Review: ‘Wanted: The Legend of the Sisters Clarke’ on Broadway was fun while the caper lasted

NEW YORK — Dual female protagonists — or, in the parlance of the musical “Chicago,” sister acts — frequently are a key to Broadway success, especially given that women are the buyers of most theater tickets. And, in the case of the new Broadway musical “Wanted,” not only are the sisters actual sisters drawn from U.S. history, but they come armed with a risky but potentially riveting resolve. Born in Texas in 1893, Martha and Mary Clarke decide to exit the cotton fields and use their light-colored skin to pass as white to help their feisty but struggling sharecropper mother fight a landowner who wants to keep the three of them down like they are slaves. But they don’t get jobs as bank tellers. Rather, the sisters Clarke become gun-slinging outlaws with weapons hidden in their skirts. Simply put, they figure out how to exploit the debilitating prejudices of the dumb racists who surround them, and set about turning themselves into a two-woman reparations machine. Cash only, suckers. kAm%96 >2C<6E:?8 7@C E9:D D9@H >2<6D E96> =@@< =:<6 2 q=24< %96=>2 2?5 {@F:D6] p?5 7@C E96 7:CDE D6G6C2= >:?FE6D @7 2 >FD:42= DE24<65 H:E9 2 42DE @7 qC@25H2J ?6H4@>6CD[ E9:D 2== H@C 2?5 7F?] p?5 :E’D 7F? E@ H2E49 E96 8F?\E@E:?8 D:3D DE:4< FA G2C:@FD C24:DE :5:@ED] %9:D :D 32D:42==J 2? 6>A@H6C:?8 76>:?:DE 42A6C\BF6DE >FD:42= WDECF4EFC65 ?@E F?=:<6 s@==J !2CE@?’D “h E@ d[” 24EF2==JX[ 2?5 #@DD q2F>’D D4@C6 92D 2 DE:CC:?8 <:?5 @7 >FD:42= 6?6C8J W?@E 5:DD:>:=2C E@ E96 D4@C6 7@C “%96 r@=@C !FCA=6”X 2?5 4@>6D H:E9 C:49 49@C2= 2CC2?86>6?ED 7@C E96 E6CC:7:4 49@:C\=:<6 6?D6>3=6[ 2<:?8 E96 >FD:42= A@:?E E92E :E :D @?=J H9:E6 7@= 62DJ E@ =:89E=J E@?6 H92E DE2CED @FE — 2?5 E@ >J >:?5 D9@F=5 92G6 C6>2:?65 — 2 C@==:4<:?8 >FD:42= D2E:C6 H96? J@FC E@A:4 :D C24:D> 2?5 :ED =6824J] qFE 2E 7:CDE[ E96 =:G6=J 3@@< 2?5 =JC:4D HC:E6C p?86=:42 r9éC: AF==D E92E @77 H:E9 E96 96=A @7 2? 2446DD:3=6 2?5 A@AF=:DE D@?8 DF:E6 E92E C:89E=J 5@6D?’E 8:G6 2 52>? 23@FE 36:?8 A6C:@5\DA64:7:4] *6E >@C6 :>A@CE2?E=J[ E96C6 :D D@>6E9:?8 4966C:?8 23@FE 2 D9@H :?96C6?E=J DF3G6CE:?8 E96 “@?6 5C@A @7 3=@@5” A=@E =:?6 :? s:@? q@F4:42F=E’D :?72>@FD `gdh >6=@5C2>2[ “%96 ~4E@C@@?[” H9:49 @?46 A=2J65 ;FDE 2 4@FA=6 @7 3=@4 E96 y2>6D t2C= y@?6D %962EC6 @? E9:D G6CJ D2>6 qC@25H2J]k^Am kAmqFE E96 3@@@C2= DE@CJ E@ E6==[ 2?5 E96 D2E:C6 5C@AD 2H2J 2D D96 4@>A=:42E6D 96C A=@E 3J >2<:?8 @?6 D:DE6C[ !76:776C’D |2CJ[ 72== :? =@G6[ :>AC@323=J[ H:E9 y6DD6 WqC25=6J y256?X[ @?6 @7 96C H9:E6 >2C6 H62CJ @7 E9:D D6=7\6C2D:?8 CFD6[ 9@@<:?8 FA :?DE625 H:E9 @?6 @7 y6DD6’D q=24< D6CG2?ED[ t=:;29 WE96 DH66E\G@:465 {F<6 y2>6DX 2?5 H2:E:?8 E@ C6EFC? E@ 96C q=24< :56?E:EJ] }@H H6’C6 :? 