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.
Lobby Hero is its inaugural production in the new space. Kenneth Lonergan's 2001 play began life Off-Broadway and it feels slightly under-nourished on a Broadway stage. That's in part down to David Rockwell's design. It puts the single-set lobby on a revolve, but wilts against the splendour of the theatre - also designed by him.
Michael Cera is not a transformational actor. Whether in film or on Broadway in his 2014 debut, 'This Is Our Youth,' he repeatedly embodies the beta male. Nothing wrong with that. Several comic geniuses, from Charlie Chaplin to Woody Allen, present a defined persona over and over again and yet dazzle with their delivery and timing. Kenneth Lonergan's 'Lobby Hero' opened Monday at Second Stage's newly renovated Hayes Theater, and the role of the insecure security guard Jeff fits Cera as tightly as the blue collar and black tie the character wears every night manning the front desk of a large New York apartment building.
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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