THE BALUSTERS Previews

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 3/30/26 at 12:00am

Right at the corner of decorum and disaster.

David Lindsay-Abaire’s newest play The Balusters has its world premiere tomorrow night (March 31) at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The raucous comedy features Marylouise Burke, Kayli Carter, Ricardo Chavira, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Margaret Colin, Michael Esper, Maria-Christina Olivera’s, Anika Noni Rose, Richard Thomas, and Jeena Yi. Opening night is April 21 for a limited run through May 24; Kenny Leon directs. 

“The Vernon Point Neighborhood Association is a passionate bunch, whether squabbling over historically inaccurate porch railings or debating trash can protocol. Still, no one is prepared for the neighbor-versus-neighbor battle royale that ensues when a newcomer to the board suggests the unthinkable: installing a stop sign on the corner of the enclave’s prettiest block.”

Who’s going?

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 3/31/26 at 4:06pm

MTC website lists a running time of 100 minutes with no intermission

[lila12]

Posted: 3/31/26 at 10:33pm

I was there tonight and it was about two hours on the dot per my watch. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/31/26 at 10:36pm

I just wanna know if Carl Clemons-Hopkins looks handsome in his costume and makes use of that soothing yet booming voice of his.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 3/31/26 at 10:45pm

Thrilled Anika is back on Broadway, even if she's not singing. 

[MyMotherIsGeorgeWashington]

Posted: 3/31/26 at 11:37pm

This was such an absolute highlight tonight! It is hilarious and the cast is all around fantastic. David Lindsay-Abaire is such an incredible writer and handles all of the characters immensely. I'm hoping maybe this can be Marylouise Burke's Tony!

[raddersons]

Posted: 4/4/26 at 12:05am

I think the play has a slow start but once it gets going it’s a great ride. There were a few conversations that felt like they here leaning towards “woke culture” satire but it had a purpose and all came together quite nicely in the end. Some jokes had me truly guffawing. Not a groundbreaking work but a great night at the theater.

[bruceway]

Posted: 4/4/26 at 3:13pm

I don't understand why this has a measly one-month run! Made worse by this seasons lack of "fun" plays. Or lack of much of anything for that matter.

[AC126748]

Posted: 4/4/26 at 3:31pm

You can expect an extension into June if the reviews are good and it does well with nominations.

[bruceway]

Posted: 4/4/26 at 10:17pm

Is it one or two acts?

[Harriet Craig]

Posted: 4/5/26 at 10:07am

It’s one act. Last Thursday’s performance started a few minutes after 7:00, ran straight through without intermission, and ended at 8:55.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 11:00pm

I had a fun time with this and I think this will earn itself a nomination for Best Play, but it's definitely not breaking any new ground, and practically all of the plot points are quite predictable.  There will probably be a lot of comparisons to plays like The Minutes and Eureka Day, as this has similar dynamics, but I think I enjoyed this one overall due to the less self-important nature it has.

What the play does well I think is less in the actual story/issues, but more in the interactions between characters and how they relate to each other.  It was just fun watching them snipe at each other in a "wind them up and watch them go" sort of way, and the cast is quite game for all of it.  It did feel like a few of them were still settling into their lines, especially in the early scenes, but overall this was a great ensemble.  It nicely straddles the line between the characters feeling like archetypes while also managing to seem well-rounded and three dimensional.  My main issue is some parts of the play feel a bit mechanical (like A has to happen so we can get to B so that C can happen), but it's still nice to just be a fly on the wall to some petty (and less petty) squabbles.

Also, the unit set is gorgeous, and I really liked some of the costumes (especially all the outfits Anika Noni Rose gets to wear), so I expect it'll pick up a few nominations.  A fun fact from the talkback is that the floor plan of the set is modeled almost exactly off David Lindsay-Abaire's house (though redecorated), and also that he was inspired to write this play since his wife is on the neighborhood board (all of whom are coming to see the play later this month).

[macnyc]

Posted: 4/9/26 at 12:17pm

Just wanted to add to the praise for The Balusters. It's a wry, nuanced look at members of a neighborhood association and thier uneasy alliances. Are they do-gooders or do they each have a hidden agenda? Do they even know for sure? And how do they see themselves? Playwright Lindsay-Abaire proceeds to put human nature under a microscope, with hilarious results. Every single one of the performances is top-notch, and it's really fun to watch when the fur starts flying! Anika Noni Rose has the pivotal role, and she's marvelous. Richard Thomas is shockingly effective, and I found myself gasping loudly in places. And no "review" would be complete without mentioning Marylouise Burke's expertise with a well-placed zinger. The play does veer a bit into soap opera territory as secrets are revealed. In that regard it reminds me of Purpose and Eureka Day, both of which I also enjoyed.

