‘Wanted’ Broadway Review: Dazzling Cast Can’t Elevate the Musical’s Muted Narrative

Broadway musical “Wanted” tells the story of sisters Mary and Martha Clarke, Black women in post-emancipation Texas who pass as white and turn to crime to protect their family’s land. A review says the production’s strong performances cannot overcome a muted, unfocused narrative that gives more attention to romance than the sisters’ outlaw lives or the costs of passing.

Set in 1893, the story begins when a landowner rejects the sisters’ $200 offer for their family’s property and threatens eviction unless they pay double. The sisters leave with their mother’s pistol to raise money, but their plans shift after they meet saloon owner Jesse Banks and his employee Elijah. Ledisi, Liisi LaFontaine and Solea Pfeiffer are praised for their singing, with “Inheritance” and “Mary’s Nightmare” singled out, while the lyrics and many songs are described as less memorable.