Act One 2014 - Articles Page 1.8
Opened: April 17, 2014Closing: June 15, 2014
Act One - 2014 - Broadway History , Info & More
Vivian Beaumont Theatre (Broadway)
150 West 65th St. at Broadway New York, NY 10023
When the playwright and director, Moss Hart, published his autobiography, "Act One," in 1959 it was a sensation, filled with vivid recollections of colorful characters, especially Hart's first great collaborator, the brilliant George S. Kaufman.
The book gave a fascinating insider's view of how a show really gets to the stage. Many people feel it has never been bettered. "Act One" was more than just a Broadway tale, though. It was a bestseller for almost a year, topping the New York Times list for 41 weeks. Why would this story of the playwright and director's early years be so wildly and widely popular?
We think it's because "Act One" is not just the ultimate valentine to the theater. It is also a Dickensian story of a young immigrant and his family, struggling to escape poverty in the early 20th century. From tenements to glamorous townhouses, from Buffalo stages to Catskills summer camps, and finally to the Broadway of his dreams, Hart's masterful telling captures the hope, misery and comedy of the climb, but also the glee of making it - because he did! A classic New York story.
Now, almost 75 years after Moss Hart's first Broadway success, James Lapine (who knows a thing or two about collaboration from his many shows written with Stephen Sondheim) brings ACT ONE to the stage. He has written and directs this world premiere production at the Beaumont. Tony Shalhoub, playing both George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart as an adult, is familiar to LCT audiences as the father in Golden Boy for which he was nominated for a Tony Award last season. Santino Fontana (the Tony-nominated prince in Broadway's Cinderella) portrays Mr. Hart as a young man. Andrea Martin (Tony winner for her spectacular turn as Berthe in Pippin, and also for LCT's My Favorite Year) plays Aunt Kate, a pivotal figure in Hart's early life.
Act One - 2014 - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Act One
First Nighter: Moss Hart's "Act One" in Two Great, Big Acts
7 / 10
When theater veteran Moss Hart published his bestselling Act One in 1959, he packed a lot into it about his impoverished childhood and neophyte playwriting years with the already famous, successful and legendarily acerbic George S. Kaufman. James Lapine, who's adapted the chockfull memoir at the Vivian Beaumont, packs just as much into it--and what can seem like even more--on Beowulf Boritt's magnificent three-story revolving set.
‘Act One,’ theater review
6 / 10
Even though 'Act One' could use pruning, there's something missing: It never reveals what made Hart special. Story structure? Colorful characters? Snappy dialogue? The basic fact should be the starting point, but it's missing in action here.
Category
21 - 24 of 24
Act One FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What productions of Act One have there been?
Act One has had 1 productions including Broadway which opened in 2014.
What Tony Awards has Act One been nominated for?
Act One has been nominated for Best Play, Best Costume Design of a Play for Jane Greenwood, Best Scenic Design of a Play for Beowulf Boritt, and Best Sound Design of a Play for Dan Moses Schreier.
What Tony Awards has Act One won?
Act One has won the Tony Awards for Best Costume Design of a Play for Jane Greenwood, Best Scenic Design of a Play for Beowulf Boritt, and Best Sound Design of a Play for Dan Moses Schreier.
What awards has Act One been nominated for?
Act One has been nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Sound Design in a Play at the Drama Desk Awards for Dan Moses Schreier, Distinguished Performance Award at the Drama League Awards for Tony Shalhoub, Outstanding New Broadway Play at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Act One, and Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical) at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Beowulf Boritt.
Videos
