Death of a Salesman
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Cititour.com Review
Arthur Miller's masterpiece of American family drama, Death of a Salesman, can’t have too many Broadway revivals. And happily the current one, directed by Tony winner Mike Nichols and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as the woebegone Willy Loman, conveys the breadth of Miller’s vision with the urgency and deftness the work demands.
It's not just that Miller's portrait of a family adrift in post-World War II New York—one that contentment and economic prosperity have passed by—resounds so vibrantly in present-day America, it's that the main characters struggle or fail to see that their aims are off, skewed by misguided definitions of success.
Even though he's just 44, Hoffman is effortlessly engrossing as Miller's 60-year-old traveling salesman, worn out and beaten down by an unfulfilled life and unrealized dreams. As he staggers across the stage, lugging his sample cases and his dumpling of a body, Hoffman beautifully embodies Willy's physical and mental weariness. Linda Emond matches him mightily as loyal, resilient wife Linda, balancing her character on the edge of heartbreak and hopefulness.
Making their Broadway debuts, 28-year-old Andrew Garfield of Social Network fame and Finn Wittrock tackle with aplomb the roles of son, Biff, a 34-year-old man still trying to carve out a direction in life, and Happy, outwardly successful but equally directionless. And strong supporting turns come from veterans John Glover and Bill Camp as Willy's brothers.
The final moments of Nichols' production may not be as evocative as the scenes that precede them, but this is still a deeply affecting show. It establishes that Miller's tragedy isn't just about Loman's death, it's that you're not sure his descendants are any wiser for his mistakes.
By Diane Snyder
Visit the Site
http://deathofasalesmanbroadway.com
Cast
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Andrew Garfield, Linda Emond, Finn Wittrock, Fran Kranz, Bill Camp, John Glover, Glenn Fleshler, Stephanie Janssen
Open/Close Dates
Opening 2/13/2012
Closing 6/2/2012
Box Office
212-239-6200
Theatre Info
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
234 West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
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