Company

B

The much-anticipated London production of this Sondheim classic, which was shut down by the pandemic on the day it was supposed to open, has finally started previews on Broadway. The attention-grabbing gimmick of this version, under the direction of the renowned Marianne Elliott (Angels in America, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, War Horse), is to change the central character Bobby to Bobbie (Katrina Lenk; Indecent, The Band’s Visit). While I would have no problem with this change if it somehow enriched the experience, I thought it added nothing except novelty. As if that were not enough tinkering with George Furth's book, Amy has become Jamie and the impending wedding is now a same-sex one. This change did add something: it made the story more contemporary and gave “Getting Married Today” to the wonderful Matt Doyle (The Book of Mormon, War Horse), who aced it. I suppose it is politically incorrect to make note of it, but three of the five married couples are interracial. Because of the gender bending, we are able to witness that rare species, the straight male flight attendant, who is delightfully played by Claybourne Elder (Road Show, One Arm). The rest of the cast is generally strong. It’s a treat to see Christopher Sieber (The Prom, Shrek, Spamalot) and Jennifer Simard (Mean Girls, Disaster!), as Harry and Sarah, go at each other. The trio of Bobby Conte (A Bronx Tale), Manu Narayan (My Fair Lady) and Elder deliver a top-notch ”You Could Drive a Person Crazy.” Conte also delivers a first-rate “Another Hundred People,” undaunted by Liam Steel’s hyperactive choreography. Unsurprisingly, Patti Lupone’s (War Paint, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd) “The Ladies Who Lunch” brought half the audience to its feet. And then there’s Lenk’s “Being Alive,” which I regret to report is underwhelming . Much as I have enjoyed her elsewhere, I must confess that I found Lenk generally disappointing. She did not demonstrate why her diverse group of friends found her so special, so there’s a hole at the center of the show. And then there’s Bunny Christie’s (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TIme, Ink) lavish set, which seemed to be based on the idea that more is more. It moves side to side, forward and backward, up and down, with pop-ups and restless 8-foot-high illuminated brightly colored letters that get shoved around the stage. It’s impressive to the point of distraction. Despite my reservations over many details, I found the evening enjoyable. The audience went wild, so I expect most people, particularly those who haven’t seen it before, will enjoy the show. As for me, it made me want to rewatch John Doyle’s streamlined version starring Raul Esparza on YouTube. (Running time: two hours 55 minutes including intermission.)

Ink

A-

Manhattan Theatre Club is presenting the American premiere of James Graham’s (Privacy, This House) London hit with an all-new cast except for Olivier winner Bertie Carvel (Matilda: The Musical) as Rupert Murdoch. When I looked it up, I was surprised to learn that his award was for Best Supporting Actor. I had wrongly assumed that the role of Murdoch would be the lead. After seeing the play, I now understand that the play is less about Murdoch than I expected and more about the team that led The Sun in the year after Murdoch’s purchase in 1969. The role of Larry Lamb (Jonny Lee Miller; After Miss Juile, Frankenstein), the editor Murdoch hired, is at least as prominent as Murdoch’s. The first act is a worthy successor to The Front Page as a love letter to the lost heyday of newspaper publishing. The amazing set by Bunny Christie (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) features dozens of metal desks piled high and a curved back wall made of rolls of newsprint on which images are projected. The center of the stage is a smallish platform that rises from below with different settings. A tour for a new apprentice shows us the arduous process of setting and printing the paper. I wondered why there was a piano at the side of stage. I got my answer midway through the first act. As Lamb assembles his staff, the cast suddenly bursts into song and dance. The segment works so well that I found myself wishing that the creators had gone all the way and written a musical. The second act traces the newspaper’s first year and the increasingly dubious strategies Lamb pursues to fulfill his faustian promise to Murdoch to overtake The Mirror in sales. He jeopardizes the life of someone close to the paper and finally introduces a titillating Page 3. The excellent ensemble includes David Wilson Barnes, Bill Buell (Bad Habits), Andrew Durand (Head Over Heels), Eden Marryshow, Colin McPhillamy (The Ferryman), Erin Neufer (Nathan the Wise), Kevin Pariseau (The Explorers Club), Rana Roy, Michael Siberry (Junk, Six Degrees of Separation), Robert Stanton (Fuddy Mears, All in the Timing) and Tara Summers (The Hard Problem). Jonny Lee Miller (who did not appear in London) is a serious rival for Carvel at Tony time. Director Rupert Goold (King Charles III) masterfully keeps everything moving along smoothly. The play is a highly theatrical and quite entertaining work. What it is not is a deep exploration of Murdoch and his agenda. Running time: two hours 45 minutes including intermission.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ****

Not since “War Horse” have I seen a play whose success owed so much to its production design. What set and costume designer Bunny Christie, video designer Finn Ross and, especially, lighting designer Paule Constable have accomplished is no less than to provide a visual analog of the mind of a 15-year old autistic boy with a talent for mathematics. This is not to denigrate the considerable accomplishments of Simon Stephens in adapting Mark Haddon’s award-winning book, of Marianne Elliott for so skillfully directing the play, and of the superb cast for bringing its characters to vivid life. Alex Sharp is remarkable as Christopher Boone, the boy who gets more than he bargained for when he sets out to discover who killed the neighbor’s dog. Ian Barford is excellent as his loving, but often misguided father. Enid Graham shines as the mother worn down by the difficulties of raising Christopher. Francesca Faridany is convincing as his sympathetic teacher Siobhan who helps him navigate his daily challenges and persuades him to write this story. Her reading of the story aloud serves as the narration that brings us in to the play. Stephens has remained quite faithful to the original text. Dialect coach Ben Furey has made the American cast sound convincingly British. I would not have believed that a book that is primarily based on Christopher’s inner thoughts could be brought so vibrantly to the stage. It is easy to understand how it won the Olivier for Best Play. NOTE: Be sure not to rush out the theater right after the curtain calls or you'll miss a treat. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes including intermission.