Grand Horizons

B+

Of the three Bess Wohl plays to make it to New York this season (the other two were Continuity and Make Believe), this new play, which marks Wohl’s Broadway debut. is far and away the funniest and slickest. While it lacks the innovation of Make Believe or Wohl’s earlier play Small Mouth Sounds, and has a few minor problems, it is irresistibly entertaining. Furthermore, it provides a marvelous showcase for two fine actors, Jane Alexander (The Sisters Rosensweig, First Monday in October) and James Cromwell (“Babe,” The Invention of Love), as well as juicy roles for the other five actors. Shortly after Nancy and Bill move into the titular senior community after their 50th anniversary, Nancy suddenly announces that she wants a divorce. Bill does not object. Their two adult sons, the practical, unemotional Ben (Ben McKenzie; “The Report”) and the overemotional Brian (Michael Urie; Torch Song, Buyer & Cellar), arrive, along with Ben’s very pregnant wife Jess (Ashley Park; Mean Girls), to attempt to talk them out of divorce. There are two additional characters, Tommy (Maulik Pancholy; It’s Only a Play, “30 Rock”) and Carla (Priscilla Lopez; In the Heights, Pippin), each of whom has a marvelous scene that probably should have been cut despite its entertainment value. The dialogue is very funny and often witty but occasionally stoops to sitcom level. Amidst the hilarity, there are moments that raise thought-provoking issues of identity, parenthood, female empowerment, and the difficulty of clear, honest communication. Most of the time, the mix works well. The production levels are very high. Instead of a curtain, there is a gigantic projection by Bryce Cutler (Soft Power) of an aerial view of row after row of identical attached houses. The set by Clint Ramos (Torch Song, Once on This Island) shows the first floor of one of the units, blandly neutral, accented by safety grab bars in peculiar places. The costumes by Linda Cho (The Lifespan of a Fact) befit the characters well. Leigh Silverman’s (The Lifespan of a Fact, Chinglish) direction is assured. While it may not be the best play I have seen recently, it certainly is the funniest. The audience loved it. Running time: two hours ten minutes including intermission.

NOTE: Did Second Stage learn nothing from the mistakes made at the Tony Kiser Theater when they renovated the Helen Hayes Theater? Once again, the cramped seats are unstaggered with very narrow armrests and little legroom.

The King and I ****

Lincoln Center Theater has revived this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in a lavish production directed by Bartlett Sher. While it doesn’t reach the dizzying heights of his “South Pacific” at LCT, it is still very good indeed. It should come as no surprise that Kelli O’Hara is superb as Anna. Ken Watanabe, with the unenviable task of playing a role virtually owned by Yul Brynner, acquits himself quite honorably. Ashley Park and Conrad Ricamora are fine as the young lovers. Ruth Ann Miles is an exemplary Lady Thiang. Paul Nakauchi is good as the prime minister, as is Jon Viktor Corpuz as the young prince. The children could not be any cuter. Xiaochuan XIe is excellent as Eliza in “The Small House of Uncle Thomas” ballet. Christopher Gatelli’s choreography, based on Jerome Robbins’s original, is quite good. The costumes by Catherine Zuber are very attractive. I have mixed feelings about Michael Yeargen’s scenic design. The arrival of the ship in Bangkok harbor is quite a spectacle, but his treatment of the palace is unconventionally bland. Except for ornate carvings on the pillars, the set is extremely plain, dominated by an ominous grey wall across the back. I thought the wall symbolized how cut off the palace was from the world, but then it lifted briefly for no apparent reason during the second act. The music retains all its appeal and the plot still tugs at the heartstrings. While I think about 10 minutes of judicious cuts would be a good idea, the length isn’t really a problem. It was a treat to see it again so lovingly produced. Running time: 2 hours 55 minutes including intermission.