SOB’s Best Of 2008-09: Top Ten Of The YearOver the past week, I've offered up my "Best Of" lists for four of the five major stage categories observed by the Tony Awards, including
Best Musical Revivals,
Best Play Revivals,
Best New Musicals and
Best New Plays.
Now, before I launch into which Broadway shows would get my Tony vote if
I could
actually vote and my own prognostications on who will win, here’s how the
best of the best rank in my personal countdown of the “10 Best” theatrical productions I saw over the course of the 2008-09 Theatrical Season:
10 - 9 To 5 Venue: Marquis Theatre, New York, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: 9 To 5 wins by being so thoroughly and consistently entertaining. Not only exceedingly fun and funny, but
Dolly Parton has delivered one of this season's most melodic scores, with plenty of tunes to keep you humming long after departing the theatre. You'd be hard pressed not to revel in
9 To 5's frivolity.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Allison Janney,
Stephanie J. Block and
Megan Hilty, as well as
Marc Kudisch and
Kathy Fitzgerald.
Status: Open-ended run.
SOB Review Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
9 - The Cripple Of InishmaanVenue: Linda Gross Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, New York, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: Martin McDonagh's
The Cripple Of Inishmaan crackled with wit and pathos. With frequent McDonagh collaborator
Garry Hynes at the helm, the playwright intrigues with his surprising compassion for humanity.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Excellent ensemble, but special nods to
Aaron Monaghan and
David Pearce.
Status: Closed after enjoying extended limited run.
SOB Review Rating: ***1/2 (out of ***)
8 - next to normal Venue: Booth Theatre, New York, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: With a fierce, electrifying direction from
Michael Greif,
Brian Yorkey and
Tom Kitt’s
next to normal is nothing if not atypical for Great White Way musical fare. But in tackling mental illness and its continued social stigma head-on,
next to normal marks a welcome if downright shocking departure for Broadway.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Alice Ripley,
J. Robert Spencer,
Aaron Tveit and
Jennifer Damiano.
Status: Open-ended run.
SOB Review Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
7 - The VisitVenue: Max Theatre, Signature, Arlington, Virginia
Top 10 Worthiness: John Kander and the late
Fred Ebb's spellbinding "new" musical
The Visit read like a who's who of the stage, including
Terrence McNally with his shrewdly clever book,
Ann Reinking for her captivating choreography and fine direction from
Frank Galati. Kander & Ebb's score proved a formidible co-star.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Chita Rivera,
George Hearn,
Jeremy Webb,
Mark Jacoby and
James Harms.
Status: Closed last summer after limited run. Initially rumored to be New York-bound, but economy seems to have placed those plans on hold.
SOB Review Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
6 - Speed-The-PlowVenue: Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: When
David Mamet's good, he's just about as stimulating and entertaining as any playwright can be. He's the real deal. In
Neil Pepe's astounding and absorbing revival of Mamet's gutbusting
Speed-The-Plow, this is almost as good as it gets.
Exceptional Standout Performance: Raúl Esparza.
Status: Closed after a tumultuous limited run in which star who shall not be named left show to become "a thermometer."
SOB Review Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
5 - IvanovVenue: Wyndham's Theatre, London, United Kingdom
Top 10 Worthiness: Michael Grandage's West End revival of
Anton Chekhov's
Ivanov was so vibrant and alive with pleasure, brimming with dark humor throughout, that I found myself completely rapt with attention. With excellent new adaptation from
Tom Stoppard,
Ivanov was both entertaining and enlightening, soaring with one of the year's best ensembles on either side of the Atlantic.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Excellent ensemble led by
Kenneth Branagh and
Gina McKee.
Status: Closed after limited London run. I'm hoping beyond hope that a transfer may be in the works to Broadway, but it may merely be a pipe dream.
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
4 - Superior DonutsVenue: Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, Illinois
Top 10 Worthiness: Tracy Letts' profoundly moving new play
Superior Donuts intelligently combats some urban myths about race and feels genuine, gritty and real, right down to its climactic brawl. There's plenty of humanity and heart to be found deep inside of this thoughtful and entertaining play.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Excellent ensemble led by
Michael McKean and
Jon Michael Hill.
