Review: ALL THINGS EQUAL: THE LIFE & TRIALS OF RUTH BADER GINSBURG at HOBBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The most wonderful thing about ALL THINGS EQUAL: THE LIFE & TRIALS OF Ruth Bader Ginsburg is that you leave feeling less like you learned about an icon and more like you just made a good friend. Actress Michelle Azar, author Rupert Holmes, and director Laley Lippard all contribute to making this one-woman show a warm, engaging, celebratory, and surprisingly inspiring evening that fans and foes of “The Notorious RBG”  should see. No matter what side of the aisle you fall on, this is a fascinating tribute to a legal lady who taught us all what it means to be both feminine and ferocious. To quote a previous BROADWAY WORLD critic, it is “a must-see.” And in these days, right before the election of 2024, it is imperative to consider what Ruth is saying. In a strange personal yet random circumstance of life, I went to school with Justice Amy Coney Barrett at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. I was given a chance to know her as a young woman before politics, and the joy of this play is now I feel I get the same for Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  It's a chance to get to see the woman rather than simply the rhetoric. 

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Michelle Azar holds the stage for over an hour and a half, alone. She delivers Ruth's entire life and manages to do so in what feels like a blink of an eye. The brilliance of casting her is that she not only gets the vocal inflections and the words right, but she correctly nails the physical presence. Her body language is spot-on, along with her voice. As a yoga teacher and actress, she instinctively knows how to evoke Ruth through every stage of her life physically. And she brings warm humor to counter any heavy, dry legalese that worms its way into the night. She was born to play this part, and it’s astonishing to see her bring back one of our most beloved political figures. She transformed herself into RBG, and I left, convinced I was in the original's presence. 

Rupert Holmes wisely weaves in personal history and legal achievements that make Ruth both human and a hero. He is known for creating GOODNIGHT GRACIE, a touching one-man show about George Burns, and here, he captures a similar spirit. We grow to love Ruth, but what is more astonishing, we understand her legal arguments and where they came from. The author is married to a brilliant attorney; I can only imagine this is his love letter to her profession. Rupert wrote the Tony Award-winning MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD and also the hit “Escape (the Pina Colada song),” so it is no surprise the passages are lyrical and come across as melody as much as lecture. 

Director Laley Lippard keeps things light and makes the tempo move quickly from one revelation to the next. The play is delivered as if to friends of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s granddaughter, Clara Spera. Lippard ensures the audience feels the connection by keeping Azar down front at the right moments and distant when required tonally. Projections (designed by Mike Billings) are weaved in brilliantly at the correct moment, and we get to see the real Ruth from when she was heartbreakingly ethereal as a youth up to the modern day. 

In all honesty, it is Michelle Azar who delivers everything with a sense of musicality that would impress the opera fan living in Ginsburg. She knows when to crescendo, when to stop, take a moment, nearly break, and then trudge bravely on. It is a master class in acting, and there is a spark of natural charm that you just knew Ruth had in the real world. She delivers even the most cutting remarks through a smile, and you know this woman was a passionate innovator of equality law through Azar’s joy in presenting the cases. She has the charisma, and I don’t think you can teach or coach that. This is a performance that feels like an honor to watch and that is wholly appropriate given the subject. I left feeling I could argue these landmark cases; they broke them down that well. 

ALL THINGS EQUAL: THE LIFE & TRIALS OF Ruth Bader Ginsburg sells out almost everywhere it goes, and this is a rare stop and a chance for Houston to celebrate the legacy. Often, I go to the Hobby Center and marvel at the kids dressed up to watch THE LION KING or FROZEN. It was a joy to go this time and see women wearing black, a small lace jabot, or any number of variations that evoke Ginsburg. And what a reassurance to see this crowd in Houston embracing this production at this time. It feels like healing after all the toxic assaults flung during this election season. And 2024 has asked us if a woman is as good or not better than a man for a job. And we all know what Ruth would advocate for. But the brilliance of this play is you will leave knowing why she thought that and how she came to where she will always be. In our hearts, in our minds, and in our culture. And thankfully, for a couple of nights, she is in the Hobby Center. What a gift. 

ALL THINGS EQUAL: THE LIFE & TRIALS OF Ruth Bader Ginsburg only runs two nights at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts on September 5th and September 6th. As of this writing, both nights were solidly sold out, but a ticket here and there could still be had. I noticed some patrons stood in the back even at the premiere night. The production is offering an “immersive experience.” After the performance, that equates to taking a photo in a black robe on the set.

Photo is courtesy of THEE PHOTO NINJA 

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