In the play, what happens when emotions come in conflict with principles, and how do choices under pressure define who we really are? The lobby of a Manhattan apartment building is much more than a waiting area for four New Yorkers involved in a murder investigation. It’s a testing ground for what happens when personal and professional personas find themselves at odds. A young security guard with big ambitions clashes with his stern boss, an intense rookie cop and her unpredictable partner in a play from the 2017 Oscar-winning writer of Manchester by the Sea.
Second Stage's Broadway revival of Kenneth Lonergan's tonally mercurial 2001 play, directed by Trip Cullman, uses Cera's ineffectual persona to deft comic effect, even as it smartly explores weighty questions of spinelessness and courage.
Under Trip Cullman's direction the acting is mostly extraordinary. Michael Cera is doing his typical high-voiced friendly slacker thing and Powley is feisty, though her role is less fully written than the others. Henry is a standout, with his sturdy physicality and his easy authority. He shows William's helpless determination to make the right call and the ways that his choices undermine his sense of self. Evans is a surprise, much more than an action hero trying to prove that he's still got it. His Bill, a fine cop and a lousy human, is a monster you can often empathize with.
2001 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2001 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2018 | Broadway |
Second Stage Theater Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Brian Tyree Henry |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Chris Evans |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Brian Tyree Henry |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Lobby Hero |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Lobby Hero |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Michael Cera |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Brian Tyree Henry |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Lobby Hero |
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