In Life of Pi, sixteen-year-old Pi and his family set off to emigrate from India, but after their ship sinks in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Pi is left stranded on a lifeboat with just four other survivors: a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them, and nature is harsh-who will survive? This highly imaginative theatrical adaptation brings one of the most beloved works of fiction to the stage to tell its epic story of endurance and hope. Written by Lolita Chakrabarti based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martell, Life of Pi is directed by Max Webster.
Still, the kid knows how to spin a terrific yarn. Even Broadway audiences still tickled by the bovine Milky White of Into the Woods and the massive prehistoric creatures of Lincoln Center’s The Skin of Our Teeth will be charmed by the creatures of Pi, courtesy of puppetry and movement director Finn Caldwell and his co-designer Nick Barnes. Same goes for the work of set and costume designer Tim Hatley, video designer Andrzej Goulding, and lighting designer Tim Lutkin (their combined Olivier trophies could capsize a ship of their own). At one point, Pi jumps overboard and is swallowed by the sea/stage, a bit of theatrical trickery no less effective for its simplicity. Still, visual appeal can’t quite wash away a stacked-deck ending, or make a convincing case for the fanciful over the plausible. Deep down, Mr. Okamoto probably agrees.
A pair of extraordinary elements make the new spectacle show “Life of Pi” seaworthy: stunning projections, and a better-than-necessary lead performance from the sensational Hiran Abeysekera. Working in tandem during the second act, when teenage Pi is adrift in the ocean with only dangerous zoo animals to keep him company, those fantastical images and Abeysekera’s boisterous energy create moment after moment of theatrical magic. They are sequences of pure action and ingenuity in director Max Webster’s production that do not rely on dialogue or plot to thrill us, only sheer emotion and awe. Not unlike an “Avatar” film. However, not all of “Pi,” which opened Thursday night on Broadway, packs that same stirring visual punch. The play — adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti from Yann Martel’s novel, previously turned into Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning film — starts off as a fairly straightforward, wonkily written drama that takes a while to kick in
General Rush
Price: $40
Where: Schoenfeld Theatre box office
When: The box office opens at 10 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon on Sunday.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Determined at the discretion of the box office. Subject to daily availability.
Digital Lottery
Price: $45
Where: greyhouselottery.com
When: The lottery is open for entries between midnight and 3 p.m. the day before each performance. Winners are drawn at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and they have five hours to claim and purchase their tickets for the next day's performance.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Subject to availability.
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