‘Great Expectations’ tries to cover too much territory

The Utah Shakespearean Festival's "Great Expectations" is a stupefyingly mediocre original musical that is getting a first-rate production.

Good things first.

Director Jules Aaron's cast is spectacularly capable of bringing Charles Dickens' people to life.

As Pip, the young, poor, simple orphan in early 1800s England who sets out to become a gentleman, Jack Noseworthy projects a young Val Kilmer charm. His singing voice has a fine, expressive lower register, but it's his belted high notes that force you to surrender.

As Magwitch, the violent outlaw who has a major influence on Pip's life, Max Robinson is a beautifully threatening presence in the Bill Sykes mode. Dave Barrus is likable as Jack's ignorant but loyal brother-in-law Joe. And Ellen Crawford is wonderfully dreary and dangerous as the emotionally crippled Miss Havisham. One look at her and you believe her life has been put on hold since the day long ago her finance deserted her.

Visually, the show is a feast, with a nonstop parade of color and cleverness. I doubt if anyone will feel shortchanged. The budget is very much in evidence.

But Steve Lozier and Brian VanDerWilt's book is a shambles. It tries to cover too much territory.

Havisham and her protege Estella (Emily Trask) -- who has been brought up with the single purpose of teasing and tormenting men -- are two of Dickens' most intriguing creations. But we learn so little about them that they quickly grow tiring. And their enormous changes of heart come out of nowhere. We can't follow the story's logic because the characters have been written with too broad a stroke.

Richard Winzeler's music is all recitative or generic pop Broadway (it has the feel of "Jekyll and Hyde" -- the bad parts) and Steve Lane's lyrics are lame. Sample: When we first meet Pip, we hear, "I trust my heart/ Will go on beating/ I trust my heart/ Knows where it's leading." The Dickens tale reveals a lot of affection between Pip and Joe, but Lane sugarcoats it with stuff like, "You've been like a son to me/ So run to me!" There's a "catchy" title song a la Jerry Herman that tells us: "Great expectations! A fine sensation!"

Dickens' novel could undoubtedly make a good, commercial musical. All the festival needs to do is dump the book, music and lyrics and start over.