By: Benjamin Nockles

In “Good People,” Frances McDormand convincingly plays an unemployed mother struggling to make rent for her South Boston apartment and support her retarded, adult daughter. This play is uniquely complemented by an astonishingly detailed set as real as the poverty in today’s difficult economy, yet what startled me was the effect they’ve engineered of masking the stage during changes with three sliding panels to mimic the effect of a cinematic transition. More than once in the first act I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching television.

Out of desperation for a job, Maggie (McDormand) looks up an old boyfriend (Tate Donovan) who managed to escape “Southie” and entered a wealthy career in medicine. When the opportunity arises, she latches onto a reluctant birthday party invitation in hopes of mixing with other doctors and landing a job “filing papers… or something.” In a brilliant second act, what was intended to be an impersonal invitation becomes something much more personal after the party is cancelled but Maggie shows up anyway. Along with the doctor and his wife (Renée Elise Goldsberry,) the three put up the courteous front of “good” hosts and a “good” houseguest, yet can’t help but waver on the line between upholding dignity and doing what it takes to survive.

All together, the play truly reveals both the beautiful and the ugly side of human goodness, or at least our best shot at it. The second act forces each character into a corner, which brings out a fantastic display of talent from McDormand, Donovan and Goldsberry. Simultaneously, the themes of the play are physically embodied as the sliding panels are withheld and the inter-workings of the set are revealed to underline the vulnerability of these characters after conflict rips them from their veil of selflessness and exposes their self-serving intentions. That’s not to say the play will leave you depressed, after all, a play called “Good People” wouldn’t leave the audience without some act of true selflessness.

The message certainly serves the play’s favor. On the other hand, though all this is going on in the marvelous second act, the first act (which primarily features McDormand and the other half of the cast) merely serves as a prologue to the second and is substantiated by comedic filler. Maggie is clearly desperate to find a new job, but otherwise scenes featuring breakfast conversation or bingo gossip hardly feel active. It was barely enough to keep my attention and until the second act I was truly more concerned with how I would a review. Consequently, even after the redemptive second act, I was left wondering, “why Broadway?” and as I walked out of the theatre, an audience member commented rather appropriately, “That would have been an amazing play for college.”

Good message, good talent, Good People, but not quite extraordinary.

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Broadway Gets South Park Flavor

This evening marks the first performance of the highly anticipated new musical by the creators of South Park, The Book of Mormon.   With curtain at 8:00 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street),Trey Parker and Matt Stone along with co-creator of Avenue Q Robert Lopez will be sitting down to enjoy the beginning of their new Broadway venture.

The world premiere musical is choreographed and co-directed by Casey Nicholaw, and stars Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Nikki M. James, Rory O’Malley and Michael Potts. In a story about two young Mormon missionaries spreading the word of the Book of Mormon in a dangerous part of Uganda, the new musical is based on an American-born religion in a time when Mormonism is experiencing great growth.

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Review by Christopher Moore, Broadway Magazine

Football is a tough sport, and the new Broadway production of Lombardi is a tough play. With nominal sponsorship from the NFL, the production seeks to offer both an honest portrait of a complex leader while maintaining the sheen on the winning Lombardi legend. For those of you not in Osh Kosh, Vincent Lombardi was the legendary football coach of the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s. He led the team to victories in the first two Super Bowls, and the trophy given to modern winners of the Super Bowl is named for Coach Lombardi.

Now, in a new Broadway play, writer Eric Simonson delivers a portrait of Lombardi by focusing on one particular week in the champion’s life. Simonson invents the character of a young New York sports writer who is in Green Bay to cover Lombardi. The reporter asks questions and helps move the story forward. In the play, the coach has recently been the victim of a hatchet job by a writer from Esquire that has incensed the Coach and everyone around him. The new writer is there to set the record straight. It is unclear if the Esquire article is fact or fiction, but it may have made for a more compelling play if Simonson had turned his attention to that encounter rather than this one featuring a reporter who worships the coach.

As the play stands, the writer from Look magazine is a life-long Lombardi fan who can spout statistics and even becomes one with the team, though in the end struggles to find some objectivity we are told. The writer-character sums up Lombardi as the most imperfect “perfect” man he had ever known. One wishes there had been less ‘perfect’ and more’ imperfect.’

The success of Lombardi the play is in its ability to subtly touch on the darker side of the winning story. We learn that Lombardi showed the back of his hand to his estranged son quite often, the coach and his wife drink quite a bit, and it is suggested that Lombardi may not even have had the best interest of his players at heart when it came to the business side of the sport (the coach was also the General Manager). Nothing is more uninteresting than perfection, and the faint hints to a darker side of this heroic portrait are fascinating. Simonson errs on the side of hero worship in his script, but he does suggest fuller dimensions to the story in a crafty way.