Status: Initial world premiere run at
Steppenwolf closed last summer, but the show has been
confirmed for a Broadway bow this fall.
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
3 - A Little Night MusicVenue: Menier Chocolate Factory, London, United Kingdom
Top 10 Worthiness: There's pure heaven found in
Trevor Nunn's gorgeous London revival of
A Little Night Music. It enveloped every one of my senses like a welcome salve for these troubled times. Transcending all expectations, only a heart of stone could not be moved by
Stephen Sondheim's ravishing score and
Hugh Wheeler's über-clever book.
Exceptional Standout Performances: Hannah Waddingham,
Maureen Lipman and
Gabriel Vick.
Status: Currently enjoying a transferred run in London's West End. Rumored to be heading to Broadway later this year.
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
2 - Our TownVenue: Barrow Street Theatre, New York, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: Thornton Wilder’s classic stage drama
Our Town has never looked better. Stripped down to its bare essentials by director
David Cromer, it's hard to imagine live theatre could get anymore intimate than this. Making the case against living in the past, this mind-blowing production simply can’t be missed.
Status: Limited run scheduled through September 27, 2009.
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
1 - The Norman ConquestsVenue: The Circle in the Square Theatre, New York, New York
Top 10 Worthiness: Alan Ayckbourn's uproariously hilarious
The Norman Conquests cuts with remarkable, exacting precision, but it also slices and dices its six fully-rounded characters in this jujitsu of love.
Matthew Warchus' brilliant direction of each installment makes each story accessible and comprehensible in its own right. Yet it's only after seeing all three that all the complex pieces truly come together as an unequivocal masterpiece. This is the best show I've seen all year
anywhere.
Exceptional Standout Performances: The entire ensemble:
Amelia Bullmore,
Jessica Hynes,
Stephen Mangan,
Ben Miles,
Paul Ritter and
Amanda Root.
Status: Limited run through July 25, 2009, but don't be surprised if this is extended by popular demand.
SOB Review Rating: **** (out of ****)
What shows would be on your top ten list? Do you think I've completely missed the boat, or would your choices largely mirror mine?
I invite you to join the discussion and post your comments here.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 9 To 5, A Little Night Music, Ivanov, Next To Normal, Our Town, SOB's Best of 2008-09, Speed-The-Plow, Superior Donuts, The Cripple Of Inishmaan, The Norman Conquests, The Visit
SOB's Best Of 2008-09: Best Plays RevivalsDuring the past year, I've had over 70 opportunities to take in a wide range of musicals, plays and "special theatrical events."
If last year was the "Year of the Play," then this one would have to be the "Year of the Play Revival." Over the last twelve months, I saw 17 revivals of plays of varying degree, but on the whole, an unusually large number of them completely captivated and enthralled me, making this "5 Best" list the toughest to select. And, incredibly enough, I haven't yet seen the well-reviewed revivals of
Mary Stuart,
Waiting For Godot or presidential favorite
Joe Turner's Come And Gone -- all are vying with my favorite show of the year for the Tony in the category of Best Revival of a Play.
No wonder I acted so viscerally when
I read that that important honor would be relegated to the pre-Tony telecast this Sunday. With the best shows of the year being revivals, aren't they particularly deserving of prime time love?
UPDATED (6.5.09, 1:50 p.m. EDT): WOW!!! Actor Kevin Spacey tells us via@
KevinSpacey: "Great news theatre lovers. Got official word that the Tony Awards have reconsidered and Best Play Revival will now be on the telecast on CBS." That's the best news I've heard today.
So, without any further ado, drumroll, please:
5 - The Cripple Of Inishmaan (Linda Gross Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, New York, New York)
Who would have thought that a play so politically incorrectly named would be so powerfully funny, yet demonstrate heart?
