‘SUFFS’: Jenn Colella & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

SUFFS
Book, music & lyrics by Shaina Taub
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Choreography by Mayte Natalio
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.suffsmusical.com

By David NouNou

Suffs by Shaina Taub is one of this season’s more ambitious musicals, if for no other reason the subject matter it tackles.

Starting out in 1913, the women’s movement for the right to vote in America is being spearheaded by the suffragists or “suffs,” as they call themselves. Headed by Alice Paul (Shaina Taub) and joined by activist Lucy Burns (Ally Bonino), lawyer and peace activist Inez Milholland (Hannah Cruz), Polish-American factory inspector Ruza Wenclawska (Kim Blanck) and women’s rights activist Doris Stevens (Nadia Dandashi), they are the new generation that is pushing to get enough states to pass the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. On the more temperate and established side, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) is headed by Carrie Chapman Catt (Jenn Colella).  Ms. Chapman Catt and NAWSA  want to help pass the 19^th Amendment, but believe women must persuade men in softer, less aggressive ways, such as saying “allow Mother to vote.”

Alice Paul has more radical ideas about getting the 19^th Amendment passed, and she soon breaks away from NAWSA and creates the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, later known as the National Woman’s Party in 1916. Alice Paul’s group uses more aggressive types of civil disobedience to encourage President Woodrow Wilson (Grace McLean) to support women’s right to vote.

As with any movement, it is ongoing, with endless problems. The women mentioned earlier are fighting for the white women’s right to vote. Matters are further complicated when the Black women, headed by Ida B. Wells (Nikki M. James), want women of color to be able to vote as well, and how well that would work down South. Also, where in the parades will they be placed? This is all under the term of President Woodrow Wilson. President Wilson wanted the whole movement to go away by throwing the marchers or agitators into prison and torturing them.

The subject matter is heady and historical, but not always satisfying. Instead of a flowing narrative, it seems more like episodic scenes attached one after another to make a complete musical. The book is repetitious at times. However, the score by Ms. Taub is remarkable. The score propels the story forward more clearly than the convoluted book and is very enjoyable.

Being a large ensemble but headed by Ms. Taub as Alice Paul, there are some exceptional performances, including Kim Blanck, Ally Bonino, Jenn Colella, Hannah Cruz, Nadia Dandashi, and Nikki M. James. Most have beautiful singing voices and wonderful stage presences.

Director Leigh Silverman certainly had her hands full with such serious subject matter and an extraordinarily large cast, and she often makes it work, but some of the less necessary scenes could have been trimmed.

There is a wonderful touch at the end when the new generation steps in and starts to take over while Alice Paul watches. It is awe-inspiring seeing what those women achieved, but one can’t help but watch in horror thinking how Roe vs. Wade has been overturned or considering what recently happened in Arizona with the strictest abortion bans, with a law from the 1800s now being enforced after a controversial ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court. What would the women in Suffs have thought and done today? Suffs shows that, no matter how far women have come, there is still a long way to go for women’s equality in modern-day America.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 22, 2024
Reviewed at April 21, 2024 press performance

‘SUFFS’: Hannah Cruz (center, on horse) & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Nikki M. James (center) & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Anastacia McCleskey, Laila Erica Drew & Nikki M. James. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Shaina Taub. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Tsilala Brock & Grace McLean. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Hannah Cruz. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Emily Skinner. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’: Leslie Odom, Jr. & Kara Young. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

PURLIE VICTORIOUS: A NON-CONFEDERATE ROMP THROUGH THE COTTON PATCH
Written by Ossie Davis
Directed by Kenny Leon
Through January 28, 2024

Music Box Theatre

239 West 45th Street
(212-719-6200), www.PurlieVictorious.com

By David NouNou

Originally written and produced in 1961, this is the first revival of Ossie Davis’s play Purlie Victorious, written for himself and his wife, Ruby Dee. Mr. Davis played the title role and Ms. Dee played Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins. I am sure that version was played in earnest seriousness about the remnants of slavery, working on a plantation in the South for the racist white master who has inflicted pain, misery, and cheated them at every turn. Yet they still had to appear grateful that they had a job and had to praise the bigot endlessly for his tyranny.

