http://kjtheatrereviews.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/officer-and-gentleman.html

The main point is – it was entertaining like a Ferris Wheel – not entertaining like visit the Louvre.

Can you tell I was avoiding writing a formal review? Mainly because I think that the media around the show is more interesting to me, than the show itself – only because – and I would have thought this was fairly obvious coming from me – that this is a “new musical” made from an old film.
I will make a couple of observations.
1. A musical format of a film like On Officer and a Gentleman really has two choices – be the earnest comment on the military.
OR
2. Focus on the end image of the film.
This musical did the latter – it was about love. The weaker of the two possible choices in my opinion: but I think at the tail end of the Iraq War, the writers had no choice but to make it about love.

The set and costumes – are as grand as a budget and spectacle should be.

The performances are as you would expect – only two really big “songs” for you to be bowled over by – and the tunes aren’t exactly the equivalent modern-day “hit-parade” foot-tappers. You’d be better off getting Alicia Keys to write the tunes.

Is this gritty like Miss Saigon? No.
Is this as sexy as Dirty Dancing? No.
Does it have an emotional such as Les Miserables? No
Is it as kitsch as Xanadu? No.

What is it?

It’s a very basic musical full of American corn and cheese – lots of lights and movement and shouting and fighting and dreaming of another life. It’s not offensively bad in how it’s delivering what it’s delivering. It’s directed by Simon Philips – and he’s no dummy. He knows what he’s doing. He’s delivering EXACTLY what the show and the genre of the show demands. It is all in all, a well-oiled machine.

It’s the content which is glib and I think hopelessly American…

Which is why the only comment can really be: “What’s it doing here?” And I think, If that’s what you pay for – that’s what you get.

In my view American culture is to Australians like a hot chip is to seagulls. Ultimately bad for us – but so tempting and it smells good… ad its easy… and attractive… and there is something strangely comforting about it.