The Inheritance

B+ (A- for Part I, B for Part II)

After its ecstatic London reviews and the large commitment of time and money required to see it, Matthew Lopez’s (The Whipping Man, The Legend of Georgia McBride) two-part drama about a circle of contemporary gay men in NYC and their debt to their predecessors arrives on Broadway with a lot to prove. The fact that Lopez has taken inspiration from Howard’s End in creating his characters and themes adds to its interest for E.M. Forster fans. However, Howard’s End is not the only ingredient in Lopez’s recipe. Add large dashes of Angels in America, The Normal Heart and Boys in the Band. Does this recipe work? Mostly yes. The decision to include Morgan (the M. in E.M. Forster) as a character in the play pays off brilliantly, especially since he is played by the excellent Paul Hilton (“A Very English Scandal,” “The Crown”). Hilton also plays Walter, the kindly older man and life partner of Henry Wilcox who befriends and inspires Eric. The other male leads, all carryovers from London, are also very good. As Eric Glass, the play’s core, Kyle Soller (The Government Inspector) radiates goodness. As budding playwright Toby Darling, Eric’s lover of seven years at the play’s opening, Andrew Burnap (This Day Forward) nails his charm, insecurity and self-loathing. Samuel H. Levine (Kill Floor) is superb both as Adam, the actor who captures but does not reciprocate Toby’s interest, and as Leo, the young hustler who reminds Toby of Adam. In one remarkable scene, he plays both simultaneously. As Henry Wilcox, the hard-nosed conservative billionaire who is drawn to Eric, the reliable John Benjamin Hickey (Six Degrees of Separation, Love! Valour! Compassion!) once again proves his worth. The supporting cast playing Eric’s circle of friends make the most of their moments. The only principal role recast for Broadway is that of Margaret, an old woman Eric meets late in Part II. Replacing Vanessa Redgrave with Lois Smith (Marjorie Prime, John) is going from strength to strength. However I did feel that her long, touching soliloquy (and indeed the inclusion of her character) came across as an audience-pleasing interpolation that was not really organic to the plot. What would a New York story be without talk of real estate? Here we have two topics, the legendary $575 three-bedroom rent-controlled apartment on West End Avenue which Eric’s grandmother lived in and which he is struggling to hang onto, as well as Henry's upstate country home which Walter made a refuge for AIDS patients and which he wanted Eric to have. Scenes that advance the story are interpolated by extended discussions, the topics of which include the downside of gay assimilation, Forster’s cowardice in not publishing Maurice during his lifetime, proper attribution of credit for accelerated introduction of AIDS drugs, and the challenges brought on by the 2016 election. Bob Crowley’s (The History Boys, Carousel) minimalist set— a large beige rectangle surrounding a smaller rectangle that raises and lowers and a back wall that opens occasionally to reveal specific settings — serves the production well, as do his costumes. Stephen Daldry’s (Machinal, Billy Elliot) direction is impeccable. How you respond to all this may well depend on your level of interest in the lifestyles of privileged gay men and in the works of Forster. I strongly recommend that you watch the film of Howard’s End before seeing the play so you will appreciate Lopez’s appropriations. If you have time, watch Maurice too. Some of the New York references are so specific that I am surprised London responded with such enthusiasm. You should be cautioned that there are graphic — very graphic — descriptions of gay sex. I wonder who the target audience is. A totally unscientific look at yesterday’s audience suggested that 75% of the orchestra and 95% of the mezzanine were gay men. I would normally suggest that you see both parts on the same day. However, the investment of time and money is so large that you might want to see Part I before deciding whether you want to invest in Part II. I thought Part I was the better half and could stand alone. The end of Part I is definitely the emotional high point of the play. Running times: Part I — three hours 20 minutes including an intermission and a pause; Part II — three hours 15 minutes including an intermission and a pause.

An American in Paris ****

The just-ended Broadway season blessed dance lovers with two productions featuring dance in a central role. The season started with a wonderful revival of On the Town and ended with this stylish adaptation of the Oscar-winning 1951 film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. In his first outing as director, choreographer Christopher Wheeldon does himself proud. It doesn’t hurt that he has wonderful Gershwin music to work with, as well as a pair of talented leads. Robert Fairchild, a principal with the New York City Ballet, is simply marvelous as Jerry Mulligan, the GI who stayed in Paris to become an artist. In addition to his impeccable dance skills, he is a natural actor with matinee looks and a pleasant voice. Leanne Cope, a Caron look-alike from the Royal Ballet, would also be a triple-threat if her singing voice were more expressive. The supporting cast is strong — Brandon Uranowitz as the expat composer Adam Hochberg, Max von Essen as Henri Baurel, Lise’s somewhat ambivalent fiancé, and Jill Paice as Milo Davenport, the American heiress who has her eye on Jerry. Each gets at least one chance to shine. Veanne Cox does her best with the cardboard role of Henri’s uptight mother. Bob Crowley’s costumes are excellent and his fluid set design, complimented by wonderful projections by 59 Productions, are amazing. However, the incessant motion of the sets and projections in the early scenes almost made me dizzy. The ambitious — perhaps overambitious — book by Craig Lucas moves the action back to 1945 when Paris is just emerging from the Nazi occupation. To me, the attempt to add gravitas to the plot was misguided and less than successful. My only other disappointment is that there was less Gershwin music than I hoped for. I missed “Embraceable You,” “Nice Work if You Can Get It” and “Our Love Is Here To Stay.” Despite these reservations, I had a wonderful time and highly recommend the show, especially to dance lovers. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes including intermission. 

The Glass Menagerie ***

(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
Whenever the critics seem to be competing to see who can lavish the most praise on a play, I begin to worry that I am being set up for disappointment. To some extent, that is the case here. While I will grant that the current Broadway version of Tennessee Williams' iconic early masterpiece, under the direction of John Tiffany,  has an intelligent unified vision, I do not think that it is a definitive version for the ages. Bob Crowley's symbolic set emphasizing the isolation from reality of the Wingfields' apartment is an interesting choice. Nico Muhly's incidental music is quietly evocative. Steven Hoggett's stylized movement design seemed more often a distraction than an asset. Crowley's costumes for the women seemed off -- Amanda's gown in the last act seemed better suited to Miss Havisham. To my surprise, the main disappointment for me was Cherry Jones as Amanda. I found her monotonously strident and lacking any trace of vulnerability in the early scenes. Zachary Quinto made a fine Tom. The scene between Laura (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and the gentleman caller (Brian J. Smith) was beautifully rendered. I feel like Scrooge, but I can't honestly say that I was swept away by this production. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes including intermission.