Act One
Closing: June 15, 2014Act 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
Broadway Review: ‘Act One’ Starring Tony Shalhoub
6 / 10
Moss Hart has a lot to answer for. Just think how many future brain surgeons and rocket scientists were lost, lured to Gotham to pursue a theater career after reading 'Act One,' the eminent Broadway playwright-director's captivating 1959 showbiz autobiography. Still, Hart can't be blamed for the missteps of playwright-director James Lapine in adapting that seminal book. Having learned the tricks of the trade from the great George S. Kaufman, Hart would surely have taken a scalpel to this verbose, unwieldy, overacted production -- but kept the spotlight on winning star turns by Santino Fontana and Tony Shalhoub.
Lapine salutes Moss Hart's first act, affectionately
8 / 10
Lapine's Act One (* * * out of four stars), which opened Thursday at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre, doesn't match the inspired zaniness that was Hart's ideal and trademark -- but its creator doesn't seem to be going for that. The new Broadway production is rather an appreciation, most notable for its deep affection and almost deferential reverence. To say the play lacks the complex poignance of the Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods librettist's best work wouldn't be fair; however wry Hart's humor or complicated his relationships -- with show business, his family, other people -- his Act One is a nostalgic and ultimately upbeat reflection on fulfilling a dream.
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Act One History
Other Productions of Act One
| 2014 | Broadway |
Lincoln Center Production Broadway |
Act One - 2014 Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Play | James Lapine |
| 2014 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Play | Dan Moses Schreier |
| 2014 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Tony Shalhoub |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Tony Shalhoub |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Andrea Martin |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Act One |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical) | Beowulf Boritt |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Jane Greenwood |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Tony Shalhoub |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | James Lapine |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Lincoln Center Theater |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Andre Bishop |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Adam Siegel |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Hattie K. Jutagir |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Beowulf Boritt |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Dan Moses Schreier |
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