Review Roundup: Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN is Back on Broadway - All the Reviews!

Jonathan Mandell, The Faster Times: The most prominent graphic element on the new Best Man poster is the list of names of the stars of the show. There is a general rule of thumb about movies that if the ad features numerous boxes with pictures of each star and the caption “[star] as [role]” that the movie is likely to be a dog. That is not the case here. Nearly every role is cast with thespian royalty, including Michael McKean as an aide and Jefferson Mays as a character who has dirt on one of the candidates. Even Donna Hanover, the former first lady of New York, has a small role as a reporter in her Broadway debut. Most of the actors deliver. The exceptions, though, undermine the production: Eric McCormack as the slick candidate and Kerry Butler as his catty Southern belle wife. They are not just wrong-headed but whiny-voiced and annoying. This is not comic caricature, or at least not successful caricture. They just seem the result of inadequate stage craft. That this is so is both disappointing and completely baffling.

 

Joe Dziemianowicz, NY Daily News: The play, like a lot of speeches, is witty but long-winded. At times it’s implausible. At others it’s prescient. ... As blustery ex-President Arthur Hockstader, whose support could sway the tight race, James Earl Jones is as persuasive and captivating as a bullhorn. Just as great is Angela Lansbury in her irresistibly tart and smart turn as Sue-Ellen Gamadge, chairwoman of the women’s division. Don’t let Sue’s ruffles fool you, she’s a shrewd operator. ... The most fascinating thing about “Best Man” is that the author seemingly depicts a surprise development as noble, when it’s anything but. The turn is incredibly cynical.

Jeremy Gerard, Bloomberg: Two powerful party elders dog the efforts of both would-be candidates. Sue-Ellen Gamadge, chairman of the “Women’s Division” is played with jolly antiquity by Angela Lansbury. Former President Arthur Hockstader, whose illness has not dampened his raffish charm, is played commandingly by James Earl Jones. That both of these great stars are somewhat miscast (and Jones was doing battle with some of his lines at a critics’ preview) mattered little to the demonstrative audience (or to me). Jefferson Mays makes a late appearance as a shadow from Cantwell’s past and just about steals the show.

 

Eric Haagensen, Backstage: The terrific physical production puts us on the convention floor, thanks to Derek McLane's immersive set. ... Vidal's insights resonate today, from Tea Party true-believer pressure to birth control controversies, to the point of being scary. There aren't many plays at which the audience regularly applauds the dialogue. You'll likely applaud much more than that in Wilson's grandly satisfying revival.