From grunge to femme punk hits, Abby (Marisa Tomei) and Gus have produced it all. Their work marriage is legendary and Gus has the platinum records to prove it. But when Katherine, a fresh A&R hire, calls Abby out on the compromises she’s made in her work union, Abby must face the music and fight to survive.
In any case, if the play’s point is unclear, the production has its pleasure, not least seeing Marisa Tomei on stage express an impressive range of emotions, from ecstasy to fury to resignation and regret to… rock n roll. She and Gracie McGraw dance to snippets of original rock music composed for the production by the group BETTY.
Director Scott Elliott fails to make the proceedings fully coherent, and such stylistic devices as having actors silently remain onstage even when their characters are not in the scene simply feel pretentious. The performers struggle with their underwritten roles; Howard, playing Gus with suitable bluster, feels miscast, the actor’s natural likability at odds with his character’s piggishness. Tomei fares the best, conveying her character’s emotional and physical travails with intensity and humor. But it’s not enough to prevent Babe from feeling schematic in its #MeToo movement themes.
| 2024 | Off-Broadway |
The New Group New York Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
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