Act One
Closing: June 15, 2014Act 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
Moss Hart’s memoir ‘Act One’ opens as Broadway play
8 / 10
As 'Act One' would have it, no love is quite so intense and tempestuous as that between a playwright and his play. In fact, in the endearing new stage adaptation of Moss Hart's memoir--long a theater world bible--any other affection revealed over the course of two and three-quarter hours in the Vivian Beaumont Theater is a pallid affair compared to the fervor of the dramatist savoring and agonizing over the reactions to his first Broadway play...And though Lapine's overlong script could use some editing, and some of the myriad supporting performances feel under-realized, his 'Act One,' which opened Thursday night, remains a warm and stimulating summation of the romance of the theater and the satisfactions of pleasing an audience.
Fans of ‘Act One’ will be cruelly let down by stage version
5 / 10
You can't fault the likable cast, led by Santino Fontana ('Cinderella') as the young Hart, while Tony Shalhoub plays him as a middle-aged man reflecting back on his adventures. But splitting the part creates unnecessary distractions, especially since Shalhoub also plays Hart's father and his co-writer. He's highly amusing as the kooky, nitpicking Kaufman, but this doesn't take us far. And the invaluable Andrea Martin is underused despite handling three (small) roles, including Hart's eccentric, stage-crazed Aunt Kate.
Act One History
Other Productions of Act One
| 2014 | Broadway |
Lincoln Center Production Broadway |
Act One - 2014 Broadway Awards and Nominations
| 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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