A Minister's Wife - Off-Broadway

What Is the Story of A Minister’s Wife?
This musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Candida centers on the Rev. James Morell, an activist London minister eager to spread his Christian and Socialist beliefs at the turn of the 20th century. Morell is married to the vivacious Candida, a stalwart supporter of her husband’s ministry. As the show begins, she arrives home accompanied by a young poet named Eugene Marchbanks, who has fallen in love with Candida and is eager to force a confrontation with the self-satisfied minister in hopes that he can win her love. Also on the scene are Morell’s young curate and his female secretary, who harbors a not-so-secret crush on her charismatic boss.

Should I See It?

What Is A Minister’s Wife Like?
This chamber musical shifts from song to dialogue and back again in a style that is more recitative and less a series of individual musical numbers. The play’s five characters sing about their emotions, their views of life and their disagreements. Fans of Shaw will particularly be drawn to this 90-minute-long show, which is an entertaining take on a Victorian love triangle and how three sharp people can misunderstand each other’s feelings and intentions. If you like a smart, adventurous musical, A Minister’s Wife is a perfect choice.

Is A Minister’s Wife Good for Kids?
There’s nothing objectionable in the content of A Minister’s Wife, but the lyrics and dialogue are pretty much straight from the pen of George Bernard Shaw—intellectually challenging philosophical banter. In other words, the show is not of interest to kids.