When I took in David Lindsay-Abaire's solidly-crafted Rabbit Hole when it played on Broadway back in 2006, I thought it merely OK. It was poignant to be sure, especially with uniformly good performances, yet I didn’t think it rose to any great heights, nor did I think it deserving of its Pulitzer Prize win.
Of course, never mind what I think. Especially now that that John Cameron Mitchell has directed the big screen adaptation by Lindsay-Abaire. The film, set for a limited release on December 17 in time for Oscar consideration, will star Nicole Kidman as Cynthia opposite Aaron Eckhart as Howie -- grieving parents mourning the loss of their son (the roles were played on Broadway by Cynthia Nixon and John Slattery, with Nixon earning a Tony).
But after viewing this trailer for the movie, I found myself strangely moved in ways I didn't feel four years ago. Interesting that the clip barely even hints at the film's very title. Take a look and let me know what you think.
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.
Now being produced at regional theatres throughout the United States (as well as abroad), Rabbit Hole was first presented by the Manhattan Theatre Club on Broadway from January through April 2006 at the Biltmore Theatre. While the play was Tony nominated for Best Play, it ultimately lost to The History Boys, a British work. However, its star Cynthia Nixon would win the Tony for Best Actress in a Play.
The three plays that were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize included A Soldier's Fugue by Quiara Alegria Hudes, Bulrusher by Eisa Davis, and Orpheus X by Rinde Eckert. Rarely is a non-nominated work ever selected by the Pulitzer committee, but this indeed was one of those years.
I took in Rabbit Hole when it was playing on Broadway last year. To be honest, I thought it was simply OK. While it was poignant and provided uniformly good performances, I didn’t think it rose to any great heights, nor do I think it deserving of a Pulitzer.
Completely overlooked were two outstanding musicals (and yes, musicals have previously been awarded the Pulitzer honor): Grey Gardensand Spring Awakening. Ironically, the latter features a breathtaking performance by an actor who figured prominently in Rabbit Hole: John Gallagher, Jr.
Unfortunately, the Pulitzer committee settled for safe.
Here are the winners in the top musical and play categories of the American Theatre Wing's 60th Annual Tony Awards, highlighted in red (* denotes my predictions):
Best Play Rabbit Hole Shining City The History Boys* The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Best Musical Jersey Boys The Color Purple The Drowsy Chaperone* The Wedding Singer
Best Revival of a Play Awake and Sing! Edward Albee's Seascape Faith Healer* The Constant Wife
Best Revival of a Musical Sweeney Todd* The Pajama Game The Threepenny Opera
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play Ralph Fiennes, Faith Healer Richard Griffiths, The History Boys* Zeljko Ivanek, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial Oliver Platt, Shining City David Wilmot, The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Kate Burton, The Constant Wife Judy Kaye, Souvenir Lisa Kron, Well Cynthia Nixon, Rabbit Hole* Lynn Redgrave, The Constant Wife
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Michael Cerveris, Sweeney Todd Harry Connick, Jr., The Pajama Game* Stephen Lynch, The Wedding Singer Bob Martin, The Drowsy Chaperone John Lloyd Young, Jersey Boys Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Sutton Foster, The Drowsy Chaperone La Chanze, The Color Purple Patti LuPone, Sweeney Todd* Kelli O'Hara, The Pajama Game Chita Rivera, Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Samuel Barnett, The History Boys Domhnall Gleeson, The Lieutenant of Inishmore Ian McDiarmid, Faith Healer* Mark Ruffalo, Awake and Sing! Pablo Schreiber, Awake and Sing! Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play Tyne Daly, Rabbit Hole* Frances de la Tour, The History Boys Jayne Houdyshell, Well Alison Pill, The Lieutenant of Inishmore Zoë Wanamaker, Awake and Sing! Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Danny Burstein, The Drowsy Chaperone Jim Dale, The Threepenny Opera* Brandon Victor Dixon, The Color Purple Manoel Felciano, Sweeney Todd Christian Hoff, Jersey Boys Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Carolee Carmello, Lestat Felicia P. Fields, The Color Purple* Megan Lawrence, The Pajama Game Beth Leavel, The Drowsy Chaperone Elisabeth Withers-Mendes, The Color Purple
Best Direction of a Play Nicholas Hytner, The History Boys* Wilson Milam, The Lieutenant of Inishmore Bartlett Sher, Awake and Sing! Daniel Sullivan, Rabbit Hole
Best Direction of a Musical John Doyle, Sweeney Todd* Kathleen Marshall, The Pajama Game Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys Casey Nicholaw, The Drowsy Chaperone
Best Choreography Rob Ashford, The Wedding Singer Donald Byrd, The Color Purple Kathleen Marshall, The Pajama Game Casey Nicholaw, The Drowsy Chaperone*
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre The Color Purple, Music & Lyrics: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray The Drowsy Chaperone, Music & Lyrics: Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison The Wedding Singer, Music: Matthew Sklar; Lyrics: Chad Beguelin The Woman in White, Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics: David Zippel
Best Book of a Musical Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, The Wedding Singer Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Jersey Boys Bob Martin and Don McKellar, The Drowsy Chaperone* Marsha Norman, The Color Purple
I was truly stunned when The Pajama Game beat Sweeney Todd. I can only hope that as much of the original cast of The Pajama Game as possible will remain intact when the open-ended run of the production opens this fall.
