Steve On Broadway (SOB)

Opening: Boeing-Boeing Lands On Great White Way

Opening: Boeing-Boeing Lands On Great White Way

This week marks the final homestretch for Broadway's 2007-08 Theatrical Season. The last three shows open before this year's Tony Award derby shifts into high gear with its nominees being announced May 13.

The first of those three, Boeing-Boeing, opens today at Rialto's Longacre Theatre for an open-ended engagement. After this farce from Marc Camoletti and Beverley Cross (late husband of Dame Maggie Smith) and Francis Evans first opened in London during 1961, it became the West End's longest-running comedy. But amazingly, it crashed and burned when during its 1965 Broadway run of just 23 regular performances.

Now directed by Matthew Warchus, this Boeing-Boeing is taking off on the Great White Way with a stellar cast, including Christine Baranski (in her first regular Main Stem outing since 1991's Nick & Nora), Bradley Whitford in his first Broadway turn since serving as a replacement in 1989-91's A Few Good Men), Gina Gershon and Mark Rylance, who is not only reprising his Olivier-nominated role as Robert, but is finally making his Broadway debut.

I'm hearing that this version of Boeing-Boeing is played much more broadly than the acclaimed West End mounting. Will the second time be the charm for this play on the Great White Way? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

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Related Stories:
Is It Just Me, Or... (Part III) (January 22, 2008)
Boeing-Boeing To Touch Down On Great White Way (September 17, 2007)
Was De La Tour's Latest A Tour De Force With Critics? (February 17, 2007)
London's Boeing-Boeing Flies Into Opening Night (February 15, 2007)

Labels: Boeing-Boeing, Bradley Whitford, Broadway, Christine Baranski, London, Mark Rylance, Matthew Warchus, Opening Night, Play, Revival, Transfer

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Sunday, May 04, 2008