As revived as a joint project by New York's
Atlantic Theater Company and Ireland's
Druid Theatre Company of Galway,
Martin McDonagh's
The Cripple Of Inishmaan crackled with wit and pathos. With frequent McDonagh collaborator
Garry Hynes at the helm, the two have spun an exceptional yarn.
David Pearce was superb as Inishmaan gossip JohnnyPateenMike, who never met a rumor he didn't like to exploit.
McDonagh intrigues with his compassion for humanity. Along with his rich humor, outstanding cast and Hynes' loving direction, this able play easily ranked among the year's better revivals.
4 - Speed-The-Plow (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, New York)
When
David Mamet's good, he's just about as stimulating and entertaining as any playwright can be. He's the real deal.
In
Neil Pepe's astounding and absorbing revival of Mamet's gutbusting
Speed-The-Plow, this is almost as good as it gets.
By the time I saw the show,
William H. Macy was the second actor in as many months to take over the juicy role as Bobby Gould. Macy was good, but he couldn't outfox the monumentally stunning
Raúl Esparza as Charlie Fox as they sparred over Hollywood scripts and Tinseltown's ability -- or lack thereof -- in making cinematic art. Once again, Esparza is an amazing revelation, a genius consistently delivering an excellent performance and then some.
3 - Ivanov (Wyndham's Theatre, London, United Kingdom)
The
Michael Grandage-helmed West End revival of
Anton Chekhov's
Ivanov was so vibrant and alive with pleasure, brimming with dark humor throughout, that I found myself completely rapt with attention.
With excellent new adaptation from
Tom Stoppard,
Ivanov was both entertaining and enlightening, soaring with one of the year's best ensembles on either side of the Atlantic.
Kenneth Branagh was absolutely brilliant in the title role, but it was the breathtaking
Gina McKee who turned in one of the year's most heartfelt performances, radiating enough warmth to melt the icy bitterness from any Russian town, past or present.
With uniformly scintillating performances from a sterling cast that didn't take itself too seriously, there's no doubt why
Donmar Warehouse's superb
Ivanov was
the West End's must-see sensation this fall.
2 - Our Town (Barrow Street Theatre, New York, New York)
Hands-down, the best show I had seen all year -- that is, right up until I caught the show at number one.
Thornton Wilder’s classic stage drama
Our Town has never looked better.
Stripped down to its bare essentials by director
David Cromer, this exquisite revival moves all about the audience with an unforced urgency. It's hard to imagine live theatre could get anymore intimate than this. Wilder’s heartfelt words never seemed truer or more genuine, which is refreshing considering how
Michele Spadaro's deceptively spare stage design gives way to one last breath of real life, which itself ultimately proves a veritable feast for and in all senses.
Making the case against living in the past, this mind-blowing production simply can’t be missed.
1 - The Norman Conquests (The Circle in the Square Theatre, New York, New York)
Alan Ayckbourn's uproariously hilarious
The Norman Conquests cuts with remarkable, exacting precision, but it also slices and dices its six fully-rounded characters in this jujitsu of love.
Just when you think you have the first portion of this trilogy figured out, one intriguing layer after another is carefully stripped away to reveal more of Ayckbourn's intricately woven story. Each character's motives are eventually cut to the core. And they aren't necessarily what they seem.
Matthew Warchus' brilliant direction of each installment --
Table Manners,
Living Together and
Round And Round The Garden -- makes each story accessible and comprehensible in its own right. Yet it's only after seeing all three that all the complex pieces truly come together as an unequivocal masterpiece.
Rising to the challenge of Ayckbourn's pure genius, Warchus helms an excellent cast offering a breathtaking master class in nuanced ensemble acting. Each actor so fully inhabits his or her character that their exceptional use of body language is amplified just as effortlessly as their voices.
Not only did I find myself on the edge of my seat, but miraculously, I found myself not wanting it ever to end. It's every bit as funny as it is sublime.
The Norman Conquests is the best show on Broadway or anywhere else I've been over the last year.