Another pleasure of the production is that the show captures a time when the NFL was not the enterprise it has become—it seems almost quaint. Players and fans and coaches were all fairly accessible, coaches could work at a bank in the off-season, and the idea of having an agent negotiate a contract on behalf of a player could be considered outrageous. In the lobby of the Circle-In-The-Square theatre, among the giant portraits of the legends there are real jerseys from the actual 1960s players and even the genuine players’ bench from Lombardi’s last game. Looking at those items, and seeing the raw footage of actual games played in the freezing gray of winter, one is reminded of the human scale of the sport that has become gargantuan.

Simonson may have delivered the playbook, but it is they players on the stage who make this show one of the winningest sports plays ever produced. Dan Lauria as Vincent Lombardi is almost too good as the coach. He barks, he purrs, he drinks, he coaches; Lauria gives Vincent Lombardi a Shakespearean dimension, the coach is genuinely a man haunted and obsessed. Though the actor mutes the violence that is inherent in the story, for the most part it is an uncanny portrayal that fascinates. While it would be a better play if Lombardi were a less likeable character, Lauria does his level best to give a balance rendering of an imbalanced mercurial figure.

Perhaps the richest performance of the evening belongs to Judith Light as Mrs. Lombardi. With a steady flow of cocktails, Ms. Light is unswerving in her ability to capture a conflicted woman who has made sacrifices and reaped rewards. A football widow, Ms. Light finds the human pulse and passion of this woman and never hits a false note. Together with Lauria, they are a natural couple, and their performances are exceptional. The rest of the cast does a solid job, but the characters never get beyond uncomplicated stereotypes: the earnest reporter, the bad boy athlete, the bumpkin. The actors do a remarkable job, but the script doesn’t give them much of an arc to travel.

That said, the subject of Lombardi is Lombardi, and the production delivers an intriguing look inside the life and mind of a tenacious spirit who only wanted to win…and managed to win a lot. Pick your favorite sports cliché and insert it here—Lombardi on Broadway is a winner.

Gayle King, Jay Z On Fela’s Red Carpet

Fela! opened with great reviews and now you can relive the magic of the opening night red carpet by clicking here or the image above! See our interviews with Oprah’s best friend Gayle King and also hip-hop superstar Jay Z.

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Hamlet Takes Broadway Critics By Storm

BROADWAY MAGAZINE- Last night, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
returned to Broadway with Jude Law starring in a production that earned strong reviews in London at the Donmar Warehouse. Today, Broadway critics have published their reviews. Actually one paper even jumped the embargo and published a review before the curtain went up (tsk,tsk Newsday, you are now at the back of the line).

A close reading of 16 opening night reviews of Hamlet starring Jude Law produces some interesting results. The majority of critics are positive about the performance by Jude Law, consistently noting his physicality in the role, vocal strength, and energetic interpretation of the part. Reviewers are mixed on the supporting cast, with both enthusiastic supporters and detractors among the critics. There is agreement that this production will appeal to those who are not regular fans of Shakespeare, and that Michael Grandage’s direction is free from extreme interpretation. The word “chic” was used more than once to describe the setting, costumes and lights.

Three Key Take Aways from Opening Night Reviews of Hamlet

1. Energetic: Most critics commented on Jude Laws vigorous physicality in portraying Hamlet. This Hamlet has energy and intensity. While some critics felt the physicality was too much gesturing, others welcomed the aggressive portrayal.
   
2. Pure Shakespeare: Universally, it was recognized that his production does not cloud Shakespeare’s play with concepts. Also, numerous critics noted how accessible the story of Hamlet is in this production.
   
3. Accessible: You don’t need to be a Shakespeare scholar to enjoy this production. There is also unanimity that there is a vocal clarity to this production, which brings accessibility to Shakespeare’s greatest play. You will understand the play, even if you’ve never seen a Shakespeare production before.
   

Should You See Hamlet With Jude Law On Broadway?

Yes, particularly if you like Jude Law, celebrities, Danish princes, gesturing, chic costumes, Shakespeare, tragedy, comedy, drama, Donmar Warehouse, madness, snow, ape-ing, gymnastics, drowning, ghosts, sword fights, action, plays-within-plays, classics, yoga, and overwhelmingly enthusiastic reviews.

Watch clips of Hamlet and an interview with Jude Law right here on Broadway.tv. Also check out the current Broadway Magazine with Jude Law on the cover.

Critic’s Opening Night Reviews of Broadway’s Hamlet With Jude Law

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 What Will Critics Think?