Spirited preacher Purlie Victorious Judson (Leslie Odom, Jr.) returns to his small Georgia town hoping to save Big Bethel, the community’s church, and emancipate the cotton pickers who work on oppressive Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee’s (Jay O. Sanders) plantation. Purlie hopes to swindle Cotchipee of the $500 inheritance due to his long-lost dead cousin’s daughter. With the help of Lutiebelle (Kara Young), Purlie makes her play the daughter and use the money to achieve his goals. Ol’ Cotchipee has a son, Charlie (Noah Robbins), who sees things differently than his father. Charlie actually sees and understands the Black plight, and comes to their defense.

Director Kenny Leon has taken a different view of the proceedings. He has updated the plight to comic effect, and in one instance, it resembles a scene from Mack Sennett’s silent film series Keystone Kops. This does not diminish the message, but releases some humor for contemporary audiences.

Leslie Odom, Jr.—absent from Broadway since his Tony Award-winning role as Aaron Burr in the blockbuster musical Hamilton—is dynamic as Purlie. His performance is spirited and forceful and he believes in the cause for which he is fighting.

Two-time Tony Award nominee Kara Young as Lutiebelle will get her third consecutive nomination, and I can’t imagine her losing this time around. She is a force of nature and delivers another indelible performance.

The two most heartfelt and genuine performances belong to Vanessa Bell Calloway (Idella Landy) who has been a servant to the Ol’ Capn’ for more than 40 years and genuinely cares for his son Charlie. The second outstanding performance is given by Noah Robbins as Charlie, a young man who sees the injustices done by his father. Both their performances are so sincere, and neither pander for a cheap laugh. The laughs come from their sincerity. A footnote here: The role of Charlie Cotchipee was originally played by Alan Alda in 1961.

Purlie Victorious is not to be confused with the 1970 Broadway musical Purlie, with the late Sherman Helmsley (George in TV’s “The Jeffersons”) as Gitlow Judson, the late Cleavon Little as Purlie (he won a Tony for the role), and R&B star Melba Moore as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins (she also won a Tony for her role). The musical was adapted from the play.

Purlie Victorious holds the test of time, and the issues are just as relevant as they were back in 1961. They are just as potent, but director Kenny Leon deftly helps the cast extract  humor from Ossie Davis’ play in this current revival to underscore the absurdity and injustice of racism in both the 20^th and 21^st centuries.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published September 29, 2023
Reviewed at September 28, 2023 press performance.

‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’: Leslie Odom, Jr. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’: Kara Young & Heather Alicia Simms. Photo Marc J. Franklin.

‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’: Noah Robbins & Vanessa Bell Calloway. Photo: Marc J. Franklin

‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’: (l to r): Kara Young, Heather Alicia Simms, Leslie Odom, Jr., Vanessa Bell Calloway, Billy Eugene Jones & Noah Robbins. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’: Leslie Odom, Jr. & Kara Young. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’: Heather Alicia Simms & Billy Eugene Jones. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’: The cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

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‘BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN”: Peter John Chursin, Manuel Herrera, Yeman Brown & Jacob Guzman. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN’
Originally created, directed & choreographed by Bob Fosse
Directed & staged by Wayne Cilento
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), https://dancinbway.com/

By David NouNou

This version of Dancin’— as we are told in promotional fliers pasted all over the Broadway theatre district—is “utterly reimagined for the 21st Century,” and ads for the show include the tagline “The Moves He Invented. Reinvented.” Reinventing a classic and putting a new spin on a cherished Broadway musical is often necessary to modernize a show, but this revival of Dancin’ will have Bob Fosse purists scratchin’ their heads for so many reasons.

When it came to choreography, Bob Fosse was the epitome of class. To see his work as a performer, you can watch him in the 1954 movie Kiss Me, Kate as Hortensio and as Frank in the 1956 movie My Sister Eileen. He later became the choreographer of such musicals as The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, ’Little Me, later still, director and choreographer for Sweet Charity, Pippin, Chicago, Dancin’, and his final show in 1986, Big Deal. This is not even mentioning his movie career as a director.

Wayne Cilento was one of his principal dancers in the original 1978 version of Dancin’ and  prior to that he was Mike in the original cast of Michael Bennett’s A Chorus Line. He worked and learned from two of Broadway’s supreme geniuses. Both Mr. Fosse and Mr. Bennett started out as dancers themselves and transitioned to director and choreographer, and both knew a dancer’s body and motion. Both Mr. Fosse and Mr. Bennett had their own style and class. So, it’s perplexing how Wayne Cilento has somehow turned Mr. Fosse’s class into crass, and gloss into dross.

