‘Clinton: The Musical’ Opens With Bill, Hillary and Monica Back Together

Hillary Clinton leans forward from her desk at the Oval Office. “Good evening,” says the former first lady. “I’d like to tell you the story of my first presidency.” The line might sound like a lukewarm zinger out of “Saturday Night Live,” but it sets the tone for sharper jabs that will be flung throughout “Clinton: The Musical.” In this case, the title character isn’t Hillary — it’s Bill, whose eight years as commander-in-chief serve as the backdrop for a buzzy new Off Broadway musical production that opens Thursday night. The 42nd president is played by two actors, Tom Galantich and Duke Lafoon, to represent his dual personalities as a serious politician and a philandering womanizer. Hillary (Kerry Butler) comes across as a scheming Tracy Flick from the Alexander Payne movie “Election.” It’s safe to say that the Clintons won’t be among those attending the show, now playing at New World Stage in midtown Manhattan. With Hillary on the verge of announcing her presidential bid for 2016, this production reopens a closet of skeletons the Clintons would like for America to forget: Whitewater, Paula Jones, the botched bid for universal health care, etc. These scandals unfold through a score of tongue-in-cheek ditties worthy of “Avenue Q.”