BROADWAY MAGAZINE – Following its successful run in London, Jude Law will officially open on Broadway tonight in Hamlet. For those of you not able to make the opening night performance lines along with Jude Law, we’ve included a list of our 8 favorite lines from the Shakespeare’s play so you can recite them at home, and pretend you are at the opening night. Please feel free to add your favorite lines below!

Visit Broadway.tv tonight for coverage of reviews, video from the red carpet, photos from the production and much, much more. Also check out the current issue of Broadway Magazine with Jude Law as Hamlet on the cover. Anytime there is a Hamlet on Broadway, it is exciting. Will this production be one for the ages? Join us tonight to find out. Also follow us on Twitter for more.

Now, here are your 8 Great Hamlet Quotations. Is your favorite there?

1. “The play ’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.” (Act II - Scene II)
2. “What a piece of work is man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world - the paragon of animals!” (Act II - Sc. II)…this one is also in the musical HAIR.
3. “There is nothing either good or bad - but thinking makes it so.” (Act II - Sc. II)
4. “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” (Act 1, Sc. IV) Also said by President Barack Obama after the failed Chicago Olympic bid in Copenhagen.
5. “This above all: to thine own self be true.” (Act I, Sc. III)-Polonius says this, not Hamlet…but we like it still.
6. “The lady doth protest too much - methinks ” (Act III - Sc. II)
7. “To be - or not to be: that is the question.” (Act III - Sc. I)
8. “When sorrows come - they come not single spies- but in battalions.” (Act IV - Scene V)

Hugh Jackman & Daniel Craig Current Kings Of Broadway

Last night A Steady Rain opened on Broadway. This marked Daniel Craig’s (also known as James Bond)  Broadway debut and Hugh Jackman’s return to Broadway. A Steady Rain is a two man show with a minimal set. Reviews of the show are very positive saying that Craig and Jackman’s Broadway performance in A Steady Rain are very solid which makes for powerful, good theater.

A Steady Rain profiles two police officers from Chicago who have been life long friends. Their friendship is tested however when a tragic mistake is made and a young person loses their life. The two police officers find themselves trying to find responsibility for the untimely death.

On the red carpet, we had the chance to interview Hugh Jackman’s wife Deborah-Lee Furness who said that she loves to see her husband happy and she feels that he is the happiest on stage. After the show, Jackman echoed his wife’s comments saying that he is happy to be back on Broadway.

Click here or the image above to see the red carpet and after party interviews.

See Hugh Jackman & Daniel Craig In A Steady Rain

Craig & Jackman Address The Press

Continuing our coverage of A Steady Rain opening on Broadway, tonight Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman addressed the press after their opening night performance. During the interviews, both Craig and Jackman spoke about how powerful A Steady Rain is how much they have enjoyed bringing the play to Broadway. This marks Craig’s Broadway debut and Jackman’s return to the Broadway stage since 2004.

A Steady Rain profiles two Chicago police officers whose friendship is tested after being involved in a dispute in a poor neighborhood. The staging is very simple with two chairs and a few scene changes, however Craig and Jackman’s skilled acting bring A Steady Rain to a magical level.

Watch the video above to see what Craig and Jackman had to say to the press

See Hugh Jackman & Daniel Craig In A Steady Rain

 Broadway Critics Praise Revival

BROADWAY MAGAZINE – Nothing to be done. The final play of the brilliant Broadway season of 2008-2009 opened last night, and today we offer our review matrix for Waiting For Godot, starring Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin. The praise for this production is nearly unanimous, with exceptional notices for stars Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Glover, and John Goodman. Critics are in agreement that this production succeeds in capturing Beckett’s comic spirit, without sacrificing the haunting tone of the play. With strong reviews coming on the eve of the Tony Award nominations, look for Waiting For Godot to be one of the biggest hits on Broadway this Spring. Excerpts from reviews below:

Tramps for Eternity: But in 2009, Anthony Page’s smart, engaging production for the Roundabout Theater Company makes it clear that this greatest of 20th-century plays is also entertainment of a high order. –Ben Brantley, New York Times

An Absorbing Revival: With Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin as the two funny-sad tramps Estragon and Vladimir, John Goodman as the overbearing Pozzo and John Glover as the half-mad, enslaved Lucky, this most famous play by Samuel Beckett fully lives up to its reputation as one of the greatest works of 20th-century theater. –Malcolm Johnson, Hartford Courant

Accessible ‘Godot,’ absurd ‘9 to 5′ round out Broadway season: But like the current revival of Eugene Ionesco’s Exit the King, this Godot is noteworthy less for its cast members’ marquee value than their ability to make the existential, universal questions posed by the text accessible to a mass audience. –Elysa Gardner, USA Today

