‘ART’: Bobby Cannavale & Neil Patrick Harris. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

ART
By Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Scott Ellis
The Music Box
239 West 45^th Street
https://artonbroadway.com/
 

By Scott Harrah

Star power, dynamic performances and dark humor are the main reasons to see this winning Broadway revival of Art. The show won the Tony Award for Best Play back in 1998. Is a 27-year-old show featuring an overpriced painting still relevant? Of course. And with a stellar cast including Neil Patrick Harris, James Corden and Bobby Cannavale, the classic Yazmina Reza play is one of the hottest tickets in town.

Pricey painting

Successful dermatologist Serge (Mr. Harris) spends 200,000 francs on an all-white painting by a famous artist that purportedly has several white lines somewhere in the middle. When he invites his two best friends over to show it off, they are not amused.

Marc (Mr. Cannavale) is outraged when he sees the painting and hears how much Serge spent. He crudely dismisses the artwork as a “white piece of s**t” and accuses Serge of becoming pretentious.

The high-strung Yvan (Mr. Corden) at first tries to be neutral. He’s all worked up about his upcoming wedding and attempts to diffused the tension between the Marc and Serge to no avail.

Subtext more relevant in 2025

The title and setup of Art suggests the play is simply about the subjective nature of what is or is not considered “art.” However, the subtext of playwright Yasmina Reza’s story is far more relevant nearly 30 years later: The precarious and fragile nature of longtime friendships, particularly among men.

Marc is horrified that Serge would spend so much money on such a gimmicky painting. He is so contemptuous toward Serge that it puts their 25-year friendship in jeopardy.

Yvan tries in vain to make peace between the two old pals but he ends up simply annoying them instead of improving matters.

The one-act play starts out as an argument about art but quickly becomes a nasty emotional meltdown for all three friends. They wonder if they can all remain friends after such a vitriolic evening.

Great direction & performances

Director Scott Ellis extracts fine performances from the cast.

Neil Patrick Harris is magnificent as Serge, the wealthy doctor who finds it odd that anyone wouldn’t think the painting he bought was great art.

Bobby Cannavale is superb as the angry, argumentative aeronautical engineer Marc.

One of the nicest surprises is just how good James Corden is as the insecure Yvan. Mr. Corden often steals the show with his many neurotic outbursts and temper tantrums. He’s a bit too slapstick at times, but the audience seemed to enjoy his over-the-top antics at the performance this reviewer attended.

Art, like art itself, won’t please everyone but this revival is a lot of fun regardless. There is no question as to why it’s a must-see this fall.

Published October 2, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on September 25, 2025

‘ART’: Bobby Cannavale. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘ART’: James Corden. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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‘THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY’: Sarah Snook. Photo: Marc Brenner.

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
By Oscar Wilde
New adaptation written & directed by Kip Williams
Through June 29, 2025
The Music Box
239 West 45^th Street
https://doriangrayplay.com/

By Scott Harrah

Kip Williams and Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress Sarah Snook (HBO’s “Succession”) have put a glorious new spin on the Oscar Wilde classic The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wondering what the future of live theater may look like in the coming years? This production—with its heavy use of video projections, video and audio recordings interspersed with live performance—might offer clues. In the age of AI, smaller cast sizes, shrinking budgets and hefty ticket prices (and the currently precarious global economy), we might see more shows like this. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if one is willing to embrace technology.

Ms. Snook won an Olivier for the role when the show played in London at the Theatre Royal Haymarket last year. She portrays 26 different characters, including Lord Henry Wotton, actress Sibyl Vane, artist Basil Hallward, and others. She is often interacting with pre-recorded versions of herself on the projected screens.

Fans of Mr. Wilde’s controversial 1891 novel expecting a purist adaptation of the story will be disappointed. However, this production is geared primarily for younger audiences, or anyone who enjoys theater with a high-tech edge.