So what were the best revivals of plays you saw over the past year? I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your theatre experiences with me.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Best Revival of Plays, Broadway, Ivanov, London, Off-Broadway, Our Town, Play, SOB's Best of 2008-09, Speed-The-Plow, The Cripple Of Inishmaan, The Norman Conquests
Speed-The-Plow (The SOB Review) - Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, New York***1/2 (out of ****)When
David Mamet's good, he's just about as stimulating and entertaining as any playwright can be. He's the real deal.
In
Neil Pepe's astounding and absorbing revival of Mamet's gutbusting
Speed-The-Plow, which sadly ended its limited run yesterday at Broadway's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre, this is almost as good as it gets. Almost.
Long overshadowed and obscured by all those
crazy stories of
Jeremy Piven's alleged mercury poisoning,
Speed-The-Plow seemed a little rough around the edges when I took it in on Saturday, in part because
William H. Macy -- the
second actor in as many months to take over Piven's juicy role as Bobby Gould -- didn't yet seem to have fully inhabited the character. Macy was good, but he couldn't outfox the monumentally stunning
Raúl Esparza as Charlie Fox as they sparred over Hollywood scripts and Tinseltown's ability -- or lack thereof -- in making cinematic art.
Once again, Esparza is an amazing revelation. While I keep hope alive that this immensely gifted actor will someday return to musicals -- he's now two-for-two in the drama department and is a smashing success. There's simply no denying his unqualified acting capabilities regardless of whether a tuner or a straight play. The man is a genius, consistently delivering an excellent performance and then some.
Rounding out the trio as the deceptive Karen is
Elisabeth Moss in a wickedly funny Broadway debut. Let's hope we see more of her around the Great White Way.
If only I had seen the show earlier in its run, I could have provided some pithy comment about
speeding to see this great work. Instead, I'll encourage you to cheer on Esparza for what is sure to be a well-deserved Tony nod.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: David Mamet, Play, Revival, Speed-The-Plow
Critics Don't Give A Dime About American Buffalo RevivalLast evening, the second Broadway revival for
David Mamet’s
American Buffalo enjoyed a rare Monday evening opening at the
Belasco Theatre. Helmed by
Robert Falls, the production stars
John Leguizamo,
Cedric the Entertainer and
Haley Joel Osment. Critics were largely disappointed.
Deeming the revival "enjoyable if not revelatory,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer provides a mixed assessment: "[T]his one has an exhilarating performance by John Leguizamo, who careens off Mamet's essence with a joy I missed in the oddly constricted
Plow. Robert Falls, the Chicago-based director who exploded expectations from the inside in recent smashing revivals ... isn't blowing the lid off Mamet tradition in this straightforward production.... Do we need another
American Buffalo in a season bereft of new plays? Of course not. Is it good to have it back? Sure."
Branding it a "deflated revival,"
Ben Brantley of The New York Times clearly believes the production's talent wasn't up to the Mamet task: "In the latest version of
American Buffalo, the words feel too limp to stick together, and each character seems to have a different mother tongue. This is a resounding disappointment, given the talent of those involved.... The rhythms of this production are those of a sitcom, with lots of empty space between lines to let audiences fully register jokes and outlandish figures of speech. Such an approach saps the strength of
American Buffalo.... Nobody appears desperate here. Well, not the characters, anyway; the actors are another matter."
Taking note that "If the F-word really were an F-bomb, there would be nothing left of Times Square," Bloomberg's
John Simon says that the sum doesn't equal the parts: "The play is skillfully directed by Robert Falls, who has choreographed some arresting movements and imposed fascinating changes in tempo and dynamics. The actors squeeze everything possible out of their parts, Cedric, for example, managing to say 'No' in peculiarly layered ways. There is even a vocal trio in the interplay of Cedric’s rumbling bass, Leguizamo’s whining, high-pitched tenor and Osment’s overeager or anxious countertenor. But put it all together and it spells blather of the peculiarly Mametian brand, in which obscenity and scatology sprout like mushrooms in damp, shady ground. Cut out the foulmouthed verbiage and the play would be appreciably shorter but hardly better. It might even lose what specious colorfulness it has."
