Daddy Long Legs
Phoenix Theatre Company Hormel Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, April 11, 2026
Reviewed by Lynn Timmons Edwards
Director Chelsea Anderson describes Daddy Long Legs (music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon, book by John Caird) as a “chamber musical that feels expansive.” The two Equity singers and actors—Liam Boyd as Jervis Pendleton and Carmina Monserrat as Jerusha Abbott—were accompanied by Julian Lamarti on keyboard, Andy Gonzalez on guitar, and Karen Kroger on cello, who provided all the artistry needed to tell this classic story. Dramaturg Michelle Chin’s program notes are always insightful and I wish I could repeat the fascinating history of the story written by Jean Webster (pen name for Mark Twain’s great niece Alice Jane Chandler) in 1912. It became a musical in 2007 and was first produced by PTC in 2021. I did not see the first PTC production, but I overheard longtime audience members recounting the performance of James Gish, who went on from Phoenix to Broadway (he’s currently in Les Misérables). Boyd, who graduated from ASU’s Music Theatre program two years ago, was the perfect choice for Pendleton, and as his voice continues to refine and mature, he could follow in Gish’s footsteps. Aside from a few strained vocal moments, he captured the nuances of the character and held his own in every scene with Monseratt.
Monseratt was marvelous, and she carried the show. The song “Oldest Orphan” introduced her character. It covered her years in college where she was like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon of hardship and limitations to become a strong, independent writer and woman who aspired to vote one day and to make her way in the world without dependending on a man to support her. Of course, she does fall in love with Pendleton (Daddy Long Legs), who is independently wealthy, but we know she will be an equal in their marriage. The story resembles the plot of My Fair Lady, in which Henry Higgins becomes hopelessly enamored of his protégé. It also recalls She Loves Me, in which secret pen pals are eventually revealed.
Courtesy of Phoenix Theatre Company
Best of all, the score is classical Broadway with sits weeping melodies and a playful forwarding of the plot. I’m getting tired of contemporary songs that can be sung only by actresses who have high Broadway-belt voices that can often sound shrill. Monseratt was able to glide through the score, using her head voice and, when needed, a mid-voice mix that was focused. She used it to express her inner thoughts in her correspondence with Daddy Long Legs. Boyd and Monseratt were physically and vocally confident, and every lyric was crisp and clean.
The orchestration for piano, guitar, and cello was brilliant. It was especially perfect for “Like Other Girls,” but it was a delight throughout. Bravo to music director Lamarti and his two orchestral companions. We must also give kudos to scenic designer Aaron Jackson, whose single set, with Jerusha’s bedroom stage right and Jervis’s study stage left, was connected by a tree with leaf-like letters and a screen that projected everything from snippets of correspondence to a beautiful full moon under which the characters reflect on “The Secret of Happiness.” Under the PTC’s Producing Artistic Leadership of Michael Barnard. the entire creative staff was outstanding as always. Daddy Long Legs runs through May 3, 2026.