Dorian Gray for the uninitiated

Oscar Wilde’s gothic horror story focuses on Dorian Gray, a handsome young guy who is adored by painter Basil Hallward, and wealthy patron Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Wotton is a manipulative aristocrat and a hedonist. He has a huge influence on Dorian, and not in a good way.  Basil is obsessed with Dorian’s beauty.

Dorian wishes that he can stay eternal youthful and handsome. Consequently, he gets his wish. The painting soon ages while Dorian himself does not.

Volumes have been written over the years about Mr. Wilde’s novel. Scholars have called it everything from homoerotic to misogynist.  Much of the supposed sexual content was censored in Victorian times.

Williams’ new twist on Wilde

Director Kip Williams’ new twist on the classic tale of narcissism and moral depravity relies heavily on the video projections and prerecorded material. As in any one-person show, keeping track of all the characters is challenging, particularly for those who have never read the book.

David Bergman’s video design and Nick Schlieper’s lighting design make much clever use of the material. Dorian has lots of fun with some Instagram and Snapchat-style video filters, but the visual joke wears thin eventually.

One-woman tour de force

Sarah Snook has a blast entertaining us with the 26 different characters. The show is not everyone’s idea of how Oscar Wilde imagined the story. However, this production, originally performed in Australia with a different actor, is not trying to be a straightforward stage adaptation of the book. Instead, it’s a vehicle for a talented entertainer.

Ms. Snook is a one-woman tour de force. Her ability to switch accents, genders and tone is impressive indeed. She is manic, full of energy, and is consistently riveting. If one overlooks the absence of the real Dorian Gray that Oscar Wilde wrote about, it’s possible to enjoy the show simply as a showcase for Sarah Snook’s gifts. Broadway’s The Picture of Dorian Gray may not win over classical literature fans. Regardless, it could bring in new audiences that otherwise might not be interested in live theater.

Published April 7, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on March 28, 2025

‘THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY’: Sarah Snook. Photo: Marc Brenner.

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY’: Sarah Snook. Photo: Marc Brenner.

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY’: Sarah Snook. Photo: Marc Brenner.

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY’: Sarah Snook. Photo: Marc Brenner.

The post ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’: A Wilde new spin appeared first on StageZine.

NEW YORK—Suffs announced a partnership with When We All Vote to ensure audience members are registered and ready to vote ahead of the 2024 General Election.

Voters will be able to access a custom When We All Vote Suffs voter registration portal at any time online through the Suffs website. At the show, Suffs audience members will be able to check their registration status and register to vote at a special activation in The Music Box Theatre. When We All Vote volunteers will even be on hand during special events and performances to help audience members check their voting status.

“Voting rights are a central theme of Suffs. We are excited to partner with When We All Vote to remind audiences of their constitutional right the suffragists fought so valiantly for over a century ago,” said Suffs lead producers Jill Furman and Rachel Sussman. “In this crucial election year, citizens need to use their voices and fight for the causes they care about, and we hope Suffs inspires them to do just that.”

“The 1913 fight for a women’s right to vote is a classic American story of people making their voices heard and pushing the country to be better. Today, the work continues to ensure everyone has equal access to the ballot box, and we are proud to partner with Suffs to change the culture around voting in our country, starting with knowing our history,” said Beth Lynk, Executive Director of When We All Vote. “Together, we encourage all Americans to speak up about the issues they care about – both on stage and at the polls.”

Additionally, Suffs has partnered with Lingua Franca to launch a capsule collection of sustainably sourced and hand-embroidered cashmere sweaters, with10% of all proceeds benefiting When We All Vote. The collection includes three sweaters embroidered with phrases from the show: “Keep Marching,” “It’s suffrage-ist, not suffra-gette,” and “Finish the Fight.” The collection is now available online at https://linguafranca.nyc/collections/suffs-x-lingua-franca  and at the merchandise booth at the Music Box Theatre.