Both Bob Fosse and Michael Bennett also knew who the hardest-working people in a musical were. Not necessarily the stars but the dancers who worked behind the stars and they glorified their dancers. Bennett’s homage was A Chorus Line and Fosse’s was Dancin’. Staying with Fosse, many excellent dancers came out of that show: Ann Reinking, Wayne Cilento, Sandahl Bergman, Bebe Neuwirth (as a replacement for Ann Reinking in 1981), Vicki Fredrick, Linda Haberman, John Mineo, Christopher Chadman to name just a few. He gave each dancer a specialty number that made them stand out and memorable. Even as a duo, trio, or as a group, you recognized the dancer from a previous number. They all had a distinct look that made them stand out.

Mr. Cilento has maintained the signature Fosse moves: the hip thrust and the shoulder shimmy that was once sexy now comes across as simply sleazy. “Mr. Bojangles,” originally sung by Mr. Cilento and danced by Christopher Chadman, sent chills—you could actually see Mr. Chadman soar high as the lyric states, but in this version no soars, no chills, no thrills. You can’t even remember which dancer did what. The “Big Spender” number from Sweet Charity I think is one of Mr. Fosse’s finest and purest numbers, with the most simplistic of staging: The women were each unique and dazzlers, a feast for the eyes and ears as they undulated to the bar to get your attention and you knew each woman. Somehow, Mr. Cilento just threw his dancers in a pile, giving none of them an identity. I could find fault in all the numbers but that would only ruin the show for you.

Suffice it to say, most of the numbers are still intact, but they lack smooth transitioning. There was a breeziness to the shifting and lifts from one number to another in the original production; now they just meld into each other with no discernible purpose.  However, there is a most unnecessary inclusion that the original didn’t have. The original was done in 1978; the whole ending now is from Mr. Fosse’s 1986 dud musical Big Deal. Unfortunately, since this was his last and least thrilling of shows, you might ask yourself why was there such a huge chunk of the second act ending attributed to Big Deal? Your guess would be as good as mine.

Bob Fosse gave laser-focused movements to his dancers, from the way the arm is bent, the legs are stretched, and the placement of the fingers, they were all synchronized to perfection, 16 dancers moved as one. If you want to see an example of this, watch ME TV (or any cable TV channel that still airs it) The Ed Sullivan Show from 1966 where Gwen Verdon dances and sings  “I’m a Brass Band”  with her dancers from Sweet Charity. Thrilling. Unfortunately, Mr. Cilento doesn’t pay so much attention to detail. When the dancers do a pirouette, they don’t all spin in unison, and in a jeté , they don’t land and stick in formation together.

What is also a distraction for the audience and takes away from the dancers is the constant brash Neon video design projections by Finn Ross on the back of the stage. It totally upstages the performers. Let’s also mention the costumes and their lack of imagination and tackiness; they don’t complement the dancers or their bodies.

Mr. Fosse left a myriad of dance moves and a lifetime of memories and magic for theatregoers, Mr. Cilento has failed to capture them in a 21st century reimagination of Dancin’. Maybe in a few years, a revival of the 1999 hit musical Fosse (a brilliant compendium of the works of Mr. Fosse) will be revived to recapture the magic and memories created by the legendary Bob Fosse.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 30, 2023
Reviewed at March 29, 2023 press performance.

‘BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN”: The cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN’ ‘: The cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN’ ‘: The cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN’ ‘: Kolton Krouse. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN’ ‘: The cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN’ ’Karli Dinardo, Mattie Love & Ida Saki. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN’ ’: Nando Morland, Mattie Love & Tony d’Alelio. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN’ ’: Jacob Guzman & Mattie Love. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

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‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: Ben Platt. Photo: Matthew Murphy

DEAR EVAN HANSEN
Book by Steven Levenson
Music & lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Directed by Michael Greif
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.dearevanhansen.com

By David NouNou

Dear Evan Hansen is an original musical that is epic in its universality and its theme is timeless. It is a phenomenon for every parent that has a troubled child, who may be misunderstood, lonely, despondent, troubled, bullied, or even suicidal; it is a musical of our time and for generations to come.

