Present Laughter (The SOB Review) - American Airlines Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City, New York
*1/2 (out of ****)I was present, so where was the laughter?
Noël Coward's semi-autobiographical play about aging stage star and bon vivant ladies' man Garry Essendine is frequently revived on Broadway and in the West End. Yet in
Nicholas Martin's extraordinarily tepid revival, you'd never know why. That's because it's virtually devoid of all humor.
It would appear that Martin's sole focus was in ensuring
Alexander Dodge's sumptuous art deco set was the one element of the play to match its appropriate time period. In fact, the scenic design receives the most applause of the evening.
Evidently, that came at the expense of actually directing the ensemble, which is in dire need of being reined in. The entire cast, headed by the normally likeable
Victor Garber (Garry), perform as though they're each from different eras acting in completely different shows. As Roland, the incredibly annoying
Brooks Ashmanskas takes the cake as the most egregious offender, coming off as a contemporary fanatic. Only
Harriet Harris (as Garry's assistant) manages to escape unscathed with dignity intact.
If Martin had actually been present with his assembled actors, then perhaps this Roundabout mess would have been more cohesive and delivered the goods as advertised. Fortunately, as a paying member of the public, I'm now getting the last laugh.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Brooks Ashmanskas, Harriet Harris, Nicholas Martin, Noël Coward, Play, Present Laughter, Revival, The SOB Review, Victor Garber
Coward's Laughter Presented For Fifth Time On BroadwayWhat do acting greats
Clifton Webb,
George C. Scott,
Frank Langella and now
Victor Garber all have in common with playwright
Noël Coward, whose
Present Laughter is opening for its fifth time on Broadway this evening?
The answer? Each has portrayed the play's suave, yet egocentric actor Garry Essendine on the Great White Way.
Nicholas Martin directs Garber on his return to Broadway after a 10 year absence. A four-time Tony nominee in his own right, Garber has become a household name over the last decade for his Emmy-nominated work on the
little screen, although he's also been in many
hit movies, too.
Garber is joined in this incarnation of
Present Laughter by
Brooks Ashmanskas as Roland Maule,
Lisa Banes as Liz Essendine,
Nancy E. Carroll as Miss Erikson,
Alice Duffy as Lady Saltburn,
Holley Fain as Daphne Stillington,
Pamela Jane Gray as Joanna Lyppiatt,
Harriet Harris as Monica Reed,
James Joseph O'Neil as Fred,
Richard Poe as Henry Lyppiatt and
Mark Vietor as Morris Dixon.
With frequent productions on both sides of the Atlantic since it was first staged in 1942,
Present Laughter remains a favorite from the Coward canon.
It was first produced on Broadway at the
Plymouth Theatre, where it ran for 158 after opening October 29, 1946. Webb was its star.
The
first Main Stem revival was mounted at the
Belasco Theatre in early 1958. Hard to believe it only lasted a scant 6 performances, given that Coward was not only at the helm, but also starring as Garry himself, a role meant to serve as his very own self-caricature. The revival also starred
Eva Gabor as Joanna Lyppiatt.
The
second Broadway revival, mounted at the
Circle in the Square Theatre in July 1982, was significantly more successful and featured a truly stellar cast that could earn its audience members some major bragging rights. Not only did
George C. Scott portray Garry, but he also directed this
Present Laughter that featured
Kate Burton as Daphne Stillington,
Dana Ivey as Monica Reed,
Christine Lahti as Joanna Lyppiatt and a young
Nathan Lane in his Broadway debut as Roland Maule. While the production that lasted 175 performances drew no Tony nominations, Scott, Ivey and Lane would each receive Drama Desk nods, while Burton received a Theatre World Award.
Scott Elliott directed the last Rialto revival of
Present Laughter at the
Walter Kerr Theatre, where it opened November 18, 1996. Like its predecessor, this revival enjoyed a run of 175 performances. Langella starred as Garry and
Allison Janney played his estranged wife Liz; both earned Drama Desk nominations and Janney took home a Theatre World Award. The show itself would be Tony nominated for Best Revival of a Play.
Which brings us back to the present
Laughter. Will Martin's latest revival
present lots of laughter and mirth? I'll let you know shortly after I see the show within the next few weeks.
The
Roundabout Theatre Company's limited run revival of
Present Laughter at the
American Airlines Theatre is currently slated to close on March 21, 2010.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. Labels: Broadway, Brooks Ashmanskas, Clifton Webb, Frank Langella, George C. Scott, Harriet Harris, Nathan Lane, Nicholas Martin, Noel Coward, Play, Present Laughter, Revival, Victor Garber
Present Laughter (The SOB Review) - American Airlines Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City, New York
