It’s hard to go wrong with a musical that combines time travel, romance, and two best friends seeking adventure. There’s the opportunity for witty banter, exotic locales and rousing musical numbers. Put them all together in the right order and you’ve got a very entertaining show. Fortunately ‘Timeless: The Musical’ succeeds on all fronts and manages to turn promising premise into a delightful plot. As Walter uses a time machine to chase after his father (who got lost in the sand of time ten years before) we encounter dancing mummies, gunslinging westerners, and entertainment at every turn.
It is, however, weak in some areas. The singing, for example. Although all of the cast members are competent singers, hardly any of them can be said to have outstanding talent in the art. The dancing too, for most of the numbers, was fairly lackluster. In general, the musical numbers detracted from the overall performance, rather than adding to it. The exception to this was the cowboy song, which was funny, catchy and extremely well-performed. The acting skills of the cast also tended to range from competent to fairly good, with the exception of the main actors. In general the performances went far enough to be believable and enjoyable, but no further.
In many musicals, the above criticisms would be enough to sink the whole show, but not in Timeless. There is a joy de vivre about this musical, a sense of fun and wonder and ridiculous that emanates from every aspect of the show - plot, actors, and musical numbers - which is more than enough to keep it afloat. The enthusiasm of the musical is contagious, its plot is both refreshing and entertaining (even while being slightly ridiculous). The whole show, is, in short, so much fun that it by far makes up for any minor flaws along the way.
