The Front Page will star Nathan Lane as Walter Burns, John Slattery as Hildy Johnson, John Goodman as Sheriff Hartman, Jefferson Mays as Bensinger, Holland Taylor as Mrs. Grant, and Sherie Rene Scott as Mollie Malloy, with additional casting to be announced.
The show is set in the press room of Chicago's Criminal Courts Building which is buzzing with reporters covering the story of an escaped prisoner. When star reporter Hildy Johnson (Slattery) accidentally discovers the runaway convict, he and his editor Walter Burns (Lane) conspire to hide the man from the other reporters, while they chase the biggest scoop of their careers.
Look, we're all depressed this election year. We're sick of seeing know-nothing politicians; of hearing obscene language insulting women and minorities; and we're disgusted by the media's bottomless appetite for sensationalism. The only antidote I can suggest for this national malaise is a visit to the Broadhurst Theatre to see the 5,000-volt revival of The Front Page. What's it about? Oh, all that stuff I just mentioned-but whipped into a hellacious comic frenzy by one of the best acting ensembles you and I may ever see. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's 1928 evisceration of the newspaper racket is a summit of American screwball comedy, and Nathan Lane, John Slattery and two dozen other actors climb it and plant their flag. It's strange to feel so invigorated and refreshed by a spectacle of rampant cynicism in which love, truth and loyalty are systematically demolished. But see this brutally brilliant masterpiece, and you'll be inoculated against the viciousness of the world.
Jack O'Brien's lively and lavish production holds nothing back in terms of busy movement and broad comedy, but the three-act play does not hold up so well by today's standards, containing fewer one-liners and much more exposition than you'd expect from a comedy. I often found myself admiring the production but unable to enjoy it. Slattery is an ideal Hildy, with a cool and unfazed aura. Lane steals the final third of the show with an over-the-top performance with shades of Max Bialystock (his shifty and shameless character from 'The Producers). Goodman is loud, but strangely ineffective, relying heavily on a country accent.
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1946 | Broadway |
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Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Play | Ann Roth |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Nathan Lane |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | The Front Page |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Set Design for a Play | Douglas W. Schmidt |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Jack O'Brien |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Nathan Lane |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | The Front Page |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical) | Douglas W. Schmidt |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Nathan Lane |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Douglas W. Schmidt |
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