The story centers on an anxiety-ridden teenager, Evan Hansen (Ben Platt) who has to write himself letters of affirmation to build up his confidence and be able to socialize better with fellow students. On the first day of school, his letter is confiscated and read by the bullish outsider, Connor Murphy (Mike Faist). In the letter, Evan expresses his feelings about Zoe Murphy (Laura Dreyfuss) who happens to be Connor’s sister. At the end of the letter, he signs it “me.” Three days pass, and it is revealed that Connor committed suicide and the only thing on him was the letter he confiscated from Evan. Connor’s parents, Larry and Cynthia Murphy (Michael Park and Jennifer Laura Thompson), think it is a letter to a friend and they get in touch with Evan.

At first, Evan is at a total loss of what to say and do because there was never a friendship between him and Connor; but he sees how desperate the parents are and how much they want to know things about their son. With the aid of his cousin, Jared (Will Roland), Evan and Jared start fabricating backdated emails to give the parents some closure. Thus begins the tangled web that Evan has created for himself. At first he enjoys the fact that he is being noticed, that Larry and Cynthia become almost like surrogate parents, and Zoe starts to fall for him. In comes Alana Beck (Kristolyn Lloyd,) who was in a couple of classes with Connor, but never knew him, gets caught up in the hoopla, and wants to preserve Connor’s memory by starting the Connor Project and a website. Evan has to give a speech in school, and also does an online post about Connor. Naturally it becomes a media sensation and goes viral.

Meanwhile Evan’s mother, Heidi Hansen (Rachel Bay Jones), has no clue as what is going on and what her son is doing. Her husband left her and Evan 10 years earlier and she had to raise him alone. She is a nurse by day and taking paralegal courses at night, leaving her little time for Evan. She does her best to help but knows little what is happening with Evan, until she is invited to the Connors for dinner and then finds out through the Internet about The Connor Project and how Evan is co-president.

The web is so tangled and troubling to Evan that he is suffocating and losing himself in his predicament. He has to find his way out. I normally don’t like to give so much of the story, but must in order for the reader to understand the complexity of this piece. I also don’t want the reader to think that the piece is a depressing downer, morose or maudlin; on the contrary, it has a message of hope.

Michael Greif has taken this complicated tale and directed it with the lightest of touches. He knows it’s a heady topic and he treats all the action and movements with the utmost respect. The book by Steven Levenson is brilliant; he combines teenage angst and pains with today’s social media and all its trappings. The score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul is a marvel. They did an incredible whimsical score for the Christmas classic A Christmas Story but here the score reaches exultant heights that are haunting and riveting.

The entire cast is outstanding but the star of the show, Ben Platt, is a revelation. He has the acting chops, the singing voice, the looks, the charm, and the personality to make the star of tomorrow. His Evan Hansen is a performance for the ages.

Guess what, folks? Get your tickets while you still can, because come Tony time I see at least six major awards going to this masterpiece.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 9, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on December 8, 2016

‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: Mike Faist & Ben Platt. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: Ben Platt & Rachel Bay Jones. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: Ben Platt & Laura Dreyfuss. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: Ben Platt, Jennifer Laura Thompson & Michael Park. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

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‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Brandon Victor Dixon & Audra McDonald. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

SHUFFLE ALONG
OR THE MAKING OF THE MUSICAL SENSATION OF 1921 AND ALL THAT FOLLOWED
Book by George C. Wolfe
Original Book by F. E. Miller & Aubrey Lyles
Music & lyrics by Noble Sissle & Eubie Blake
Choreography by Savion Glover
Directed by George C. Wolfe
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.shufflealongbroadway.com

By David NouNou

The syncopated rhythm of Shuffle Along at the Music Box Theatre will blow you away in this musical within a musical. Act I is about putting together the first all-black musical: cast, producer, director, writers and musicians on Broadway in 1921. Act II is the aftermath and what became of the creators and the people that were involved in this almost forgotten sensation of the era. Both parts are valid and essential. Act I is entertainment of dizzying heights. Act II plods with the usual heavy-handed dialogue that only George C. Wolfe can churn out. What a blissful, deliriously enjoyable and heavenly evening could have been achieved had the director George C. Wolfe toned down the lugubriously preachy writings of writer George C. Wolfe

However, the evening’s real hero is Savion Glover. His choreography is currently unparalleled on Broadway. His syncopated formation of his dancers is perfection to the utmost degree. We sit there dazzled with every number. In large part due to Mr. Glover’s vision, this heavy-handed musical soars into the stratosphere.

