NEW YORK—A lyric in the song “Big Yellow Taxi” says, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” This truism is explored in the 1976 musical “The Baker’s Wife.”
The show is based on the 1938 French film “La Femme du Boulanger.” With a book by Joseph Stein, and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, this cult favorite among theater enthusiasts makes its long-overdue New York debut at Classic Stage Company.
Fresh Bread Comes to Town
In 1935 France, residents of a tiny rural village have been without a baker for weeks, thus deprived of their beloved morning staples: fresh bread and pastries. They now anxiously await the arrival of Aimable Castagnet (Scott Bakula), who will take over the job. A soft-spoken fellow, Aimable arrives with his beautiful wife, Geneviève (Ariana DeBose), a woman young enough to be his daughter. In fact, she’s initially mistaken for such. But Aimable quickly proves his worth as a baker, and any gossip about the age difference between him and his wife is quickly forgotten.
However, Geneviève soon catches of the eye of Dominique (Kevin William Paul), a strapping young local with an eye for the fairer sex. Dominique immediately finds himself transfixed by Geneviève’s beauty and falls desperately in love with her. Unable to understand how she could be happy in her marriage, he finds excuses to talk to her and begs her to run away with him. He even serenades her under her bedroom window.
While she initially rebuffs his advances, Dominique soon awakens a long-dormant passion in Geneviève. Despite her initial misgivings, she runs away with him.
Dominique (Kevin William Paul) doesn’t take “no” for an answer in his pursuit of the married Geneviève, in “The Baker’s Wife.” (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)In the wake of Geneviève’s departure, Aimable goes into an emotional tailspin. In the villagers’ eyes, what’s most important is that since he lost his wife, Aimable also lost his passion for baking. The townspeople, many of whom don’t particularly like one another (as shown in the comic number “If It Wasn’t for You”) band together in a desperate effort to find Geneviève and convince her to return to her husband.
In “The Baker’s Wife,” love takes many forms. Passion, respect, security and even obsession are all elements examined. If there is a single commonality, it’s the importance of never taking love for granted. Geneviève’s actions cause other women in the village to question their situations with their own husbands, who seem to no longer value their wives’ opinions.
Wonderful Songs
The creators reworked the musical over the years, mainly due to an uneven book. Now, it’s a stand out thanks to Schwartz’s compelling score. Several of the songs, such as Dominique’s serenade to Geneviève and a song where the townsfolk sing about baking bread, are filled with not-so-hidden double meanings.
The satirical “Luckiest Man in the World” looks one-sidedly at the subject of marriage. Setting the overall tone for the show is the gentle ballad “Chanson,” wonderfully sung by Judy Kuhn. It’s about how just one change can make many other things seem different.
The French village is in search of a baker to supply them with fresh bread, portrayed by the cast of “The Baker’s Wife.” (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)Bakula is very good as Aimable. The self-assured man’s quiet facade begins to crumble after Geneviève leaves, his mentality changing from denial to eventual acceptance. There’s a discussion of what the term “cuckhold” means. Aimable’s pain and sadness are seen in the almost desperate “Any-Day-Now Day,” where he yearns for Geneviève’s return, and later in the more somber “If I Have to Live Alone.”
DeBose is magnificent as Geneviève, who has suffered unhappy romances in the past. She thought she’d put that behind her when she found Aimable, but realizes she may not yet be ready to give up the type of love she once yearned for. One of her standout moments is in the soaring “Meadowlark,” an ode to the tempestuousness and fragility of passion; Geneviève debates internally whether to go with Dominique. We see why she makes the choice she does.
Geneviève Castagnet (Ariana DeBose) is torn between her attraction to Dominique and her marriage vows to Aimable, in “The Baker’s Wife.” (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)Robert Cuccioli and Manu Narayan are fun as feuding neighbors who never speak directly to each other, for reasons long forgotten. There’s also an amusing interplay between the town mayor, Marquis (Nathan Lee Graham), who delights in pleasures of the flesh; the Priest (Will Roland); and the Teacher (Arnie Burton), an insufferable intellectual. All have drastically different viewpoints, but they must work together due to the collective need for fresh bread. The process yields a grudging respect among the three.
Jason Sherwood’s scenic design gives the story an intimate sense of place. The choreography by Stephanie Klemons is enjoyable. Gordon Greenberg’s direction ensures a fluid transition from one scene to another and allows the actors enough space to bring their own interpretations to their roles. Also key are the orchestrations by David Cullen.
Geneviève Castagnet (Ariana DeBose) and her husband Aimable (Scott Bakula) are surrounded by the French villagers, in “The Baker’s Wife.” (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)An intimate musical with much to say, “The Baker’s Wife” is a cautionary tale about growing older, though not necessarily wiser when it comes to matters of the heart.
‘The Baker’s Wife’
Classic Stage Company
136 E. 13th St., New York City
Tickets: 212-677-4210, ClassicStage.org
Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (one intermission)
Closes: Dec. 21, 2025
Judd Hollander is a reviewer for stagebuzz.com and a member of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle
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