Extremely disappointing was John Lloyd Young's victory for Jersey Boys. At the risk of being whacked, I had a hard time enjoying anything about his victory given that the Friday night I attended, he was not there. I loved his understudy but resent that Young thinks it OK to miss performances so early on. AND, he did not thank Frankie Valli -- shame!
As much I looked forward to Patti LuPone winning, I remarked shortly before LaChanze's victory that I would not cry if she won. She was stunningly wonderful in The Color Purple, and she competed in what I believe was the singular most competitive category -- and rightly so.
And on the win for Jersey Boys, see above. This jukebox musical is the most overrated show of the season.
All in all, I guessed correctly on 12 of the categories. I'll let you decide how well that means I did. The 60th Tony Awards were telecast on Sunday, June 11 on CBS.
Great news for everyone -- including me -- who missed the critically-acclaimed production of Lisa Kron's Well, which died a premature Broadway death despite reaping key Tony nominations. The inventive play will be part of the 2006-07 theatre season at The Huntington Theatre Company in Boston beginning next March.
This prestigious theatrical company, begun in 1982 as the theatre in residence for Boston University, has an ambitious season in store for subscribers, including:
August Wilson’s Radio Golf in what's being described as a prelude to a Broadway run (September 8-October 8, 2006)
The world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Mauritius (October 6-November 12, 2006)
The Tony-nominated Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire (November 3-December 3, 2006)
The Anton Chekhov classic, The Cherry Orchard with Kate Burton as Madame Ranevsky (January 5-February 4, 2007)
Well (March 5-April 4, 2007)
The Nicholas Martin-helmed Persephone (March 30-May 6, 2007)
Streamers by David Rabe and directed by the ubiquitous Scott Ellis (May 18-June 17, 2007)
You can bet Boston will figure into my travel plans during the next year.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Huntington Theatre Company ticket information.
As the lone American nominated in the Tony's Best Play category, David Lindsay-Abaire would seem to have a built-in lock on the the award. While his play Rabbit Hole was an interesting dissection of a family coping with the unexpected death of a child and including outstanding performances by most of its cast, I'm betting on Alan Bennett's critically-acclaimed The History Boys to take home the Tony. Not only was the Nicholas Hytner-helmed import from the London stage the best reviewed play of the year, by virtually every account, it was also the singular best.
Quite frankly, Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore is perhaps just a wee bit bloody for Tony voters. And despite the glowing reviews by The New York Times' Ben Brantley for Conor McPherson's Shining City, most critics were not nearly as enamored by the production, which inexplicably assumed Tony's fourth spot in place of the more-deserving Well.
Personally, I'm looking forward to an eloquent speech by Bennett a week from tomorrow.
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles Limited run extended through May 31, 2011 (Show will go on hiatus starting January 15 and reopen at Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8)
Rock Of Ages - Open-ended run (Show will go on hiatus starting January 9 and reopen at Helen Hayes Theatre in March)
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
