Review Roundup: Holland Taylor Opens in ANN on Broadway!

Directed by Benjamin Endsley Klein, Ann has scenic design by Michael Fagin, costume design by Julie Weiss, lighting design by Matthew Richards, sound design by Ken Huncovsky, projection design by Zachary Borovay, wig design by Paul Huntley, and is produced by Bob Boyett and Harriet Newman Leve with co-producers Jane Dubin, Jack Thomas, Mark Johannes, Amy Danis in association with Sarahbeth Grossman, Jon Cryer, Lisa Joyner, Minerva Productions, Lary Brandt, Brian Dorsey, Kate Hathaway, Allison Thomas, Jennifer Isaacson and Lincoln Center Theater. Ann is executive produced by Kevin Bailey.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Charles isherwood, NY Times: To put it as the plain-talking Richards might, this one-dynamo show - Ms. Taylor is the lone cast member - is neither a shapely work of drama nor a deeply probing character study. But admirers of Richards probably won't give a darn. She was a brightly shining political star and an inspiring figure during the years of her renown, and Ms. Taylor is essentially just giving this beloved dame one more chance to bask in the spotlight.

Jeremy Gerard, Bloomberg: "Ann" does honor Richards's achievements as governor and, later, as advocate of liberal causes. The warm sparring with Clinton and especially their shared reverence for Congresswoman Barbara Jordan is moving. But this meandering hagiography unbecomes the swaggering doyenne who, for a time, outgunned the sharpshooters around her.

Mark Kennedy, Associated Press: Taylor's Richards is a hoot yet she almost gets upstaged by another character, which is hard to do in a one-woman show. But two purring phone calls between her and Clinton are some of the play's highlights, perhaps proving that only Clinton can outshine Ann Richards.

Michael Musto, Village Voice: In head-to-toe white from her hair on down, Taylor is splendid, capturing the humor, decency, and abrasive energy in the woman while smoothly going from speech to phone call to more yakking.

Robert Kahn, NBC New York: It's cliche to say it, but Taylor becomes Ann Richards, mostly thanks to her witty script, and with a nice assist from costume designer Julie Weiss, who's clothed her in a white, all-business jacket and skirt, with a sparkling Lone Star brooch. The transformation is all the more remarkable for the fact that Taylor only once met Richards, when they were briefly introduced at New York's Le Cirque in 2004 by the columnist Liz Smith.

Dany Groner, Huffington Post: The best parts of the show come at the beginning and the end when Taylor is back at the front of the stage, comfortable at the podium, making eyes with the crowd. That's where Richards became most prominent and established herself as a political force. Sure, she needed time to campaign behind the scenes to get voters behind her. But that's the part of politics that's left unseen. We prefer to see our politicians in the spotlight. Otherwise, they look just like the rest of us.

David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter: Taylor's intention is admirable in shining a spotlight on a woman driven by a heroic passion for public service. But the longer the show runs on, the more its lack of shading becomes apparent. She peppers the dialogue with pandering audience nods to racial and gender equality and gun laws. But she glosses over the potentially juicy stuff such as the dirty politics that tried to keep Richards out of office the first time and succeeded when she ran for a second term. It also might have been interesting to include a wry acknowledgment that Richards' failed re-election bid gave her the dubious distinction of opening the door to the political career of George W. Bush.

Roma Torre, NY1: One might easily think that a solo show would be swallowed up on Lincoln Center Theatre's largest stage, but given Richards' dynamism and Taylor's outsize talents, the ladies had no problem filling the space.