Lamenting that the revival "sits so flatly on its impressive self,"
Variety's
David Rooney also joins the chorus of critics wondering what happened: "Robert Falls' production drains much of the humor, urgency and anxiety from the piece, letting it amble along like an inflated actors' exercise in sustaining atmosphere without action.... Falls has proven himself repeatedly to be an exceptional director with actors. But while he gets capable work out of all three cast members on the surface, his naturalistic approach is not suited to Mamet's muscularly theatrical language. The actors too rarely get under their characters' skins to expose the bitter insecurity lurking there.... Dynamic as he is, Leguizamo's flashy tricks are part of the problem."
Concluding that this revival "rarely succeeds,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News offers just two out of five stars: "Despite a starry cast of John Leguizamo, Haley Joel Osment and Cedric the Entertainer, who's miscast, the tepid two-hour two-act, directed by Robert Falls, makes the story seem very slight, with all the danger and combustibility of a book of soggy matches.... Leguizamo makes the character his own with a one-two wallop of scary-funny. He's constantly compelling as he roams nervously, grabs his crotch for emphasis and unleashes X-rated torrents.... Though he's an appealing actor, Cedric the Entertainer is so sitcom-cuddly and cute, he simply lacks the needed edge to convince as Don."
Asking, "Just how many f - - - ing David Mamet revivals do we need this season
?" New York Post's
Barbara Hoffman (does anyone know how Clive Barnes is, other than "on leave"???) awards just two out of four stars: "
American Buffalo has all the profanity and none of the poetry. As directed by the usually estimable Robert Falls, with John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer and Haley Joel Osment, it's flatter than a cow plop.... Cedric is a solid, almost fatherly Don who makes the most of the show's genuinely funny moments -- miming, say, the back end of a sexy bicyclist -- though he rolls his eyes a few times too many. And Osment, also new to Broadway, makes a touchingly vulnerable Bobby in a role that doesn't grow much. (This time, he sees bored people.)"
So there you have it folks.
One Mamet revival receiving
generally solid notices, followed by this one that reeks of critical disappointment. Interesting to note that the former is the one that had scheduled a limited run. Wonder if the team associated with the latter is rethinking their plans?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: American Buffalo, Broadway, Cedric the Entertainer, Critics' Capsule, David Mamet, Haley Joel Osment, John Leguizamo, Play, Revival, Robert Falls, Speed-The-Plow
Broadway Gets Nickeled (Not Dimed) Tonight As American Buffalo Revival OpensThis evening, the second Great White Way revival of
David Mamet’s seminal play
American Buffalo opens at the
Belasco Theatre.
With two-time Tony winning director
Robert Falls at the helm, the play stars
John Leguizamo as Walter Cole,
Cedric the Entertainer as Donny Dubrow, and
Haley Joel Osment as Bobby. The
American Buffalo revival marks the Broadway debuts for both Messrs. Kyle (a/k/a "the Entertainer") and Osment.
American Buffalo, of course, is the second Mamet revival currently performing on Broadway, with the limited run of
Speed-The-Plow having opened just last month to
primarily good reviews.
Will critics be ready to toast this one as well? Find out tomorrow as I provide my regular critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: American Buffalo, Broadway, Cedric the Entertainer, David Mamet, Haley Joel Osment, John Leguizamo, Play, Revival, Robert Falls, Speed-The-Plow
Were Critics Toasting Plow?Last evening, director
Neil Pepe's revival of
David Mamet's 1988 play
Speed-The-Plow opened at Broadway's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Jeremy Piven,
Raúl Esparza and
Elisabeth Moss star in this first Rialto revival.
Critics offered middling to ecstatic reviews.
Roaring that "this new
Speed-The-Plow is a must-see," in his four-star review,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes is rhapsodic: "[T]he beautifully played revival that opened last night establishes the play as a modern classic.... [I]t's Neil Pepe's smooth-as-silk direction and the play itself that hold the stage.... Piven ... finds the burnt-out hollows beneath an overpromoted hack executive, while the always amazing Esparza is the pushy underdog, all rapid-fire action and virtuosic language. Finally, there's the elegant Moss ... slithering through the play's undergrowth like a grass snake."
