Glory Ride Reviews

"A musical sprint through the life of Gino Bartali"

"Glory Ride — written by the former senior White House economic adviser Todd Buchholz and his daughter Victoria Buchholz — puts Bartali’s story in the spin cycle, animating his astonishing biography with songs and snappy dialogue."

"It’s a great idea, executed with enough energy to power the most reluctant cyclist up a mountain, yet the upbeat script can feel frustratingly thin and the lyrics are wildly variable."

"Josh St Clair brings dash, derring-do and dynamism to the role of the man who teamed up with the anti-fascist Cardinal Dalla Costa to smuggle messages to the resistance, saving the lives of hundreds of Jews."

"Currently any attempts at a Hollywood depiction of Bartali’s life remain unfinished; on this evidence someone should take it to the finish line."

"Lacks dramatic texture"

"Old-fashioned and underpowered production saluting the heroic Italian cyclist Gino Bartali"

"Unfortunately, this fully staged world premiere fails to capture much of the political intrigue or emotional weight of Bartali’s story, which has been accented with an equally uninspiring and derivative score. The linear narrative lacks dramatic texture, despite some truly tragic events. And, apart from a couple of powerful solos from Amy Di Bartolomeo as Bartali’s love interest and, later, wife Adriana, the songs are generally underpowered."

"Kelly Devine’s rather stilted directorial debut does little to enhance the book and seems light years away, in terms of energy and invention, from her choreographic work on Come From Away."

"Josh St Clair strives to deliver an earnest, three-dimensional portrayal of Bartali and certainly projects a steady, stoic charm. Yet the book simply doesn’t allow the actor a huge amount of range, either emotionally or vocally."

"There's something simultaneously depressing and inspiring about watching a bunch of terrifically talented people trying to make theatrical magic out of intractable material."

"It's such a strange story that it could only be true, and the knowledge that this really happened is the main thing, apart from the performances and the clarity of director Kelly Devine's staging, that makes this well-intentioned but inept musical worth the watching, and gives it a couple of moments of genuine emotional punch."

"It is undoubtedly an extraordinary story, but as a musical, Glory Ride gets repeatedly bogged down in overwrought emotions, underpowered writing, and peripheral characters."