SYLVIA Previews and Reviews

Anyone gonna be there? It's one of my favorite plays so I hope to hear great things!

Updated On: 10/27/15 at 01:13 AM

Going on Monday!

I will be there tomorrow night!!

I was at the first preview this evening and overall the actors outshone the text, which is light, fluffy and slight as it gets. With a run time of 2:35 slight quickly can turn into tedious; I swear I saw a production of this years ago that was 90/100 minutes with no intermission. The website said it would be 2 hours with an intermission, but it really was dragging tonight. It's not even that Ashford's bits went on for too long- some of the scenes just felt superfluous (the psychiatrist scene in particular) and how many times could we see the same arguments play out with Kate (White) getting angry that Sylvia was on the couch?

Still, Ashford is often a delight as Sylvia and anyone who is a dog (or animal) lover will struggle to not to find her portrayal endearing. It's a very physical role with plenty of sight gags and humorous facial expressions. Broderick is the best he's been in years; I actually had the sense that he was having fun up there and that's something that's been missing from his recent performances.

White has the most challenging role because on paper she's a shrewish bitch that wants to get rid of a cute dog. I mean, is there an easier to character to hate? Luckily White works her usually magic and makes Kate far funnier than she deserves to be.

The problem really is the play, which can be summed up simply as Greg (Broderick) finds a stray dog in Central Park and decides to bring her home, much to the chagrin of his wife. Greg and Sylvia share a deep, emotional connection and he begins transferring his attention and affection once reserved for wife to his new dog. This causes a rift in the relationship, especially when Greg refuses to get ride of Syliva. There's really not much more too it than that.

The set is simple, but pleasant to look at, especially the scenes in Central Park. The colors are warm and welcoming.

I see love letters coming for Ashford and if they can cut down on the run time it will greatly improve matters. There were plenty of empty seats so I guess this proving to be a tough sell, even with Broderick attached.

WhizzerMarvin said: "Broderick is the best he's been in years; I actually had the sense that he was having fun up there and that's something that's been missing from his recent performances."

That's good to hear, although I will wait a bit to see if that wears off.

Ripped man: I kind of agree with you regarding the marketing of this show. They seem to be targeting dog lovers only, but the play really could be marketed as a relationship in need of an infusion of spark, in this case a dog. It's not one of my favorite plays but with this cast it's interesting enough fòr me to see. Hopefully to shorten it and consider some marketing changes. Has anyone seen commercial for this show? I've seen a lot of Twitter and I got a letter instead of the usual postcard but that's about it.

"Broderick is the best he's been in years; I actually had the sense that he was having fun up there and that's something that's been missing from his recent performances."

Also glad to hear this. Hope he continues to be lively. It was upsetting to look up to him as a kid, then have my idea of him diminished by seeing him be all lackadaisical in It's Only A Play, Nice Work, Etc.

"Hopefully to shorten it and consider some marketing changes. Has anyone seen commercial for this show? I've seen a lot of Twitter and I got a letter instead of the usual postcard but that's about it."

I think I do remember a TV commercial. I think it was selling the show mainly on the actors.

The only negative comment pertained to the length of the show. Let's hope they cut some scenes to tighten it up. The writing is the writing so hopefully the actors can carry it enough to make it enjoyable rather than tedious.

RippedMan, I agree that the marketing efforts have thus far been a big zero. The "dog stuff" might very well read poorly on the page, but that is the strongest aspect of the play. The play is SO slight that it should be treated simply as a star vehicle for Ashford whose antics are the main reason to show up.

jbm, thanks! Check your PMs :)

Jordan, Sella was very funny, especially as White's UES social maven friend. His/her interactions with Sylvia were a riot and damn near stopped the show. The psychiatrist was the weakest of his three characterizations, but I blame the writing more than his performance.

Interesting they made it a man. In the script it's a woman friend of White's. Guess they were trying to cut the budget some?

And yeah, I think there is an interesting idea there about relationships and almost like Broderick is having an affair or something. But the marketing makes it seem like a cute/fun rom-com. And why not pimp out the people involved in the show? The marquee is so.... terrible? The logo is cute, but from far away it's hard to read any of it.

I was able to snag a last minute ticket for last night's show when my plans suddenly changed. The orchestra section was completely filled but cannot say about the mezz or balcony.

The running time was 2:20, so looks like they trimmed it based on Whizzer's previous review. It probably could still cut at least another 10-15. The beginning of the play is a complete delight as Ashford and Broderick perform a lot of physical comedy and Ashford has some great moments as Sylvia. She plays it with such charm and full out physicality.

Along the way, I found myself longing for some more substance to the story. As Whizzer commented on, the story is thin and if there was just another twist or element involved, it would have made the play so much more. The acting was in top form for an early preview. All cast members were great in their roles, I just wish they had more to work with. There were some great moments of comedy and poignancy and they were performed with great enthusiasm and heart.

Kudos to Ashford for commanding such a physically demanding role and to both her and Broderick for great chemistry in the portrayal of a man and his beloved dog. Sella was outstanding in his trifecta of characters and White was successful at portraying the bad guy with a heart.

All and all, a light enjoyable play worth seeing.

Huh? I'm assuming he doesn't play it as a man? So then, why would the playwright write it with different genders to only have it played by one actor?