IRENA'S VOW Reviews

Well, hello there, and welcome to another REVIEWS Thread!

Today, is Sunday, March the 29th, and it also marks the official opening night performance of The Directors Company production of IRENA'S VOW! The inaugural production, which played an extended engagement at the Baruch Performing Arts Center last fall, officially opens tonight at its new home, the Walter Kerr Theatre! Written by Dan Gordon, the play began preview performances on March 10th, under the direction of Michael Parva.

The company includes Sandi Carroll, Tracee Chimo, Tovah Feldshuh, Steven Hauck, Scott Klavan, Peter Reznikoff, Thomas Ryan, Gene Silvers, John Stanisci and Maja Wampuszyc, all reprising their work from the original Off-Broadway mounting.

Irena's Vow, according to the producers, "is the uplifting true story about one of the most courageous and unsung heroines of World War II. During the German occupation of Poland, Irena Gut Opdyke (Feldshuh), a Polish Catholic, was forced to work as head housekeeper for a very prominent Nazi major. Over a two year period of service, Irena would risk her own life in order to save the lives of twelve Jewish refugees whom she secretly took under her care. Irena's Vow is the extraordinary story of one woman's choice and the twelve lives that would ultimately be saved ? or lost ? by her decision."

My best to all involved!

Well I've been a vocal supporter of this show, and I truly wish the cast and crew a wonderful opening. I hope Tovah receives across the board gushy love letters tonight!

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I hope this show gets the review... it deserves. I'm expecting a rave from Word-of-Mouth at least...

Everyone else is tough to call

It's a great story, and Tovah's performance is definitely worth seeing. I personally didn't enjoy the play itself much, but I wish them all the best.

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Loved this play and its breathtaking leading performance. Wish them the best...

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Best of luck to Ms. Feldshuh and the rest of the cast and crew. I saw the show yesterday, and I must say this: Ms. Feldshuh is not magnificent. She is magnificence.

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Yes.

Isherwood will be reviewing it.

This is my favorite quote from the Variety review:

As is often the case in Holocaust drama, the text is not averse to moral hectoring. "You are the last generation who will hear from a living witness to the Holocaust," Irena tells us. "You have a responsibility ... every time you meet hatred, you must stand up against it." Every time you meet bad playwriting, too.

Congrats to Tovah. I wonder if this will be her Tony-winning role.

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"You are the last generation who will hear from a living witness to the Holocaust," Irena tells us. "You have a responsibility ... every time you meet hatred, you must stand up against it."

I would be ashamed, as a playwright, to have such sentimental pedestrian sludge in my play. I mean, its a nice message, but SHOW me, don't tell me.

Come on Dan Gordon, you should know better.

2 stars from USA Today:

"There is at least one reason to be grateful that Irena's Vow (* * out of four) has arrived on Broadway: After this production, it's doubtful that anyone will be itching to produce a stage adaptation of Schindler's List...

Gordon reduces Opdyke's tale to a clumsy, at times cartoonish, melodrama that largely wastes the talents of leading lady Tovah Feldshuh."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/reviews/2009-03-29-irenas-vow_N.htm

Talkin Broadway:

"Feldshuh makes the potentially unmemorable Irena?s Vow into a truly unforgettable fusion of character and charisma - an event of the kind we can never see too often. It?s easy to see why this show enjoyed a much-extended Off-Broadway run at the Baruch Performing Arts Center earlier this season, and it would be unsurprising - and unconcerning - if it repeated that feat on Broadway. Irena and Feldshuh deserve and demand nothing less."

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/IrenaVow.html

This play wouldn't even be eligible for the Pulitzer, would it?

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The Word of Mouth panelists were moved by the play and were flattened by Ms. Feldshuh's performance. In fact, one of them said this show needs to be recorded.

http://www.broadway.com/Irena-s-Vow/broadway_reviews/5024159

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