It is an understatement to say that putting this magnificent cast together is a major achievement. Audra McDonald (as Lottie Gee, leading lady of the show) is now an American institution. Adjectives are mere words to what her talent offers. Brian Stokes Mitchell as F. E. Miller, part of the duo who conceived the show, reuniting for the first time with Ms. McDonald since 1998’s Ragtime, is a pleasure to watch and hear, but there is not enough of a character that focuses strictly on Mr. Mitchell’s formidable voice and talent. Billy Porter as Aubrey Lyles, the other part of the duo who conceived the show, gives his character the proper comedic and acidic touches but doesn’t come close in gravitas to his Lola from Kinky Boots.

The two best male parts are that of Eubie Blake, the pianist and composer and also Lottie’s lover, played enigmatically and charmingly by the wonderful Brandon Victor Dixon; and Noble Sissle, Eubie’s fellow composer, staunchly and admirably played by Joshua Henry.

Essentially the story revolves around the four gentlemen who were separate duos: F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles and Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake pooling their talents together and bringing the first black musical to Broadway. It shows all the pitfalls and travails they endured to bring this musical to life. However, the success, fame and money that Shuffle Along acquired also brought them their demise because, all having the best intentions to re-team, ultimately brought them their separation and alienation from each other.

The ingredients for the perfect musical are all here; unfortunately, the book gets in the way. The dancers and their precision steps are incomparable. Also one cannot overlook the lighting by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer; they evoke every emotion imaginable and have partnered for many years on lots of shows, and may this brilliant partnership endure forever. Also, the arrangements and orchestrations by Daryl Waters are sensational.

Given all the talent and brilliance that emanates from the show, you can’t go wrong, I do suggest you see the show before mid-July due to Ms. McDonald taking a maternity leave, and no one would ever want to miss an Audra McDonald performance.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 11, 2016

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Joshua Henry, Brandon Victor Dixon, Billy Porter, Brian Stoke Mitchell & Richard Riaz Yoder. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Brandon Victor Dixon & Audra McDonald. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: The cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: The cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: The cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Brandon Victor Dixon & Audra McDonald. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Brian Stokes Mitchell & cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Billy Porter. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Joshua Henry & Brandon Victor Dixon. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Brian Stokes Mitchell. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Brandon Victor Dixon & Joshua Henry. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘SHUFFLE ALONG’: Adrienne Warren & Audra McDonald. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

The post ‘Shuffle Along’ sensational despite flaws appeared first on StageZine.

‘KING CHARLES III’: Tim Pigott-Smith as Charles at the Coronation. Photo: Joan Marcus

KING CHARLES III
Written by Mike Bartlett
Directed by Rubert Goold
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.kingcharlesiiibroadway.com

By Scott Harrah

The Queen is dead. Prince Charles is now King.

As the show opens, we see the Windsors on a dark stage, holding candles and singing an Anglican-style requiem in Latin for their beloved Queen Elizabeth II. From the very first scene, it is evident that playwright Mike Bartlett and director Rupert Goold have created a distinctly British saga that is mired in the complex machinations of “The Crown in Parliament,” for what follows is as much a story about the royals’ place in politics as it is about their glamour.

Last season’s The Audience starred Oscar winner Helen Mirren as Her Majesty, and took dramatic license to depict what was discussed during decades of the Queen and her private weekly meetings with various prime ministers. This latest British import about the Crown isn’t even based on fictionalized “facts” or history. The whole show, featuring a cast of outstanding British actors, is a nearly three-hour hypothesis of what could happen when Elizabeth dies. The show raises numerous questions about the validity and relevance of the monarchy in the 21^st century and is consistently riveting.

The British monarchy is merely a curiosity for Americans. Prince Charles and Camilla, Princes William and Harry, Kate Middleton, Queen Elizabeth II and the late Princess Diana are simply celebrities to us. Americans follow the merry lives of the Windsors as if they are well-dressed characters on an upscale reality TV show, but there is more to the monarchy than scurrilous gossip. For people in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, the monarchy is a controversial institution indeed that is the foundation of government, history and culture, and something citizens of these “realms” have strong opinions for and against. The head of state, though a figurehead, is not elected but instead “anointed by God himself,” and everything related to the government is named after the monarch. In addition, the monarchy costs taxpayers money, so the royals’ “role” is constantly questioned by critics. The very existence of this anachronistic tradition is challenged, in epic, tragicomic, Shakespearean detail in Mike Bartlett’s Olivier Award-winning “future history” play.

