This deeply moving, insightful piece is about connection, memories, and the small moments that can change the course of our lives. Over one fateful summer, an unlikely friendship develops between Diana, a fiercely iconoclastic artist and single mom, and Alice, a free-spirited yet naive young housewife. As the Bicentennial is celebrated across the country, these two young women in Ohio navigate motherhood, ambition, and intimacy, and help each other discover their own independence. Directing is Tony winner Daniel Sullivan.
But Linney and Hecht’s confident, vulnerable-lite performances are the reasons to come, and the two stage veterans embrace the audience with their affable warmth and charm. They, too, find variations in their similarities— when both are seated, with their legs crossed and hands folded on their laps, notice how differently they enact these simple positions. It’s not a rollercoaster of emotion, but Summer, 1976 builds up to a moving statement on the passage of time and those who come across our voyages, however quickly or unexpectedly, that caught me off-guard. The production effectively captures the bittersweet ennui of summer, and makes for a gentle, lightly stirring Saturday afternoon.
Under the direction of Daniel Sullivan, Linney and Hecht deliver commanding performances in sharply different ways. Linney exudes steely confidence with a dash of haughty arrogance as Diana — perhaps masking insecurities over the humble trajectory of her own career. Meanwhile, Hecht's wide smile and easy-breezy tone disguise issues at home that Annie may not have the strength to acknowledge. Again, people are not just one thing.
Digital Rush
Price: $43
Where: On the Today Tix app.
When: Released on a first-come, first-served basis every performance day at 9 AM.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Subject to availability.
Student Rush
Price: $30
Where: Samuel J. Friedman box office
When: Student rush tickets are available at the box office on the day of the show when the box office opens.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Payable by cash or credit card and available to students with an ID from a degree or diploma-granting institution. Subject to availability.
2023 | Broadway |
Manhattan Theatre Club World Premiere Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Laura Linney |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Play | Summer, 1976 |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Summer, 1976 |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Jessica Hecht |
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