Thursday, April 12, 2012

Theater Review: The Best Man

Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (2012): John Larroquette, Angela Lansbury and Candice Bergen
Photo By: Joan Marcus
Now, Here's a Political Campaign Worth Watching
By Lauren Yarger
Candidates slinging mud at each other; decisions to be made about which man to run for President. Sounds familiar, but this isn’t tonight’s TV news. It’s the plot of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, getting a timely Broadway revival staged by Michael Wilson.

Audiences entering the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre are greeted by ushers in campaign garb, state and candidate banners lining the walls of the stage and house and sounds of the 1960 convention taking place in Philadelphia (the atmosphere is courtesy of set designer Derek McLane and original music and sound design from the brilliant John Gromada.) The political party here isn’t identified, but in today’s political climate some of the play’s campaign issues – tax reform, the national debt, oil prices, birth control -- can’t help but put us in mind of the upcoming election and the contest to win the Republican nomination for President in which none of the numerous prospects has seemed an obvious popular choice (even after this week's announcement that Sen. Rick Santorum was dropping out).

“Some day, the people are going to elect ‘I Don’t Know,” if the president ignores the opinion of the people, one of the characters quips, and it does indeed seem like we could be listening to current poll data results.

In the drama (on stage, that is), the two front runners vying for the title of “best man” to represent the party are liberal-leaning former Secretary of State William Russell (a terrific John Larroquette) and conservative Sen. Joseph Cantwell (Eric McCormack). Each hopes for the endorsement of Sue Ellen Gamadge (Angela Lansbury), the chairwoman of the Women’s Division of the party and that of former President Artie Hockstader (James Earl Jones, who in disguising his normal, very recognizable voice, unfortunately, often is difficult to understand).

Gamadge would like to see more of Russell’s wife, Alice (Candice Bergen), whose support of her husband on the campaign trail is forced. The couple hasn’t shared a life – or a bed – in some time, though Alice still seems to have feelings for Russell despite his past infidelities. The health of their marriage, and of the mental state of the candidate, who suffered a break down, just might be issues that could cost him the election if Cantwell makes them public. Russell counters with some dirt of his own bringing the religious Cantwell’s possible homosexuality into play.

The sharply directed play is engaging and surprisingly fast-moving despite a two-hour-40-minute run time with two intermissions. Larroquette scores a landslide victory with his portrayal of the seasoned politician hampered by his sense of right and wrong. Bergen’s comedic timing is perfect for long-suffering Alice. Any time we get to see Lansbury on the stage it’s a treat, but the scenes delighting us with her humor and southern drawl are too brief and leave us wishing the character were featured more. Strong performances also are turned in by straight man Michael McKean as Russell’s campaign manager Dick Jensen and by Kerry Butler as Cantwell’s bombshell wife, Mabel. Standing out in the large ensemble is Sherman Howard as news commentator John Malcom (who “broadcasts” from in front of a backdrop of period television monitors from the balcony box next to the stage).

With a less firm hand at the helm, a production so full of stars might have sped into a supernova, but Wilson’s attention to detail and focus bring the characters together in a shining galaxy ensemble.

One criticism: if we are going to project modern thought on the play to extent that we are supposed to believe the United States would have elected an African-American president prior to 1960 (which is fine), would it have been too big a leap to update the male-friendly language of the play to suggest that a “person” rather than a “man” would succeed Russell as secretary of state, especially given that Hillary Clinton currently fills that office? Would it have been too difficult to list Mrs. Gamadge in the program as “chairperson” or even “chairwoman” of the Women’s Division instead of “chairman”?

The Best Man campaigns at the Schoenfeld, 236 West 45th St., NYC in an extended run through July 22. Tickets: 212-239-6200, 800-432-7250.

Christians might also like to know:
-- God’s name taken in vain
-- Language

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Gracewell Prodiuctions

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2022 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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