Proclaiming Mamet's observations "as fresh as last night's rushes,"
Variety's
David Rooney mostly praises: "
Speed-The-Plow remains on-target in its sardonic skewering of an industry run by self-confessed whores and driven by the public's appetite for mindless escapism. Despite a weak midsection, Neil Pepe's taut Broadway revival keeps the verbal sniper fire swift and scathing, while the three accomplished actors make the air between them crackle with tension.... Piven's tightly wound physicality and easy command of rapid-fire, hectoring dialogue make him a natural fit for Mamet.... The play is not top-tier Mamet.... But the comedy is pithy, smart and performed with prickly energy."
Asking rhertorically if "cynicism (is) supposed to be this energizing?"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley seems euphoric from the ride: "What makes
Speed-The-Plow so exciting is its power to define and destroy an entire self-contained world through the tools and weapons of spoken words, expertly wielded by a very live cast... Both satirical and sentimental about who and what they are, they turn conversation into a ritualistic art. Under Mr. Pepe’s juggernaut direction, Mr. Piven and Mr. Esparza invest that art with the souped-up, self-inflating rhythms of cokeheads... Mr. Piven has the pivotal role, and he executes it with uncanny grace and intelligence... Mr. Esparza finds many shades and textures -- of pride, humiliation, anger and resentment -- within that primal instinct."
Offering a "Harrumph for Hollywood,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News gives the production three out of five stars: "[I]f this compact, 85-minute comedy isn't Mamet at his deepest, Neil Pepe's fine-tuned revival makes for an entertaining ride.... As Mamet thumbs his nose at Hollywood, he manages to make a case for each side of the debate in his witty script, even if passages from the book sound like the makings of a laughably dreary film.... Esparza ... a Broadway star who slips effortlessly between musicals and plays, gives a supercharged performance.... Piven is an excellent foil."
Noting that "the decent impulse is not rewarded here,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer offers a mixed review: "Despite a cast that looks wonderful on paper, director Neil Pepe's production is small, tight and more angry than fabulously, shamelessly, joyously rude. Piven, perhaps trying not to duplicate his sleaze-triumphant agent, Ari Gold, from '
Entourage, plays Bobby Gould -- new production head of a studio -- with a soft underbelly that works against the surprise of his potential conversion to art movies.... Esparza delivers Mamet's motormouth, poetic scatology with a scowling intensity that overshadows the joy of Mamet's third-generation Jewish punch lines."
The limited run of
Speed-The-Plow is currently slated to run through February 22, 2009.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, David Mamet, Elisabeth Moss, Jeremy Piven, Neil Pepe, Play, Raul Esparza, Revival, Speed-The-Plow
Speeding Toward, Plowing Through Opening NightThis evening, the first Broadway revival of
David Mamet's
Speed-The-Plow opens at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Directed by
Neil Pepe, the production stars
Jeremy Piven as Bobby Gould opposite
Raúl Esparza as Charlie Fox, with
Elisabeth Moss taking on the role of Karen. This marks the Broadway debuts for both Piven and Moss.
The revival comes 20 years after the original mounting, with included
Joe Mantegna,
Ron Silver and
Madonna in the aforementioned roles. Silver took home a Tony for his portrayal of Charlie Fox.
Will there be awards in this revival's future? Will critics by rushing to provide accolades? I'll answer the latter question tomorrow in my critics' capsule.
The limited run is currently scheduled through February 22, 2009.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: David Mamet, Elisabeth Moss, Jeremy Piven, Neil Pepe, Play, Raul Esparza, Revival, Speed-The-Plow
Broadway Preview: Speed-The-PlowAmong all the plays that have been announced for the 2008-09 Theatrical Season, few are more enigmatic than
David Mamet's
Speed-The-Plow, a work about the cut-throat nature of the Hollywood's film industry.
