Shining City Reviews — Page 2

The Star Ledger's Michael Sommers is a Rave...

An artful, absorbing new drama about two men deeply haunted by their actions, "Shining City" arrived yesterday at the Biltmore Theatre. Previously a hit at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2004, Irish author Conor McPherson's latest play is premiered here by Manhattan Theatre Club in a smartly acted and designed production.
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Exquisite acting by Brían F. O'Byrne and Oliver Platt in their respective roles as Ian and John make the most of McPherson's compelling words.

An intent listener, O'Byrne depicts the therapist with a confident, reassuring, professional manner, which markedly contrasts against the character's sense of painful loneliness in his personal struggles.

Portraying John as a good-natured lug who's thoughtlessly gotten snarled in a horrible mid-life crisis, Platt blubbers away with a genuine sense of heartbreak.

Martha Plimpton's fearful, angry Neasa and Peter Scanavino's simple-minded but empathetic hustler are other vivid turns.

Having developed these honest performances, director Robert Falls situates them in designer Santo Loquasto's solid yet ever-so-slightly foreboding environs for Ian's high-ceilinged office in a Victorian building.
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Whether or not viewers believe in ghosts, "Shining City" evokes the unspeakable regrets that everyone harbors in their soul.

Auggie, you're not alone. The Weir definitely didn't do it for me either. I was bored to tears at it. I remember that I was on the verge of falling asleep throughout, but the theatre was freakishly cold.

I'm definitely iffy on seeing Shining City (the initial reports on talkinbroadway were pretty lacklustre), but I suppose I'll have to give it a go now after these reviews. I was kind of looking forward to having a show to cross off my (rather lengthy) list. Oh well.

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Updated On: 5/10/06 at 08:46 AM

Man, I wish I'd been at Dame Edna that afternoon instead of The Weir. Add it to the ever-growing list of bombs my dad picked (we have to humor him every once in a while), up there with A Perfect Crime and Smokey Joe's Cafe. BLECH!

I was saying on some Inishmore thread what a shame it was that they're playing to such dangerously small houses. I realize it's a diffucult sell, and they probably never expected to really sell out the same way in a Broadway house, but still! 30-whatever percent is just sad!!

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I'm very surprised by these reviews. The night I went, half the audience was catatonic by the end of the first scene and the reception at curtain call was tepid at best.