From the singular mind of Shaina Taub, Suffs boldly explores the victories and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over. It’s 1913 and the women’s movement is heating up in America, anchored by the suffragists — “Suffs,” as they call themselves — and their relentless pursuit of the right to vote. Reaching across and against generational, racial, and class divides, these brilliant, flawed women entertain and inspire us with the story of their hard-won victory in an ongoing fight. So much has changed since the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment over a century ago, and yet we’re reminded sometimes we need to look back, in order to march fearlessly into the future.

Jill Furman and Rachel Sussman serve as lead producers of Suffs, with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Malala Yousafzai recently joining the producing team.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at SuffsMusical.com, through Telecharge.com, or by calling (800) 447-7400 or (212) 239-6200. To stay up to date on Suffs, sign up at SuffsMusical.com or follow the show on Facebook and Instagram at @SuffsMusical.

Suffs was originally developed and produced at The Public Theater in 2022 (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham).

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‘WALKING WITH GHOSTS’: Gabriel Byrne. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

WALKING WITH GHOSTS
Written by Gabriel Byrne
Directed by Lonny Price
Through December 30, 2022
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(212-719-6200), www.GabrielByrneOnBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Walking With Ghosts is an honest attempt by Irish actor Gabriel Byrne to stage and perform a one-man monologue about his childhood and part of his adulthood in Dublin. Mr. Byrne starts from the day he was born by being yanked out of his mother’s womb, and the struggles she had getting him out, and his shabby and drab surroundings growing up. I couldn’t help but think of the scene in Auntie Mame, when Mame Dennis, writing her autobiography and collaborating with her Irish ghostwriter, Brian O’Bannion, regarding her birth and childhood, pens the confusing opener to her memoir: “Like an echo from the caves of Coccamaura, I came forth while Deirdre wept cool tears.” Definition: simply put “on the day I was born, it rained.”  It continues, “How bleak was my puberty in Buffalo.”  All I could think of was how dreary was Mr. Byrne’s puberty in Dublin?

It is not easy writing a compelling two-hour and 30-minute monologue about all the ghosts from his childhood and the past, starting with his parents, siblings, childhood friends, happy moments with grandma going to the cinema, colorful neighbors and drunkards, good and often spiteful teachers; and ultimately the “Catholic priest.” I needn’t finish that sentence. That brings us up to age 14 and end of Act I, clocking in at one hour and 15 minutes.

Act II starts with Mr. Byrne as a teenager, failing miserably at different jobs: plumber, dishwasher, bathroom clerk, until he finally gets to answer an ad for amateur actors to be in a Shakespeare company. This is where he finds his niche and begins to find friends and gain self-confidence. He starts getting small parts and some recognition. He meets his Irish idol, actor Micheál Mac Liammóir and meets Richard Burton for a scene he has with him, being filmed in Venice. From that drunken evening spent with Mr. Burton, Mr. Byrne tells us his downfall from grace due to his alcoholism and ultimately his will to overcome his addiction. Finally ending with the deaths of his mother and his father. As Mr. Byrne tells us, he is walking with ghosts and all these ghosts are inside him now.

There have been many and often effective monologues by actors on the New York stage: Last year’s Reuben Santiago-Hudson in Lackawanna Blues; the late Carrie Fisher back in 2009 in Wishful Drinking; Jesse Tyler Ferguson playing 40 different characters in 2016 in Fully Committed. These stars had the ability to inform as well as entertain. They engaged us from start to finish.

This doesn’t impugn Mr. Byrne as an actor in any way. He has given Broadway three indelible performances: James Tyrone Jr. in A Moon for the Misbegotten, Cornelius Melody in A Touch of the Poet, and James Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night. He earned two Tony Award nominations for those roles.

However, with Walking With Ghosts, director Lonny Price should have known the tastes of American audiences better and done some strong editing and tightening. A lot of incidental fat could have been trimmed off.  We are left with Mr. Byrne not giving us a performance so much as exorcising his demons.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 27, 2022
Reviewed at October 26, 2022 press preview performance.

‘WALKING WITH GHOSTS’: Gabriel Byrne. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

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