Summer, 1976

B-

When Manhattan Theatre Club announced a new play by David Auburn starring Laura Linney (The Little Foxes, Time Stands Still) and Jessica Hecht (The Assembled Parties, The Price), I felt a mix of emotions – hope that the playwright might once again achieve the heights of his 2000 Tony winner, Proof; delight at the thought of seeing one of my favorite actresses again; and apprehension at the prospect of seeing the other actress, who is a long way from a favorite of mine. My hope that Auburn would have another hit comparable to Proof was not fulfilled. The play consists mainly of a series of long monologues as two women of a certain age recall the summer they met in Columbus, Ohio long ago. Linney plays Diana, an artist and single mother of a five-year old daughter. Alice, played by Hecht, is the hippie wife of Doug, an economics professor striving for tenure. She meets Diana through a babysitting cooperative that Doug has created. As their two daughters bond, the women become unlikely friends. The recollections of their early friendship and subsequent developments, presented as they sit at opposite ends of a long table, are moderately interesting and sometimes amusing, but, for me at least, less than compelling. In a gimmick that did not work for me, Linney also plays Alice’s husband during certain scenes. Aside from that, Linney is the unaffectedly persuasive pro we have learned to expect. And then there’s Hecht. First of all, the makeup and lighting creatives have done her a great disservice, making her eyes look almost ghoulishly deeply set and her features unnaturally drawn. The unfortunate result is that she looks at least a generation older than Linney, who in real life is a year her senior. Furthermore, Hecht’s acting has always been too mannered for my taste. From the moment she opened her mouth with her broad version of a midwestern accent, I knew that my apprehension was well-founded. I think casting her as Alice was an unfortunate choice. The set by John Lee Beatty (Plaza Suite, Disgraced) is elegantly simple. Linda Cho’s (POTUS, Take Me Out) costume for Hecht shouts rather than whispers “hippie.” Director Daniel Sullivan (Proof, The Little Foxes, The Columnist) does his best to enliven what is a very static play, with limited success. I was not sorry I saw it, but I was disappointed that it wasn’t better. Running time: 95 minutes; no intermission.

Camelot

B

It has been over 62 years since I saw Lerner and Loewe’s (My Fair Lady, Gigi) Arthurian musical during its pre-Broadway Boston run. My memories are dim, but I do recall enjoying the wonderful music and clever lyrics sung by its three stars (Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet). I don’t remember much about the book, which is probably significant. The fact that it has not had a Broadway revival since 1993 has usually been blamed on its less-than-satisfying book. Now Lincoln Center Theater has engaged Aaron Sorkin (To Kill a Mockingbird) for a do-over and the result is in previews on the Vivian Beaumont stage. I don’t remember the details of the original clearly enough to say whether the revised book is a step forward or backward, but I will say that the material remains largely intractable. While the more intimate scenes work well, the attempt to squeeze in so much exposition, particularly in the second act, weighs heavily on the show. And it all leads to an ending that I found musically and dramatically unsatisfying. Nevertheless, I was grateful for the opportunity to hear the gorgeous songs again, sung by three fine singing actors (Andrew Burnap (Inheritance), Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) and Matias de la Flor (u/s for Jordan Donica), accompanied by a large orchestra. Burnap not only sings well, but is a fine actor. While I liked Soo, I thought she presented as more womanly than girlish. I was sorry to miss Donica, but de la Flor sang and acted convincingly. The set by Michael Yeargan (My Fair Lady) resembles the interior of a cathedral with props dragged in as needed. Since they did introduce a largish table, I was surprised it was not round. Jennifer Moeller’s costumes for the knights were initially rather drab in charcoal and black until colored capes were added later. The costumes for Guenevere were quite lavish. The choreography by Byron Easley (Slave Play) did not make a strong impression. Director Bartlett Sher’s musical winning streak at LCT (South Pacific, My Fair Lady, The King and I) led me to arrive with expectations that were too high. A word about seating – don’t get center seats in the first few rows because the jutting stage is quite high. I have heard complaints that from these seats the orchestra, which is underneath the stage, sounds too loud and the voices sound too weak. I was glad to have seen the show even though it disappointed in some respects. Running time: two hours 50 minutes including intermission.