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The reviews are in for COPPERFIELD! The New Musical, which officially opened October 19 at The Duke on 42nd Street at New 42 Studios. The new Off-Broadway musical, starring Bobby Conte in the title role, features book, music, and lyrics by Jeffrey Scharf, with direction and choreography by Gabriel Barre. The limited engagement continues through December 6.
Based on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield, the musical follows its title character from a troubled childhood through adulthood as he navigates hardship, love, betrayal, and personal triumph. Along the way, he encounters some of Dickens’ most memorable characters, including Aunt Betsey Trotwood, Mr. Micawber, Agnes Wickfield, Steerforth, Dora Spenlow, and Uriah Heep.
Joining Conte in the company of actor-musicians are Amelia Cormack, Jed Feder, Calvin Knegten, Kent M. Lewis, Kara Mikula, Miyuki Miyagi, Nancy O’Connor, Dan Piering, Aaron Michael Ray, Will Reynolds, Owen Squire Smith, Alexander Sovronsky, Erica Spyres, Andy Taylor, Cathryn Wake, Tatiana Wechsler, and Henry Witcher.
The creative team includes scenic design by Edward Pierce, costume design by Jen Caprio, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Shannon Slaton, and hair and wig design by J. Jared Janas. Orchestrations and arrangements are by Sonny Paladino, with Ashley Wren Collins serving as associate director and associate choreographer.
What did the critics think? Read the reviews below!
Ryan Leeds, 1 Minute Critic: 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.
Gillian Russo, New York Theatre Guide: In a sparse 2025-26 season for new musicals on Broadway, Off-Broadway got a particular moment to shine. Even now, while most of the 2026-27 Broadway season’s musicals have yet to hit the stage, the playing field is wide open for Off-Broadway arrivals like Copperfield!, book and songwriter Jeffrey Scharf’s adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel. It’s the 19th-century literature musical I didn’t know I needed.
David Finkle, New York Stage Review: From time to time, David Copperfield’s future—like Oliver Twist, among Dickens’ others—looks frighteningly uncertain. The future of the Scharf-Barre Copperfield! looks anything but. Its eventually showing up on school stages alone must be close to guaranteed. Just like London, where “Charles Dickens lived here” plaques are multitudinous, so should this joyful take should show up here there and everywhere in the years to come.
Moshe A. Bloxenheim, Talkin’ Broadway: With its somewhat lopsided and over-packed nature, Copperfield! The New Musical falls distinctly short of being the best incarnation of a Dickens novel, but that should not prevent the audience from having a really good time.
Average Rating: 80.0%
