An Exciting Play Season

[esparza 333]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 1:28pm

It is clear that musicals bring spectacle to broadway but people seem to ignore the fact of how brilliant and enchanting plays can be. We experienced a whole lot of brilliance with August; Osage County this past season and this year is really building up to be an exciting year in plays. We have the thrilling and haunting Equus which powerful performances by Griffiths and Radcliffe. We also have Frank Langella returning in A Man For All Seasons where he is showing his usual brilliance. We have a wonderful Mamet play Speed The Plow starring hardworking stage and screen thespians Piven, Esparza and Moss. We have Miller's All My Son with a stunning cast including Wiest and Lithgow. We have many other plays coming and these are just a few example of the wonderful year we have. It has been a long time since broadway has had such an exciting and hyped year in plays with Phenomenal Actors, Genius Playwrights and incredible directors. So this thread is for the stunning works that will unfold on broadway this season.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 1:42pm

Last season - Stoppard, Sorkin, McPherson, Twain/Ives, Letts in his triumphant Broadway debut, Pinter, a new Mamet, 2 Shakespeares, Rebeck, Rostand/Burgess, Odets, Shaw; with actors like Patrick Stewart, Nathan Lane, Morgan Freeman, Claire Danes, Jim Norton, Kevin Kline...

This year isn't too shabby - two by Mamet, Shaffer, Bolt, Chekov, Miller, a new 19 year old play by Horton Foote, Ibsen, Greenberg, but it in no way holds a candle to last year.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 2:13pm

This season will definitely be dominated by plays - I have seen and *loved* Equus, All My Sons, and The Seagull so far. Looking forward to Dividing the Estate.

[njohn]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 9:07pm

I agree esparza. It's going to be an exciting season for plays.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 9:39pm

Its an exciting season for revivals of plays.

We might not even have enough new plays to fill the Best Play category this year. (reasons to be pretty, Impressionism, To Be or Not to Be) depending on whether or not "Dividing the Estate" is counted as a new play (which, for the record, it should not be. Do we count revised musicals as new musicals?)

I'm pumped about these revivals, but I really wish we were seeing some new material.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 9:47pm

I expect REASONS TO BE PRETTY to win Best Play and featured actress (longtime coming for Alison Pill). Not only is LaBute a critic and audience darling, but it's easily his best (and most acclaimed) play since THE SHAPE OF THINGS.

DIVING THE ESTATE is, for all intents and purposes, a new play. It's first NY production was by Primary Stages last year, despite having been staged once 20 years ago.

If the Public moves BOUNCE, or whatever it's called now, to Broadway, that'll be ruled as a new musical, despite having been seen many times before.

[RWilliamsCenterStg]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 9:57pm

Don't forget about Farragut North. I keep hearing that it will be making a transfer in the spring from the Atlantic.

-Reba

[njohn]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 10:10pm

^
Hopes that comes true, Reba. It'll be great to see John Gallagher Jr. again on Broadway.
Updated On: 9/28/08 at 10:10 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 11:39pm

It's an exciting season for play REVIVALS, in my opinion.

New plays however...well...there's kinda slim pickin's but I agree that REASONS TO BE PRETTY will probably win the Tony.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 11:56pm

Speaking of Atlantic, they also have Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan coming up. It's not exactly new or even new to New York, but should it fare well at Atlantic this winter, I'd bet it would make a move to Broadway. And a case could be made for it as a new play for Tony consideration, since it has never been on Broadway, is not considered a contemporary classic and is not a transfer of the Public production.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:03am

I am looking forward to Cripple immensely. Love McDonagh and love the piece.

[BroadwayBoy2]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:05am

When did "reasons..." announce its opening?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 7:14am

The week before it closed at the Lortel, they announced it would be opening in Spring, 2009.