Tim Pigott-Smith as Charles and Adam James as Mr. Evans, the British prime minister, are both magnificent. It is the king and his prime minister—and their endless clashes—that make the drama so fascinating and give the show a Shakespearean feel, thanks to the two actors’ richly textured portrayals. Shortly after his mother’s funeral, Charles has his first weekly audience with the prime minister. A bill for statutory regulation of the press has passed in Parliament and the PM simply needs Charles’ signature (royal assent) to become law. The trouble is, Charles knows that regulating the media also restricts freedom of the press. The PM says it would help avoid future hacking scandals and violations of privacy (referring, of course, to the voicemail hacking crimes at the News of the World). The most ingenious aspect of the play is author Mike Bartlett’s idea of Charles being a royal with a mind of his own, rather than simply being known for cheating on Diana with Camilla (Margot Leicester).

Charles, at least in Mr. Bartlett’s mind, wants to make an actual difference as a monarch. Charles believes regulating the press would lead to government censorship of legitimate news, and open the door for corruption in Parliament that the press couldn’t accurately cover.

Charles defends the press that has made his family’s lives such hell. Because, in Britain, the monarchy only “rules” by public opinion (one nurtured by the press), so the sovereign and Fleet Street have an ongoing symbiotic relationship. It’s truly fascinating theater to watch if—and only if— one is interested in the monarchy, the ethics of journalism and democracy, or the arguments for and against the royals’ existence.

Charles is later visited by a Ghost (Sally Scott), who turns out to be his late ex-wife Diana. Like the witches in Macbeth, this paranormal visitor has a prophecy, but it’s a good one. For the husband for whom she loved and was emotionally tortured by in life, she says, “You will be the greatest king ever.” She is portrayed as a ghoul with a black veil (sorry, no Versace gown, Diana fans). When he tries to question what she means, she vanishes. She makes another appearance to son William and tells him he will also be the greatest king. Confusing at first, but without giving too much plot away, Diana’s cryptic prophecies ultimately come true.

The most trenchant scenes in King Charles III involve Mr. Pigott-Smith playing the new king dealing with nasty clashes in Parliament, and the last 15 minutes of the show in which the fate of the monarchy is finally decided. Mr. Pigott-Smith is truly heartbreaking in his final showdown with William, Harry and Kate. Every raw hole of his soul is bared, and Mr. Pigott-Smith brilliantly depicts the pain Charles feels. His final soliloquy to his children is one of the finest moments of acting you’ll see on Broadway this season, as haunting as anything from Shakespeare’s King Lear or Macbeth.

Oliver Chris is effective as William, as is Lydia Wilson as wife Kate. Both are supposed to display a conniving, Machiavellian streak, but seem to have been cast simply because they look similar to the real-life Will and Kate. Margot Leicester plays Camilla with unconditional love for Charles, Miles Richardson as James Reiss, Charles’s acerbic, sarcastic press secretary, is first-rate. Mr. Richardson’s James Reiss delivers many poisonous bon mots with aplomb.

The most unnecessary subplot involves Harry (Richard Goulding), the ginger-haired, hard-partying playboy. Mr. Goulding does a fine job as Harry, but watching him stagger drunk across the stage, talking about visiting a Burger King in Leicester Square and wishing to be a commoner, is pointless. Even more absurd is his fling with an art student, Jess (Tafline Steen), both of them parading around London streets. There are some other head-scratching moments, particularly the opening of Act II, when protesters outside Buckingham Palace wear silly masks straight out of V for Vendetta for no apparent reason

Rupert Goold directs everything at a gripping pace, which is no easy task with subject matter this epic and thorny. One wonders if the show could have been polished, with the aid of an American co-director, to trim the unnecessary subplots. To audiences in Britain or any Commonwealth nation in which the Windsors “reign,” King Charles III is heady, provocative stuff. In America, however, the complicated political narrative and convoluted back story limit its appeal. However, King Charles III is still a masterpiece. Love live the king.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 8, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on November 5, 2015

‘KING CHARLES III’: Oliver Chris as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge & Tim Pigott-Smith as the new King Charles. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Oliver Chris as HRH William, Duke of Cambridge & Lydia Wilson as HRH Katherine, (“Kate”), Duchess of Cambridge. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Lydia Wilson & Tim Pigott-Smith. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Margot Leicester as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall & Tim Pigott-Smith as King Charles Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Tafline Steen as Jess, a new girlfriend for (right) Prince Harry (Richard Goulding). Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: Tim Pigott-Smith. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘KING CHARLES III’: The cast sings a requiem for Queen Elizabeth II. Photo: Joan Marcus

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