The Real Thing
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Cititour.com Review
Forget the t-shirts, magnets, even the clever Rubik’s Cube being sold in the lobby of the American Airlines Theater. If the Roundabout Theatre Company really wants to rake in the dough, they should figure out how to make a compilation “soundtrack” to Sam Gold’s satisfying new revival of Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing.” It could easily outsell this summer’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” collection of 1970s hits.
Indeed, there are times during this production of Stoppard’s Tony Award-winning masterwork that one begins to think Gold chose to spend much more time thinking about which songs best illustrate the unfathomable divide between the love of words possessed by intellectual playwright Henry (Ewan McGregor) and his almost inexplicable taste for bubblegum pop like “Oh Carol” and “Sugar Sugar” than he has about the play’s larger canvas. The show’s first act, in particular, feels a bit tepid, and as a result, Stoppard’s glorious gift of gab can begin to feel like an unwelcome present. Fortunately, Gold charts a far steadier course in the meatier second act, and the playwright’s brilliance begins to shine through.
Moreover, throughout the piece, Gold and Stoppard receive invaluable help from the irresistible McGregor, making a most impressive stateside theater debut. His Henry is sometimes maddening in his obstinacy and his so-called patience, but when his own house of cards finally appears to be on the verge of crumbling, his pain is so palpable you want to jump up from your seat and give him a hug.
The equally excellent Maggie Gyllenhaal turns in a stirringly soulful performance as Annie, the actress who steals Henry’s seemingly non-existent heart. Gyllenhall never shies away from the flaws that make Annie perhaps the most truly human character on stage, yet she also never loses one ounce of our sympathy -- even as we realize she has committed adultery, and might do so again.
True, one can’t help but feel that the great Cynthia Nixon has been cast as Henry’s embittered first wife Charlotte as a bit of a stunt (as she played Charlotte’s rebellious daughter, Debbie, in the original 1983 Broadway production). Indeed, the fit between star and role isn’t quite right, but Nixon (unflatteringly costumed by Kate Voyce) tosses off her barbs with large doses of acidity. She also plays quite well off of gifted newcomer Madeline Weinstein, who does a lot with the small role of Debbie.
Meanwhile, the always welcome Josh Hamilton as Annie’s “pathetic” ex-husband Max, the handsome Ronan Raferty as Annie’s besotted younger acting partner Billy, and Alex Breaux as the obnoxious soldier Brodie all make incredibly solid contributions.
Kudos as well to Gold for allowing set designer David Zinn to essentially cut the American Airlines stage in half, so the show has a more intimate, in-your-face quality that also helps the bridge any distance one might feel from Stoppard’s more erudite yet puzzling speeches.
In the end, of course, Stoppard makes his point. True love can only be expressed by actions, both big and small -- not by the words of the Beach Boys’ greatest song or even the words of one of the world’s greatest playwrights. So if you aren’t thinking about whether you’ve ever felt the “real thing” when the curtain falls, maybe you need to run home immediately and put on Dionne Warwick’s “Anyone Who Ever Had a Heart.” And then buy a ticket to see this astonishing play one more time.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/The-Real-Thing.aspx
Cast
Ewan McGregor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cynthia Nixon, Josh Hamilton, Ronan Raferty, Alex Breaux, Madeline Weinstein
Open/Close Dates
Opening 10/30/2014
Closing 1/4/2015
Preview Open/ Preview Close Dates
Preview Opening 10/2/2014
Closing Open-ended
Box Office
212-719-1300
Theatre Info
American Airlines Theatre
227 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
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