The Family Fiorelli is an uneven entry into the genre of musicals dealing with a wife (Kathryn Quinlan) who strays from her vintner husband (Kevin Reed) by sleeping with the hot-looking local priest (Brad Coolidge), who teaches karate to her older son (Harrison Chad) who has cerebral palsy. Oh, and her younger son (Sy Adamowsky) is a prodigy at wine tasting and dreams of becoming a sommelier, while her lesbian sister (Adrianne Hick) is pregnant and wants to marry her lawyer girlfriend (Daria Hardeman). You know, that genre.
The plot is a lot for the audience to hold onto, especially when most of the points are introduced in the opening number, "Is It Such a Sin?" I didn't even mention the subplots of the older son trying to win the heart of a pretty classmate (Emily Kate Fox), who's torn between him and a local bully (Matthew Robert), and the husband's obsession to win a winemaking competition. This show has more suds than all five seasons of Soap.
All this complexity would be forgivable if the music or performances elevated the production, but they do so only occasionally. Like the marriage depicted in the story, Alastair William King's music and Fred Anthony Marco's book and lyrics have great trouble communicating.
There are definite high points, though, especially in some of the performances. Hardeman does a powerful rendition of "I Am Delivered Too." Reed is terrific on "The Currency of Love," and the young Adamowsky does a fun, whimsical take on "A Prayer to St. Jude." Frank Anderson is hilarious in the dual roles of Reed's Italian father and an Irish monsignor. And Maruti Evans does a nice job with simple yet evocative set pieces.
Presented by David Marantz as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival at TBG Theater, 312 W. 36th St., 3rd floor, NYC. Sept. 27-Oct. 6. Remaining performances: Sun., Sept. 30, 4:30 p.m.; Tue., Oct. 2, 4:30 p.m.; Wed., Oct. 3, 8 p.m.; Fri., Oct. 5, 4:30 and 8 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 6, 4:30 p.m. (212) 352-3101 or (866) 811-4111 or www.theatermania.com or www.nymf.org. Casting by B & N Casting.