is directed by David Armstrong and choreographed by Lorin Latarro.

I have tremendous respect for anyone who attempts to bring a musical to Broadway.  And, given that this is the first big musical written by Kathie Lee Gifford, who did the book and lyrics, I can’t help but applaud and respect her efforts (and those of all involved).  There was wit in her dialogue and lyrics, as well as poignancy.  

McPherson was a complex, intriguing individual, and as such, bringing her story to the stage is a grand feat.  We first meet her as a baby in her mothers arms and witness her growth into a young headstrong bride who later faces disillusionment, ultimately raising above to brilliantly spin herself into an influential, pioneering Pentacostal voice whose powerful sermons brought people to their knees and helped them rise up.

While McPherson is changing the lives of many others in a positive way, we don’t get a sense of her as a woman vs. a leader.   Did her life turn out as she would have hoped?  How would her beloved father have responded to her fame?  What about her first husband….would he have embraced Hollywood Aimee (as she is called)?  And, what of her two children who we never meet and hear of? Did she experience any sense of conflict in living her paparazzi-driven life?  We know this wasn’t her motive, but it was the result.

She was no doubt a force to be reckoned with.  In her brief, fearless life, she developed a large thriving church, Bible college, denomination, and radio station. Her work has led to thousands of churches and spawned thousands of leaders who also carry her passion of spreading the Gospel.

McPherson disappeared in May 1926. At first she was presumed drowned. When she reappeared, she claimed to have been kidnapped. Many didn’t know what to believe. Rumor had it that she hid away with a lover.