Old Acquaintance (The SOB Review) - American Airlines Theatre, New York, NY**1/2 (out of ****)While its advance billing would suggest claws finely sharpened for a good old-fashioned catfight of the first order, the revival of
John Van Druten’s somewhat dated
Old Acquaintance is less reminiscent of
The Women (its revival staged at the very same
American Airlines Theatre nearly six years ago) than the convoluted, nearly incestuous
Mia Farrow/
Woody Allen/
Soon-Yi Previn polygon from fifteen years ago.
Some may wonder why director
Michael Wilson bothered to revive this old chestnut, long since buried in the annals of theatre. Whatever the reason, I can tell you that this pre-World War II period piece does serve up an engaging summertime helix or two in the form of three bizarre love triangles against an exquisite set design by
Alexander Dodge. Van Druten also offers a rare peek at the era’s burgeoning feminine sexuality -- that is, if and when intimate boudoir talk was actually discussed openly.
At the center of each
major triangle is the respected and even-keeled occasional writer Kit Markham, played with understated humor and grace by the magnificent
Margaret Colin. Imbuing her Kit with a loyal and dignified air, it’s no wonder she easily attracts friends and lovers alike.
One such friend (and rival) is popular author Milly Drake -- a perfectly prickly
Harriet Harris -- whose mercurial temperament and prone for excess seriously undermine her relationships and repel those she loves the most, including her daughter Deirdre (a sublime
Diane Davis) and her now ex-husband Preston (a woefully ineffectual
Stephen Bogardus).
Infusing her role with the appropriate mix of vanity and vociferousness, Harris not only neatly underscores why Milly is her own worst, clueless enemy, but also why this accomplished thespian is one of the best character actresses on the stage today. In her leading role, Harris delivers a thoroughly entertaining performance.
Another friend of Kit's is Deirdre, who finds refuge with her surrogate aunt from the storms that perpetually lie in her own mother's wake. In Kit, Deirdre also has a trusted confidante with whom she can contemplate her own virtue.
And then there are the men who have been drawn to Kit. The curtain initially rises on a rapturous embrace between Kit and Rudd (portrayed with sophisticated style and winning charm by
Corey Stoll), a dashing young gentleman who's not going to let being ten years Kit's junior stand in the way of professing his love for her. Only, Kit rebuffs his overtures -- something she had also done years back when Preston was ready to leave Milly for her.
Just as any plot that heaps one love triangle on top of another and another would hint, this is ultimately a story of revelation after revelation culminating in a final "confrontation" between Kit and Milly. Despite the blizzard that's about to rage outside, there's not so much a storm
inside as a version of
True Confessions -- not exactly a satisfying conclusion, but that's what you get when you dust off an old play well beyond its freshness date.
Still, there's enough humanity and laughs left in this
Old Acquaintance worthy of visiting anew.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Critics: Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot? (June 29, 2007)
Old Acquaintance Opens Tonight (June 28, 2007)
"Sands In The Clouds," Or Why I Love Harriet Harris (June 27, 2007)
Summer Brings Old Acquaintance Harris Back To Broadway (March 23, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Harriet Harris, John Van Druten, Margaret Colin, Old Acquaintance, Play, Revival, The SOB Review
Critics: Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot?Last evening, the first-ever Broadway revival of
Old Acquaintance opened at the
American Airlines Theatre. Overall, critics gave this 66 year old
John Van Druten play helmed by
Michael Wilson a rather lukewarm welcome.
Heralding the show as a "tasty chestnut,"
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner offers three out of four stars: "There was a time, though, long before Rosie and Elisabeth or Paris and Nicole had at it, when the feline grudge match could be a modest art form, practiced by women of wit and relative discretion. OK, so some of these confrontations were staged, literally -- with playwrights (a good number of them male) fashioning the verbal blows. But the gals throwing the jabs made such capable and classy contenders that no one dared challenge their authority....(
Harriet Harris) and (
Margaret) Colin also reveal the abiding affection that make Milly and Kit more convincing and interesting as a dueling duo than most of their contemporaries."
Calling it a "mildly entertaining, maddeningly disjunctive revival,"
The New York Times's
Ben Brantley says the two lead actresses are inhabiting different eras: "Both approaches offer insight into a period piece that turns out to have accumulated less mold than you might expect. But seen in close proximity, they cancel each other out. That’s too bad. As written,
Old Acquaintance...has the surprising charm of a decades-old best seller you might come upon in your grandmother’s library. You pick it up to skim, thinking it could be a hoot, and then it hooks you with the wit and craftsmanship that define its vintage as much as its setting does....If only everyone could stay on the same page."
Labeling it a "tepid revival,"
Eric Grode of
The New York Sun shares many of the same criticisms: "[T]here aren't enough ice cubes and fabulous gowns in New York to yank the focus from Ms. Harris's steely grip....But while her heavy lifting and Ms. Colin's equally rigorous performance are each diverting on an individual level, the two very different acting styles never meld together in any sort of plausible manner. The anticipated tussle falls flat here, with Ms. Harris forced to ratchet up the hysterics to convey a comparable frisson."
