Lombardi, a new American play from Academy Award-winning playwright Eric Simonson, is based on the best-selling Vince Lombardi biography “When Pride Still Mattered”, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss.
Sport produces great human drama and there is no greater sports icon to bring to theatrical life than a man recognized not only as one of the greatest coaches of all time, but one of the most compelling and oft-quoted individuals in American pop culture in the 20th century. Though football’s Super Bowl trophy is named for him, so few know the real story of Vince Lombardi the man – his inspiration, his passion, and ability to drive people to achieve what they never thought possible. In a time when people continue to look for shortcuts to success, his story demonstrates that hard work, discipline, respect and time are the crucial elements to victory.
Mr. Lauria, whom TV viewers will remember from 'The Wonder Years,' knows a dream part when he sees one, and makes the most of this one. He plays Mr. Lombardi like a warmer but comparably tough version of George C. Scott's Patton, and lurking beneath the buzzsaw bluster of his win-or-else tirades is a stealthy note of Pattonesque desperation, the fear that he'll blow his last chance to make it as a head coach. Indeed, I was startled by the cinder-dark passion with which Mr. Lauria assures Keith Nobbs, the geeky reporter-interlocutor who narrates 'Lombardi,' that he'd 'just as soon die' as watch the Packers slip back into second place. I believed it, and so will you.
There is probably a built-in audience for 'Lombardi,' the by-the-numbers biographical play that marks the National Football League's debut as a Broadway co-producer. That niche had better be a big one. For someone not previously enthralled with Vince Lombardi's famous winning streak as coach of the Green Bay Packers in the '60s, the only compelling part of Eric Simonson's untheatrical script is the mystery of what it's doing on Broadway.
| 2010 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Play | Judith Light |
| 2011 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Judith Light |
| 2011 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Set Design | David Korins |
| 2011 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Set Design | Zachary Boroway |
| 2011 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Judith Light |
| 2011 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Judith Light |
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