Lane Tramps Through Godot: Theatrical tradition, though, has always relied on spicing up things with shtick from a savvy director and expert comic actors. So Anthony Page has staged in some extra comic touches, and the actors, too, may have supplied notions of their own, but without overstepping Beckett’s text or intentions. –John Simon, Bloomberg

Review: Lane-Irwin balance emotions in ‘Godot’:
Master and servant are played out by John Goodman as the lordly Pozzo and John Glover as his ever-obedient Lucky, surely the most perversely named character in the Beckett canon. Both are superb: Goodman, often roaring his lines with hurricane force; Glover, silent except for a long gibberish speech near the end of Act 1. –Michael Kuchwara, AP

Broadway revival of “Godot” worth waiting for: Lane infuses his line readings with his trademark snappish delivery, bellowing voice and perfect comic timing, while the circus-trained Irwin enhances his gentler turn with his expert miming and physical clowning talents. –Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Waiting For Godot Review: Aside from its title, there’s no more perfect summation of “Waiting for Godot” than Estragon’s complaint “Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful.” But there’s no trace of that monotony in the perversely gripping non-drama and fine-grained emotional textures of this haunting revival. –David Rooney, Variety

Theater Review of Waiting For Godot: Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin display fantastic chemistry together as bosom buddies Estragon and Vladimir, excelling in both the vaudeville comedy and heartbreaking melancholy aspects. While Lane’s is deeply emotional, he resists the urge to indulge in the comic shtick that has marked so many of his recent performances.—Matt Windman, am New York

Waiting For Godot: Along with the aforementioned tree that Beckett stipulates as the play’s setting, designer Santo Loquasto supplies a plethora of totemic rocks. The resulting look may resemble a lunar landscape, but the play’s lunacy is only partially realized. –David Finkle, Theatermania

Waiting For Godot: Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin, two of our most skilled stage clowns, find the zestful comic joy and soul-crushing despair in Beckett’s sorrowful everymen. –David Sheward, Back Stage

BROADWAY MAGAZINE: Tonight, the revival of Christopher Hampton’s comedy The Philanthropist officially opened on Broadway. Now, the critics have begun to voice their opinions on the production. The consensus among the critics is that this production is not successful as words like “dullness” and “sleepy” and “inertly” are used to describe the production. Multiple critics express the notion that Matthew Broderick’s performance lacks certain qualities needed to make the production a success. Review titles with direct links to full notices and excerpts below. Photo by Joan Marcus.

The Mildest of Manners Have Perils: For sheer dullness, this putative comedy, directed by the talented David Grindley (”The American Plan”) for the Roundabout Theater Company and starring the talented but increasingly mannered Matthew Broderick, beats just about anything on Broadway this season. –Charles Isherwood, New York Times

Broderick Saunters Through Icy ‘Philanthropist’: I’ve rarely seen a star so wholly taken with a character’s social anemia that he drains an entire production of vitality and passion. No matter how dry the wit Hampton provides, Broderick is cold rain on the kindling. No sparks ignite. –Jeremy Gerard, Bloomberg

A sleepy ‘Philanthropist’ is revived on B’way : “The Philanthropist” needs a crackerjack collection of performers to get across Hampton’s sly, often quite witty and dark dialogue. It’s particularly important for the actor playing Philip, who’s intellectually nimble (the man loves anagrams) but psychologically and socially flat-footed. And Matthew Broderick doesn’t quite fill the bill as an Oxford don determined not to offend — but does. –Michael Kuchwara, AP

The Philanthropist : With Matthew Broderick reducing the title character to a cartoon, performing in his own hermetic space that excludes everyone else onstage, the play sits inertly, its poignancy lost and its clever dialogue hollowed into empty banter. –David Rooney, Variety

Three plays span comedy, and history, with style: Anna Madeley, the one holdover from Donmar, is a pert, winning Celia, and Steven Weber brings a convincing ennui to Philip’s more comfortably cynical colleague, Don. Jonathan Cake nearly steals the show from everyone as a smug, flamboyantly miserable novelist. –Elysa Gardner, USA Today

The Philanthropist: Broderick does better in the second act, particularly in a one-on-one scene with Don, when they both unburden themselves of personal misgivings. For the most part, however, The Philanthropist is a missed opportunity for both Broderick and the audience. David Finkle, TheaterMania

The Philanthropist: In Roundabout’s revival, Philip is played by Matthew Broderick in a retread of his Leo Bloom–Felix Ungar pathetic-nerd persona, only this one has a slight British accent. It’s an almost impossible role to bring off. You have to garner sympathy for a dry-as-toast intellectual whose passions are limited to words. –David Sheward, Backstage

The Philanthropist: The older he gets, the more Matthew Broderick seems to be receding from existence. The youthful dynamo that was “Ferris Bueller” has become increasingly weak and passive in his characterizations, especially in his stage work. –Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter