From Here To Eternity (2014)

Set in a 1941 army base in Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. A career Sergeant (Darius Campbell) falls in love with his Captain's (Martin Marquez) wife (Rebecca Thornhill) and a private (Robert Lonsdale) fall in love with a prostitute (Siubhan Harrison) who works in a Waikiki brothel. Directed by Tamara Harvey, this musical is based on the James Jones novel, not the 1953 film adaptation. The idea of a musical version of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY sounds ghastly but it's not bad at all though wildly uneven. The musical restores the brothel and the prostitutes, the venereal disease and the gay sex in the military that were all removed from the 1953 film. The songs (music by Stuart Brayson and lyrics by EVITA's Tim Rice) are a mixed lot but generally weak. The film is basically a straight on filmed play performance. The two male leads have strong voices but are weak actors while the 2 leading ladies fortunately are strong in both departments. The fifth major character Maggio (Ryan Sampson) is not a singer so he talk/sings his way thru his big number but he's a strong actor so he pulls it off. With the addition of the songs, it leaves very little room for in depth characterization so it helps if you're familiar with the novel or the 1953 movie. The choreography by Javier De Frutos is uneven. The numbers with the soldiers looks like their doing calisthenics rather than dancing but the big number in the brothel with the hookers is a dance highlight. I think the material might have played smoother as an opera rather than as a musical. The Pearl Harbor attack is done with slow motion and lighting and looks rather tacky and the final number sounds a LES MISERABLES reject.