Allowing that the show is "mildly diverting,"
David Rooney of
Variety laments: "The comic verve of Harriet Harris and the elegance of her co-star and foil, Margaret Colin, make the three acts pass painlessly, but the play's catfight lacks claws just as its lovefest struggles to summon warmth....Wilson keeps the play motoring along briskly enough, yet the production strains to find its groove, exposing the material's flimsiness. It's never quite as much fun as it should be."
Grumbling that "they set a standard that might be difficult to lower,"
Clive Barnes of the
New York Post offers a one-star review: "It's hardly a play panting for resuscitation. It's hard to believe anyone would want to take it out of drama's attic of discard, and, even after dusting it off, not have put it back or send it -- with little hope and less charity -- to the Salvation Army.... Harriet Harris...does have one fantastic piece of business with a telephone, which is the night's one bright moment."
The reviews won't likely lift the show's box office, which last week was hovering just under 70% capacity -- the average ticket price was only $42.47. But given that it's the only "new" play to open this summer, it may get a lift simply from those hoping to see something different.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Old Acquaintance Opens Tonight (June 28, 2007)
"Sands In The Clouds," Or Why I Love Harriet Harris (June 27, 2007)
Summer Brings Old Acquaintance Harris Back To Broadway (March 23, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Harriet Harris, Old Acquaintance, Play, Revival
Old Acquaintance Opens TonightAfter a 66 year absence from Broadway, one
Old Acquaintance of
John Van Druten finally shows its face again in a new
Roundabout Theatre Company revival directed by
Michael Wilson. The limited run opens this evening at the
American Airlines Theatre.
Set in pre-World War II New York,
Old Acquaintance concerns a stormy friendship between two accomplished writers that is put to the test. The play is headlined by
Margaret Colin as Katherine Markham and
Harriet Harris as Mildred Watson Drake. Other rest of the cast is comprised of
Stephen Bogardus,
Cynthia Darlow,
Diane Davis,
Gordana Rashovich and
Corey Stoll.
After its
170 Broadway performances that began in 1940 with
Jane Cowl (Katherine) and
Peggy Wood (Mildred), the story was later transformed into a
1943 film with
Bette Davis as its star.
The final performance for the play's first revival is currently scheduled for August 19.
As this is the first opening for a Broadway show during the new 2007-08 Theatrical Season, critics will finally have something new to write about -- whether they'll find it exciting is another story. Find out tomorrow as I capture their critiques.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:"Sands In The Clouds," Or Why I Love Harriet Harris (June 27, 2007)
Summer Brings Old Acquaintance Harris Back To Broadway (March 23, 2007)
Labels: Harriet Harris, Old Acquaintance, Opening Night, Play, Revival, Roundabout Theatre
"Sands In The Clouds," Or Why I Love Harriet HarrisHarriet Harris is featured in
Playbill's latest Cue & A Column and once again demonstrates why she's one actress who's more than worthy of my affection.
Harris opens in the Broadway revival of
Old Acquaintance tomorrow evening. It's her first Great White Way appearance since winning her very well-deserved Tony as Mrs. Meers in
Thoroughly Modern Millie back in 2003 (although she did reprise her role again the following year).
Break a leg, Harriet!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Plays (May 16, 2007)
Summer Brings Old Acquaintance Harris Back To Broadway (March 23, 2007)
The Glass Menagerie (The SOB Review) (February 16, 2007)
Harriet Harris To Headline Guthrie's Glass Menagerie (December 21, 2007)
Mame (The SOB Review) (June 18, 2006)
Mame with Christine Baranski Begins Saturday at Kennedy Center (May 26, 2006)
Labels: Harriet Harris, Interview, Old Acquaintance, Play, Revival
Summer Brings Old Acquaintance Harris Back To Broadway
But Harris has been busy earning accolades elsewhere for her breathtaking stage versatility. Her range has taken her from Vera Charles in
Mame (Washington DC's
Kennedy Center) to her current portrayal of Amanda in
The Glass Menagerie (Minneapolis' Guthrie), which ends Sunday.
In
my review of the former show, I called her "brilliant," while for her latter performance,
I was downright smitten: "Harris erupts with a volatile mix of authentic neurosis and delusional charm to make you believe she understands the archetype Williams intended perfectly. An actor's actor if ever there was one, Harris masters this role with clarity and precision, even when she's not speaking a word. Hers is one of the best performances of the year."
Harris is among a select group of actresses for whom I would go out of my way to see on the stage. Congratulations to Roundabout for once again tapping into this amazing and talented treasure.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Broadway, First Word On New Show, Harriet Harris, Mame, Old Acquaintance, Play, Revival, Roundabout Theatre, The Glass Menagerie, Thoroughly Modern Millie
