MARJORIE PRIME Previews

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 12:00am

It’s Prime time at the Helen Hayes Theatre.

Jordan Harrison’s play Marjorie Prime gets set for its Broadway premiere; the sci-fi-tinged work ran Off-Broadway in 2015 and was adapted into a 2017 film. Directed by Anne Kauffman, Marjorie Prime stars June Squibb, Danny Burstein, Christopher Lowell, and Cynthia Nixon. Previews start tomorrow (November 20) before a December 8 opening night, and it will run until February 15.

“What would you say to someone you lost, if you could see them again? What if they’re a better listener now than when they were alive? Pulitzer Prize finalist Jordan Harrison reinvents the family drama in his richly spare, wryly funny, and powerful Marjorie Prime, directed by Tony Award nominee Anne Kauffman. A heart-achingly beautiful rumination on aging and artificial intelligence, memory and mortality, love and legacy, Marjorie Prime examines the blurred line between a life lived and a life remembered.”

Who’s going?

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 12:18am

Curious who June Squibbs standby/understudy is

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 12:28am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Curious who June Squibbs standby/understudy is"

Barbara Kingsley (of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY), per IBDB. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/20/25 at 3:19pm

TodayTix says the running time is 90 minutes, no intermission. 

Can't wait to hear how tonight goes!

[rburton66]

Posted: 11/20/25 at 10:13pm

I was there for the first preview tonight and the cast is just electric. June Squibb, Cynthia Nixon and Danny Burstein all have moments that’ll be seared into my mind, and I can only imagine their performances will sharpen up and cut to the bone even deeper after another week or two. Christopher Lowell doesn’t get anything close to an equal amount of material to work with, but he’s awfully nice to look at.

 

I’ll be curious about Tony placements for everyone, but June Squibb has my full support no matter where she is. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/20/25 at 10:41pm

The play I most want to see this season. The original production was exquisite, featuring a legendary treasure, the towering Lois Smith. Casting Squib seems an equally brilliant stroke, and it's interesting that she's at least a decade older than the character (unless Harrison has made adjustments). Curious to hear how Squib navigates the role's challenges (no spoilers), her signature earthiness and brusque non-nonsense gravitas seem ideal. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/20/25 at 10:45pm

I really enjoyed this. The play itself is solid, and probably more than that, but mostly what I came away with was how good the acting was. That's where my focus was. It's likely obvious by now, but there were moments watching Nixon when I was just sitting there thinking, "She is SUCH a good actress." But Squibb and Burstein were also excellent. (Lowell is capable but simply had less to do and none of the moments the others do.)

The last few months I've seen a lot of shows I haven't enjoyed all that much. But this? This was great. I would love to go back.

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/20/25 at 11:15pm

I’m going on Sunday and have been sold since they announced the cast because it’s all heavyweights and I’m glad to hear most of them get their moment. Even if Lowell gets the short shrift, I know he’s a great performer and was an underrated standout in CULT OF LOVE last year.

[Flowerlovestage5]

Posted: 11/21/25 at 3:47am

Can’t wait for this 

Updated On: 11/23/25 at 03:47 AM

[laaa la la la la la laaa]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 2:52pm

For those who have seen this, what time has it been ending?

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 3:24pm

laaa la la la la la laaa said: "For those who have seen this, what time has it been ending?"

It ended at 9:30 exactly last night.

[laaa la la la la la laaa]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 4:08pm

Thank you!

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 4:37pm

90 minutes is right. Ushers were saying 85 min this afternoon but with the late start, bows were at 3:29 so probably done by 3:30.

There was also a brief talkback with Harrison and Kauffman this afternoon. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 5:34pm

The actresses in plays this year simply did NOT come to play when it comes to craft and creating full-bodied human characters. It’s a quick 85-90 minutes, but you are locked in from the jump.

Squibb gets her shining moments to be the sassy grandma we know and love before going into some painful territory as she comes to grips with her dementia and the conflict between what’s left of her natural memory versus the artificially preserved memories that, slight spoiler, have some curation to them to avoid potentially upsetting her. Nixon is a formidable scene partner for Squibb and plays the put-upon daughter coping with emotional neglect with aplomb as she slowly peels away to show the hurt that shaped her relationship with her mother.

Burstein is absolutely warm and amiable and I would expect nothing less, which makes his major final scene with Cynthia toward the end absolutely shattering and that was the moment that finally broke me. Lowell fits in perfectly with this cast and, while he isn’t so much a character as a plot device, I disagree that he doesn’t get his own star moment, which comes in the final scene of the show with the two ladies.

I do have one quibble with the script:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I wish there was slightly more of an elaboration as to what happened to the son (unseen) that led him to suicide at such a young age, and the implication that he killed the family puppy. I understand that Harrison likely did this on purpose to keep with the themes of selective and fragmented collective memory in families, but it seemed a bit of a throwaway at times. 

