Act One 2014
Opened: April 17, 2014Closing: June 15, 2014
Act One - 2014 Broadway History , Info & More
Vivian Beaumont Theatre (Broadway)
150 West 65th St. at Broadway New York, NY 10023
When the playwright and director, Moss Hart, published his autobiography, "Act One," in 1959 it was a sensation, filled with vivid recollections of colorful characters, especially Hart's first great collaborator, the brilliant George S. Kaufman.
The book gave a fascinating insider's view of how a show really gets to the stage. Many people feel it has never been bettered. "Act One" was more than just a Broadway tale, though. It was a bestseller for almost a year, topping the New York Times list for 41 weeks. Why would this story of the playwright and director's early years be so wildly and widely popular?
We think it's because "Act One" is not just the ultimate valentine to the theater. It is also a Dickensian story of a young immigrant and his family, struggling to escape poverty in the early 20th century. From tenements to glamorous townhouses, from Buffalo stages to Catskills summer camps, and finally to the Broadway of his dreams, Hart's masterful telling captures the hope, misery and comedy of the climb, but also the glee of making it - because he did! A classic New York story.
Now, almost 75 years after Moss Hart's first Broadway success, James Lapine (who knows a thing or two about collaboration from his many shows written with Stephen Sondheim) brings ACT ONE to the stage. He has written and directs this world premiere production at the Beaumont. Tony Shalhoub, playing both George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart as an adult, is familiar to LCT audiences as the father in Golden Boy for which he was nominated for a Tony Award last season. Santino Fontana (the Tony-nominated prince in Broadway's Cinderella) portrays Mr. Hart as a young man. Andrea Martin (Tony winner for her spectacular turn as Berthe in Pippin, and also for LCT's My Favorite Year) plays Aunt Kate, a pivotal figure in Hart's early life.
Act One - 2014 - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Act One
Theater review: 'Act One'
6 / 10
Moss Hart's autobiography 'Act One' was big news in 1959. But are people interested in a man whose fame on Broadway happened well over a half-century ago? If they're not, it's hard to see what they'll find to savor - other than a delightful performance by Tony Shalhoub - in James Lapine's stage adaptation of the book, which opened Thursday night at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Review: 'Act One' Is a Sweet Ode to the Theater
8 / 10
It makes perfect sense that his autobiography is onstage. And no less a modern theater icon than James Lapine has adapted and directed the play, using the stage thrillingly in a way the book could not. The sweet 'Act One,' which opened Thursday at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, faithfully and chronologically charts Hart's rise from poverty in the Bronx to co-writing with Kaufman 'Once In a Lifetime' in 1930, his first Broadway hit. But it's of course more than that: The majority of the 22 actors play multiple parts, jumping in and out of characters and costumes while the bold, complex set by Beowulf Boritt spins and spins. So in its very fiber and execution, it's a celebration of the theater itself.
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Act One History
Other Productions of Act One
| 2014 | Broadway |
Lincoln Center Production Broadway |
Act One - 2014 Broadway Awards and Nominations
Note: Award winners will appear on a background
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Play | James Lapine |
| 2014 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Play | Dan Moses Schreier |
| 2014 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Tony Shalhoub |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Tony Shalhoub |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Andrea Martin |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Act One |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical) | Beowulf Boritt |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Jane Greenwood |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Tony Shalhoub |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | James Lapine |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Lincoln Center Theater |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Andre Bishop |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Adam Siegel |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Hattie K. Jutagir |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Beowulf Boritt |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Dan Moses Schreier |
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