It was truly remarkable. This is much closer to 'best ever' territory than mediocre or disappointing. Almost everything (can we go for a Chevy pun) is firing on all cylinders at the same time and mostly harmony (except I wonder about one thing, that I'll get to). The physical production is large and fills the entire stage. It is gorgeous and run-down - it is not lost to me THIS is the theatre that housed the original production of Follies, and what is on stage in play form feels like whatever superlative we'd use for a show of this kind of status and this production a superlative version of it. It's lavish, cool, somehow both retro and modern, and the energy is an unhinged darkness, especially with the tone of Laurie Metcalf's performance washing through and over the piece who plays the character in a kind of unhinged emotional mess channelling Alice Ripley in next to normal and Deanna Dunagan in August: Osage County. I'm not saying she 'stole the show' but she almost does, Somehow the show feels like it now is a subtle comment on both the American Dream and the state of the mental health of the country.
Christopher Abbott and Ben Ahlers initially frame the stage with the masculine physical presence, but something is off. In Gen Z terms Happy (Ben) is 'mogging' Biff (Abbott). That feeling when the 'handsome, cool older brother' becomes less handsome, less cool and far less successful than his younger brother. In our modern status obsessed instagram follower influencer society almost the worst crime of all - less than mediocre. It's emphasised expertly using the device of 'young biff' being played by one of the most handsome and attractive young men I've ever seen. I'm quite sure like Aaron Tveit's "Gabe" in next to normal, this is Willy's delusional idea of his perfect son that was never real in the first place, and the effect and contrast between the dream young biff vs cold harsh reality of adult biff is clear.
The music is spare but when it is used, helps create the atmosphere and doesn't have that awkward feeling of music faded in/out that I often feel in plays. Given a weak season, it might actually be nominated for best score.
But of course this is Nathan Lane's show and Nathan Lane's production, in what is no doubt his career best work doing the equivalent of Patti Lupone in Gypsy in a role it feels like he was born to play or even written for him. His voice in particular is unmistakable and I can't think of a single other male example that has so much dynamic range in their speaking voice, can seemingly paint a portrait of a sad, mediocre unremarkable person but command an entire stage and command interest with their one of a kind uniqueness. When Nathan Lane says he is "not well liked" there is so much going on in this one phrase telling us not just the banal simplicity of how Willy sees the world but delivered in the classic Nathan Lane comedic way that tells us even MORE about him. "I'm very well liked in Hartford" he then says seemingly trying to convince himself of the same. No one could make the "stop interrupting" lines so funny and insufferable as Nathan Lane can.
The play is just so, so deep and cuts to the very essence of why life can be so cruel. We can live in the land of opportunity but never realise any of that opportunity, and even if we do we can be left at the end with nothing and with no one.
The ONLY question I'll pose about this production, is it possible that Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf are a little tonally in different shows? There were a couple moments (e.g. SHAKE HIS HANDDDDDDDDD) I wondered if I really did buy that Max Bialystock would marry Diana Goodman. It might just be me!
Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.
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