Maybe I’ll think about it when I see it again.

Alzheimer’s/dementia dramas can definitely feel played out and capitalize on being tearjerkers, but this one is truly a marvelously layered piece and there’s a reason why it was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Don’t rob yourself an opportunity to go see this.

STAGE DOOR: Since someone will ask - Cynthia Nixon signed for us all. Christopher Lowell wanted to but his elderly relative was in attendance and so he wanted to get her home safely. (So, likely in the future). Squibb came out, blew kisses, and waved, but did not sign (and if you were expecting her to, you’re a damn fool), and Burstein did not appear. 

[Kad]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 6:07pm

A cursory bit of research suggests that Squibb is now the oldest performer to ever appear on Broadway- and it seems like she’s just as wonderful as ever. 

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 11/23/25 at 6:56pm

Having seen this twice before when it hit the regional circuit pretty hard, I just don't see the need to see another production of this play...does anyone know if there have been any revisions to the text?

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 12:14am

Falsettolands said: "Having seen this twice before when it hit the regional circuit pretty hard, I just don't see the need to see another production of this play...does anyone know if there have been any revisions to the text?"

the reason to see this is June Squibb make Broadway history

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 7:25am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Falsettolands said: "Having seen this twice before when it hit the regional circuit pretty hard, I just don't see the need to see another production of this play...does anyone know if there have been any revisions to the text?"

the reason to see this is June Squibb make Broadway history"

96, amazing, right? Maybe one day we’ll have a President that age.

My review of "Marjorie Prime" at 2nd Stage:

"Marjorie Prime" singleticket's substack

Updated On: 11/24/25 at 07:25 AM

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 8:32am

June Squibb definitely makes it worth seeing. She turns out an incredible performance that better be remembered come Tony time.

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 9:15am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Falsettolands said: "Having seen this twice before when it hit the regional circuit pretty hard, I just don't see the need to see another production of this play...does anyone know if there have been any revisions to the text?"

the reason to see this is June Squibb make Broadway history"

Exactly. And never once did she call for a line and kept her comedic chops and dramatic beats in perfect synchronicity with the rest of the ensemble. She even has this one hilarious moment during the show where she is:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Singing Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) to herself, but loud enough to be heard by Cynthia and Danny (in character). The minute she started singing it, the audience was HOWLING.

 

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 11:35am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Falsettolands said: "Having seen this twice before when it hit the regional circuit pretty hard, I just don't see the need to see another production of this play...does anyone know if there have been any revisions to the text?"

the reason to see this is June Squibb make Broadway history"

I understand that, but I guess that just isn't enough for me to want to see this script again. does anyone know if there have been any revisions to the text?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 12:03pm

I haven’t seen this revival yet, but - seeing as it’s a lauded, Pulitzer-nominated text - I can’t imagine they would have made any alterations to it that would merit another viewing just based on those changes alone. If seeing June Squibb isn’t reason enough, it sounds like you’re not the audience for it, Falsettolands.

[lastmidnights]

Posted: 11/24/25 at 6:37pm

Saw this the other day. Went in completely blind (I didn't even remember it was nominated for a Pulitzer) and was astonished. I agree with everything that's been said here, but I feel like not enough praise has been given to Danny Burstein. I could easily see him winning a Tony for this. This is the best work I have ever seen from him on stage, which is saying a lot for someone with his resume. Nixon and Squibb are also at the top of their game. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 11/26/25 at 11:09pm

I saw this downtown in 2015 with Lois Smith, Stephen Root and Lisa Emery. I liked it and the impressive performances. If I saw the movie, I dont remember it.

i dont know if its my own fading memory or just the quality/freshness of this production, but aside from the initial concept that i knew going in, this felt like a totally new play for me. its gentle and powerful and is non-flashy without ever being boring. a truly solid 90 minutes.

i genuinely find it hard to believe June Squibb is 96 years old. i think Lois Smith did "more" with the character--Squibb is adorable, charismatic, not much more than that--but its a true delight watching this icon almost casually perform at least 45 minutes of dialogue. shes perfectly cast and doing a fantastic job. 

i agree that burstein is giving the deepest, most complex performance here. i liked nixon more than i thought she would---she always seems to be playing another version of Miranda to me, sometimes in period costumes, but THIS version of Miranda makes alot of sense, and her character makes more sense than I remember Emery's did. She also looks beautiful in the wig they have her in, fwiw.  And dont sleep on Lowell- its a tricky role, and he more than lands it.

surprised to see some empty seats in the mezzanine, and felt the audience response was warm but reserved (squibb got entrance applause she seemed surprised by, nixon seemed irritated by hers). we were dead center row D of the mezzanine and the view was perfect--though the mezzanine at the Hayes always seems a bit far back, while the orchestra has to contend with a very high stage. 

recommended.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/2/25 at 7:27pm