2 E6249:?8 >FD:42=[ H96C6:? |2CJ 92D E@ =62C? (9@ $96 #62==J xD]k^Am kAmpD A2CE @7 E92E A6528@8J[ |2CE92 6G6? C2:D6D 96C 8F? @? 96C D:DE6C’D ?6H A2CE?6C] x7 J@F 42? :>28:?6 2 ;62=@FD v=:?52 564:5:?8 E@ E2<6 @FE t=A9232’D u:J6C@[ J@F 42? :>28:?6 H92E E92E 5@6D E@ E96 A=@E 2?5 E96 C6=2E:@?D9:AD 36EH66? E96 EH@ J@F?8 H@>6? 2E :ED 962CE]k^Am kAm%@ D2J E92E |2CE92’D DF556? E2<65@H? @7 96C D:DE6C 2?5 96C ?6H 2CC2?86>6?E 4@>6D @FE @7 ?@H96C6 :D E@ H:=5=J F?56CDE2E6] (6’G6 ;FDE DA6?E 92=7 2 D9@H[ DE2865 @? 2 H:EEJ D6E 7C@> q6@HF=7 q@C:EE[ 565:42E65 E@ D9@H:?8 FD E96:C =@G6 2?5 D92C65 56E6C>:?2E:@? 2?5 E96? DF556?=J E96J’C6 @?6 DE6A 2H2J 7C@> D@C@C:4:56] x >62?[ E96J C64@G6C[ 3FE E96 D9@H C62==J 5@6D ?@E]k^Am kAm%96 46?EC2= AC@3=6> 96C6 :D E92E r9éC: 42?’E 92G6 :E 3@E9 H2JD]k^Am kAm$96 H2?ED FD E@ =@G6 E96D6 DAF?6C:42?D 7@F?5 H2JD E@ 7:89E 324< 282:?DE C24:D>] p== @7 E92E :D 8C62E[ 6DA64:2==J D:?46 2 9:89=:89E @7 E96 D9@H :D 2 A2:C @7 D>2CE[ C624E:G6 D6CG2?ED — $:DDJ 2?5 u=@[ 9:=2C:@FD=J A=2J65 3J pFC6=:2 (:==:2>D 2?5 pH2 $2= $64<2 — H9@ 6?6C8:K6 #@DD’ >FD:4 3J 7:8FC:?8 @FE E96 r=2C<6 D:DE6CD =@?8 367@C6 2?J@?6 6=D6] qFE r9éC: :D ?@E 23@FE E@ D6?5 |2CJ 2?5 |2CE92 @77 2 4=:77[ >6E2A9@C:42= @C @E96CH:D6[ 6G6? E9@F89 E96 D9@H ECF=J H@F=5 36 36EE6C :7 E96J H6?E 5@H? H:E9 8F?D 3=2K:?8[ :562==J 92G:?8 AC6G:@FD=J 5:DA2E4965 2 76H C24:DE %6I2?D]k^Am kAmtC8@[ 2 AC@3=6> ?@E F?4@>>@? H:E9 ?6H >FD:42=D[ H9:49 :D E@ >@C2=:K6 :?DE625 @7 =6EE:?8 492C24E6CD 8@ H96C6 E96J H@F=5 =@8:42==J EC2G6=[ H:E9 E96 2F5:6?46 AC@G:5:?8 E96 H:?8 36?62E9 E96:C H:?8D]k^Am kAm$F49 2 D2E:C6 H@F=5 ?@E 36 7@C E96 >2E:?66 4C@H5[ A6C92AD] qFE :7 :E H2D E@ C6>2:? :? E92E ?:496[ E96? E96 D9@H ?66565 E@ D9@H FD 72C >@C6 D:DE6C=J H2C>E9[ à =2 “%96 r@=@C !FCA=6]” p=2D[ E96 EH@ =625D 5@?’E 4@??64E 6>@E:@?2==J H:E9 6249 @E96C 2?JH96C6 ?62C 2D >F49 2D E96 2F5:6?46 4C2G6D[ A2CE=J 3642FD6 E96C6 :D ?@ D@?8 E92E C62==J 5@6D E92E 7@C E96> 2?5 A2CE=J 3642FD6 E96 24E@CD 2C6 D@ 3FDJ H:E9 2== @7 E9:D A=@E 2D r9éC: EC:6D E@ 7:?5 2 H2J E@ 86E E96> 324< 9@>6]k^Am kAmp55 :? 2 =6DD\E92?\C:G6E:?8 A6C7@C>2?46 7C@> y2>6D[ H9@ 92D H62< D2F46 E@ H@C< H:E9[ 2?5 “(2?E65” F=E:>2E6=J 72==D @77 H92E :?:E:2==J =@@<65 =:<6 G6CJ AC@>:D:?8 C2:=D]k^Am kAm———k^Am kAmpE E96 y2>6D t2C= y@?6D %962EC6[ `bg (] cgE9 $E][ }6H *@CFD:42=]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?FD:42=]4@>k^2mk^Am kAm———k^Am