For example, while the Tony-nominated original production made its debut at Broadway's
Royale Theatre on April 9, 1988, it was only because Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse Theatre proved too small to accommodate demand. And that clamor wasn't to see
Joe Mantegna or
Ron Silver, who would go on to win a Tony for Best Actor that year.
No, it was the pre-
Kabbalah Madonna, who was causing a commotion by taking on her one and only Gotham legit stage appearance. While most critics inevitably found Madonna's participation ironic due to the play's subject matter,
Frank Rich of
The New York Times was rather gracious:
Madonna is the axis on which the play turns -- an enigma within an enigma, in the manner of the Lindsay Crouse heroine in "House of Games.'' It's a relief to report that this rock star's performance is safely removed from her own Hollywood persona. Madonna serves Mr. Mamet's play much as she did the Susan Seidelman film "Desperately Seeking Susan,'' with intelligent, scrupulously disciplined comic acting. She delivers the shocking transitions essential to the action and needs only more confidence to relax a bit and fully command her speaking voice.
Speed-The-Plow would open May 3, 1988 and run through December 31 of the same year.
Another more recent example is that earlier this year,
Jeff Goldblum joined with
Kevin Spacey in a wildly
popular production across the pond at the
Old Vic. The two American actors were joined by
Laura Michelle Kelly, who achieved lasting fame in London as the stage's first
Mary Poppins (although she may be better known to American audiences for her role as the Beggar Woman in the 2007 film
Sweeney Todd). Given the success of the London revival, the mystery here is why Spacey wouldn't just transfer it to Broadway.
The third example is that while a Rialto revival was
announced in April, this time starring
Jeremy Piven in his Main Stem debut, little else is known other than the fact the production is supposedly slated to open October 23.
With the clock ticking, it's a puzzlement to be sure. But you can be sure I'll try to fill in the missing pieces as they come in.
UPDATE (7.8.08, 9:25 a.m.): Thanks to Esther at Gratuitous Violins for providing me with a link to a February Michael Riedel piece that notes why the Kevin Spacey version wouldn't make it to Broadway:
Mamet gave (Jeffrey) Richards the rights to Speed-The-Plow, a comedy about two sleazy Hollywood producers and their secretary, long before the Old Vic secured the play for a London run.
Mamet also has promised his loyal lieutenant, Neil Pepe, the opportunity to direct the play on Broadway. Pepe runs Mamet's off-Broadway theater, the Atlantic, and occasionally appears in bit parts in his movies.
Well, that's at least one
mystery solved.UPDATE (7.11.08, 9:45 a.m.) Hat tip to Modern Fabulousity for pointing out that Raúl Esparza has now been cast as Charlie Fox in the upcoming revival that's still due this October. Yet another part of the mystery is solved. All that's left is the casting of Karen and a theatre to house the production.This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway Preview: Billy Elliot - The Musical (July 7, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Godspell (July 6, 2008)
Broadway Preview: All My Sons (July 5, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Man For All Seasons (July 3, 2008)
Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Labels: Broadway, David Mamet, First Word On New Show, Jeff Goldblum, Kevin Spacey, Madonna, Play, Revival, Ron Silver, Speed-The-Plow
Talk To The Hand: Kevin EditionClick
here to see
Kevin Spacey's wonderfully animated May 25 appearance on "
The Late Show With David Letterman," in which at the 5 minute mark, the acclaimed actor tells how he deals with unruly audience members, including those with dreaded cell phones.
At the 7 minute mark, Spacey reveals how he held out his hand and called out an unruly audience member by finally saying "Enough." Yet another reason why I like this fine, and lately
grossly underappreciated, actor!
Although the wildly successful (
read: profitable) revival of
A Moon For The Misbegotten became history on Tony night, Spacey fans willing to travel to London can get another live dose of him in 2008. Beginning in January, he'll be starring in the
Old Vic's revival of
David Mamet's
Speed-The-Plow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
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Labels: A Moon For The Misbegotten, Broadway, First Word On New Show, Kevin Spacey, Late Show With David Letterman, London, Play, Revival, Speed-The-Plow, Talk To The Hand
