David Copperfield offers no shortage of suffering: poverty, a cruel stepfather, a brutal schoolmaster, the early deaths of loved ones, aimless wandering, and unrequited love are just a few of the hurdles its protagonist faces in Charles Dickens’ 1850 novel.
As the book writer, composer, and lyricist, Jeffrey Scharf turns this thematically downtrodden tale into Copperfield! The Musical, a warm, tuneful adaptation that finds plenty of light in the gloom.
How to size down Dickens
Bobby Conte plays the adult version of the title role in this memory tale, charting Copperfield’s path from a harsh childhood to a successful writing career. Throughout Act I, he remains onstage presiding over his younger self, a role shared between Calvin Knegten and Henry Witcher. Witcher starred in the performance I saw and, given the show’s heavy material, possesses a grounded maturity well beyond his years.
Conte opens the show with the plaintive “I Am Home,” but Act II gives him far more to sing. That includes his best moment: a duet with Agnes (Tatiana Wechsler), David’s lifelong confidante, who finally admits she’s loved him from the start. Their “If Only You Knew My Heart” is the score’s most tender number.
It wants better content.
Dickens’ novel juggles dozens of characters. Scharf consolidates the cast for his stage adaptation. Most performers play multiple roles and instruments, bringing vibrancy to his memorable score. Arranged by Sonny Paladino, Scharf’s compositions vary from Victorian-era parlor songs to classic Broadway fare and rollicking sea shanties.
Edward Pierce’s scenic design is appropriately sprawling for the production’s epic scope, with action moving seamlessly between stage level and elevated platforms. Jeff Croiter’s lighting evokes London’s dank, foggy Dickensian era, and Jen Caprio’s costumes are suitably buttoned up, capturing the period’s suffocating culture.
Director and choreographer Gabriel Barre gives his ensemble a tall order, and it pays off. The cast transforms the stage from the Peggottys’ Yarmouth houseboat to Mr. Creakle’s joyless schoolroom to a grimy London warehouse, taking the audience along at every stop.
“Whether I shall be the hero of my own search for home, this tale must tell,” the older Copperfield says at the top of the show. Scharf’s tale tells it with heart, and it’s well worth the search.
Is ‘Copperfield!’ worth seeing?
Jeffrey Scharf’s Copperfield! honors the hardships of Dickens’ most personal novel while giving it a big, warm heart, with Bobby Conte and a tireless ensemble making the long road home worth every step.
- The Duke on 42nd Street at New 42 Studios 229 W 42nd St 2nd Floor , New York City
- Notable performers: Bobby Conte, Henry Witcher, Tatiana Wechsler
- Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission
- Performances through December 6, 2026
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