Courtesy of The Croswell Opera House
Spoiler alert: Bonnie and Clyde die. But that doesn’t make the final moments of Ivan Menchell, Don Black, and Frank Wildhorn’s musical spin on the infamous bank robbers any less potent. Chronicling two outlaws who made their name during the Great Depression as the coolest criminals this side of the Mississippi, “Bonnie & Clyde” is less about their inevitable demise and more about the intoxicating pull between two star-crossed lovers willing to sacrifice everything for each other. Much like a modern-day “Romeo & Juliet,” the show revels in the dangerous chemistry that made Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow so iconic.
The Croswell Opera House’s production opens in stark tableau, Bonnie and Clyde dead in each other’s arms inside the bullet-riddled 1934 Ford V8 sedan, before rewinding the clock to trace how they got there. It’s a cautionary tale as old as time, told with swagger, style, and, in this case, a scorching central duo that elevates material sometimes prone to melodrama.
Originally a short-lived Broadway endeavor featuring Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan, “Bonnie & Clyde” has since earned a cult following for Wildhorn’s bluesy, rock-infused score and Black’s evocative lyrics. At The Croswell, director and choreographer Debra Ross Calabrese leads a stellar company that leans into the story’s heart, grounding its excesses in raw emotion. Central to that success are Emma Skaggs and Kevin Ludwig, real-life partners whose lived-in chemistry gives this production an irresistible authenticity.
That offstage connection becomes The Croswell’s secret weapon. The entire show hinges on whether audiences buy into the intensity of Bonnie and Clyde’s love, and Skaggs and Ludwig make it impossible not to. They sing, belt, and harmonize with magnetic precision, their voices and bodies locked in perfect rhythm. Their relationship feels urgent and lived-in, a far cry from the stilted dynamic that plagued earlier professional productions. Their work here transforms a good show into a great one.
Wildhorn’s score, filled with blues, gospel, and pop-country flair, doesn’t aim for historical accuracy—Clyde Barrow probably never sang a rock ballad—but it captures the duo’s larger-than-life mythology. The musical also glosses over the moral gravity of their crimes (a tune following the murder of a police officer lands awkwardly), yet the staging finds ways to keep the story emotionally resonant. Calabrese’s direction makes it clear this is less about the crimes than the desperation that drove them.
The production’s tonal balancing act—romance versus violence, myth versus reality—doesn’t always land cleanly, but when it does, it’s electric. The show suggests that maybe Bonnie and Clyde were simply two restless dreamers who wanted more from life, a notion that’s hard to swallow given the blood on their hands, yet one that still feels oddly poignant in the hands of this cast.
Skaggs shines as Bonnie Parker. She captures the grit and glamour of a woman who refuses to fade into the background, a waitress who dreams of movie stardom, aching for her name in lights. Her physicality and vocals are commanding. Ludwig, who impressed last summer in “Newsies,” brings a brooding intensity to Clyde Barrow, anchoring his outlaw bravado with surprising vulnerability. Together, they sizzle.
The supporting ensemble matches their energy beat for beat. Nicole Merchant, in a commanding Croswell debut, is sensational as Blanche Barrow, her powerhouse voice and layered performance anchoring the show’s moral core. Maxwell Lam, as Clyde’s “Aww shucks” brother, Buck Barrow (and Blanche’s husband) exudes charisma and tragic warmth, a perfect counterpart to Merchant’s performance. Their chemistry helps give the show’s devastating final act its emotional wallop.
Elsewhere, Zarek Devlin and Colbie Baer shine as the younger Bonnie and Clyde; James Fischer lends his strong tenor to the role of one of the pursuing lawmen; and Jeffrey Thomas King chews the scenery with glee as a trigger-happy sheriff. But one of the evening’s most astonishing vocal moments belongs to Raymond Collins’ Preacher. His operatic power nearly shattering the roof off the theater, it’s an unforgettable Croswell debut that demands an encore in future productions. Future Croswell directors need to take serious note.
Technically, the show dazzles. Doug Miller’s scenic design impresses, particularly in how he brings that iconic Ford V8 onstage. Tyler Pavlik’s lighting imbues the show with kinetic energy, his strobe and flash effects cleverly standing in for the relentless gunfire that defines Bonnie and Clyde’s legend. John MacNaughton’s props work is stellar, while Karl Kasischke’s sound design ensures every gunshot lands with visceral impact. Tallie Carter’s costumes and wigs, paired with David Reins’ precise music direction, create a cohesive and transportive experience. Only the overuse of hazy fog effects distracts from the otherwise top-tier technical execution.
“Bonnie & Clyde” may never be the most sophisticated musical ever written and its ending is rather abrupt, but at The Croswell, it becomes something more, a passionate, impeccably performed ode to reckless love and doomed ambition. Thanks to Skaggs and Ludwig’s searing energy and Calabrese’s confident direction, it’s one of the best-acted and sung shows you’ll find on a local stage this season.
It reminds us what it feels like to be young, desperate, and hopelessly in love, with a dash of danger and a chorus of gunfire to match.
The Croswell Opera House’s production of BONNIE & CLYDE continues through Sunday, October 26th. Tickets can be purchased here.