Broadway Theater Review: Heisenberg

Heisenberg
By Simon Stephens
Directed by Mark Brokaw
Manhattan Theatre Club
through Dec. 11

By Lauren Yarger

What's It All About?

Denis Arndt and Mary-Louise Parker star in a Broadway run of the Off-Broadway hit about a December-May romance. An unlikely relationship develops when Georgie Burns (Parker), an attractive, flighty younger woman kisses Alex Priest (Arndt) an older, shy man she doesn't know at a London train station. Georgie pursues Alex, tracking him down at his butcher shop and the two begin seeing each other. Is there an ulterior motive in Georgie's seduction? The title, by the way, comes from a theory about uncertainty.

What Are the Highlights?

Always a pleasure to see Parker (Proof) on stage (even if she is doing some sort of odd dialect thing that multiple people said annoyed them. Director Tom Brokaw should have had her drop it.) An unusual set design has bleacher style seating on the stage, leaving just a small strip of platforming for the staging with a couple of chairs and tables for props. It increases seating capacity, but also gives the larger Friedman Theatre a more intimate feel for the 85-minute presentation (without intermission).

What Are the Lowlights?

The whole premise depends on an attraction between the two players, but it isn't there. The script by Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) never convinces us why Alex would put up with Georgie, who comes off like a rather unstable stalker. The characters aren't all that engaging. Some folks who have seen this show come away inspired by the thought that anything is possible. Instead, I just kept thinking that these were two very sad, strange people.

More Information:

Heisenberg is uncertain at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 West 46th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 pm; Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm; Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 pm. Tickets are $70-$150: manhattantheatreclub.com.

Additional credits:

Mark Wendland (scenic design), Michael Krass (costume design), Austin R. Smith (lighting design), David Van Tieghem (sound design), Stephen Gabis (dialect consultant) and Sam Pinkleton (choreography).

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- Sexual dfialogue

-- Language