Hand it to Neil Simon

Brighten Beach Memoirs

Outside of the short-lived flop revival of GUYS AND DOLLS, the Nederlander Theatre has been the home of the musical RENT for over a decade.  Shabby and run down after occupation by a church before that, the formerly named National Theater has been beautifully restored.  Not, however, as it originally looked when it first opened in 1921.  The original gold and red decor is gone.  Now it is a handsome sliver sage, wood, and beige, with subtle gold leaf trim.  Inhabiting this treasure of a theater is another American treasure, BRIGHTEN BEACH MEMOIRS. We already know it’s a good play, so it is a safe bet, but the new cast under the direction of David Cromer brings life to Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical tale beautifully.

Noah Robbins is making his Broadway debut as 15 year old Eugene, the role that made Matthew Broderick a star in the original production.  He is completely winning and lives up to his duties as narrator and host of the production admirably.  Laurie Metcalf is Kate the mother and portrays this monumental woman with all the humor and burden of self-sacrifice with which Neil Simon has drawn her.  Santino Fontana has turned in his Billy Elliot Northern England accent for a Brooklyn one and fits into the family perfectly.  Jessica Hecht as Kate’s sister Blanche is properly frail, indecisive and as with all of the characters, possessed of a natural humanistic kind of humor.  Dennis Boutsikaris as dad Jack makes a world-weary, but loving father, trying to do the best for his large family during the Great Depression, warm and real.

This play is perhaps a sort of cousin of AWAKE AND SING and other family drama’s of the 1930s.  We’ve seen it in THE WALTONS on TV, and numerous other realistically staged living room plays through the years.  Yet, Mr. Simon’s warmhearted sense of humor, makes his contribution to the genre seem brand new.  Special to this production, is that the third play in the trilogy about Eugene Jerome, BROADWAY BOUND, will play in repertory, making this quite a special theatrical event.

John Lee Beatty’s ultra-realistic set shows a two floor interior of the Jerome house, filled with the details of a lived in home.  Outside, there is the front porch, alley, neighbor’s house, street lamps, trees and the elevated train in the distance.  A painted drop representing Eugene’s diary is used for the act curtain.  Jane Greenwood’s costumes are filled with color and texture, though they are appropriately washed over with a sepia warmth.  Brian MacDevit’s lighting must depend on a lot of practical lighting to fill in some of the nooks and crannies of the set.  He warms up areas as needed to draw the focus where it needs to go.  In a way, there are no surprises here, just a good solid production that is as rich as the writing––as it should be.