ENRON the Play Starring Norbert Leo Butz, Stephen Kunken and Marin Mazzie

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It deserved a better fate. Butz has no luck. First this than Catch Me and than Big Fish.

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Has no luck re a show he is in being a hit and not closing prematurely.

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I saw it as well and it's probably one of the weirdest and most interesting things I've ever seen.

Opinion on the U.S. production was very mixed. With the exception of a few inspired moments, I thought it was dreadful, and the audience at my performance seemed to have a similar reaction. Of course, it's possible the London production was better. Or maybe London audiences brought a different sensibility.

I saw it and mostly hated it. It was weird in a bad way. Just a big mess thrown up on stage.

I remember:

Norbert running on a treadmill

Marin simulating giving a blow job and then grabbing a kleenex to wipe around her mouth

Stephen Kunken hanging with velociraptors

The ensemble singing a song about the stock exchange (maybe some lyrics about the price of gold?)

A projection of the plane and Twin Towers falling, accompanied with plaster and debris falling on the cast from above the stage till it was filled with dust and rubble. (This seemed to make some in the audience very uncomfortable.)

I felt a sense of British arrogance that possibly made it go over better in London.

What I remember most was that there was a group of four people in the back of the orchestra who, it was later learned, had a rotten dinner and had food poisoning. They were throwing up and the start of the show was delayed for a long time. It was then a running joke with my friends for a while that Enron would make you sick to your stomach.

The only positive thing I can say about the show was that it was ambitious, but it completely missed the mark for me.

The score was nominated in the Best Score category, along with Fences; the only two musicals with original scores were Memphis and Fences.

Edit: Roscoe, How could I forget that lightsaber ballet!!

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Updated On: 6/25/14 at 12:32 PM

Mr Roxy...

"Has no luck re a show he is in being a hit and not closing prematurely."

Because Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (also Best Actor in Musical) only lasted a few years on Broadway.

Updated On: 6/25/14 at 02:05 PM

I saw it as well and thought it was quite fantastic. But it was very experimental, I think one of the more experimental things I've seen on Broadway in recent years, I think if it had been off-Broadway at a place like the Public or NYTW it would have sold out and would have been very buzzy...But, they needed a big house for the scope of the production design and set, it wouldn't have worked well without such boldness in that area. Butz was great and so was Kunken, but the biggest standout for me was Greg Itzin as Lay...wish he'd do theater more often.

Such a strange play. I remember being quite impressed with Kunken who was rightfully nominated for a Tony.

Yes god forbid us Brits talk about an American subject. I don't think the piece had any arrogance about it all other than the arrogance of the heads of Enron themselves.

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