As previously noted, the set is gorgeous, and it's based on the playwright's own home, as was revealed in the talkback last night with the playwright and the director, helmed by Raven Snook.  

Updated On: 4/9/26 at 12:17 PM

[kurtal]

Posted: 4/10/26 at 11:28pm

I'm not quite as positive on the show as earlier posters.  It's fine.  I laughed.  The cast is universally good.  But we've seen this play before.  The Minutes, Thanksgiving Play, Eureka Day, and so many others off Broadway...  I'm tiring of the hypocritical rich liberal takedown play.  This is a perfectly fine version of that play.  But I'm itching for something more.

[willep]

Posted: 4/11/26 at 12:22am

We felt similar to kurtal. Not as enthusiastic as others, the play was fine, the performances good, but we've seen it before and, arguably, better.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 4/12/26 at 12:07am

It definitely reminded me of Eureka Day but that’s fine because I loved that play too. I had a great time at The Balusters and will definitely revisit it because I loved the cast and missed a few of the jokes because the dialogue can get so fast.  I find David Lindsay-Abaire’s work rewarding.  

It was great to see Anika Noni Rose back on stage. She and Richard Thomas do the heavy lifting admirably. Margaret Colin and Mary Louise Burke provide such stage presence and supply a lot of the zingers. Poor Michael Esper is so good as the schnook.  

I loved the set but was not crazy about the amplified transitions which felt a bit repetitive after a while.

Did anyone else catch 

 

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the name of the one armed soda jerk that Elliott (Richard Thomas) was referring to from his childhood? He said he would order egg creams instead of milk shakes because the one armed, was it Mr. Tesori, could make egg creams easier with one arm. Loved that he injected that name in as it felt like an inside joke.

 

 

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 4/12/26 at 12:34am

The show is a lot of fun and will do well in regionals.  The cast is all doing nice work - although no one stood out particularly.  Maybe Burke.  

Agree with the transitions.  They are quite basic (the cast resets chairs and changes clothes off stage). Leon is rarely a creative director, so none of this was surprising.  Surprised this was his to helm (he didn't bring in any big stars which is why he gets many plays).  I'm wondering how this material would have faired in better, and more creative, hands. 

This is no Eureka Day.  And especially no Becky Shaw.   It might could squeeze in to the best play category ?  But after Liberation, Giant, Little Bear Ridge Road and even Punch.  It would make a nice fifth nominee (even over Fear of 13).

Updated On: 4/12/26 at 12:34 AM

[MyMotherIsGeorgeWashington]

Posted: 4/12/26 at 1:16am

How can it squeeze into the best revival category when it's a new play?...

[kurtal]

Posted: 4/12/26 at 9:56am

One other note: They need to turn down the levels on every cast member's microphone.  Every cast member's voice was so clearly being amplified that it was distracting and took away from the natural feeling of the text. 

[Smaxie]

Posted: 4/12/26 at 11:43am

Melissa25 wrote:

Did anyone else catch

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

the name of the one armed soda jerk that Elliott (Richard Thomas) was referring to from his childhood? He said he would order egg creams instead of milk shakes because the one armed, was it Mr. Tesori, could make egg creams easier with one arm. Loved that he injected that name in as it felt like an inside joke.

From the script, it's...

 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Mr. Tesoriero, which is the full version of Jeanine Tesori's birth surname. 

 

Updated On: 4/12/26 at 11:43 AM

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 4/12/26 at 12:21pm

Smaxie said: "Melissa25 wrote:

Did anyone else catch

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

the name of the one armed soda jerk that Elliott (Richard Thomas) was referring to from his childhood? He said he would order egg creams instead of milk shakes because the one armed, was it Mr. Tesori, could make egg creams easier with one arm. Loved that he injected that name in as it felt like an inside joke.

From the script, it's...

 

 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Mr.Tesoriero, which is the full version of Jeanine Tesori's birth surname.

"

 

 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I thought that was a reference to her.

I liked it overall last night but it’s also definitely just the latest example of the liberal hypocrites genre.

Cast is very funny and there are some great moments but I think it overall could’ve used some more time or more drafts. 

 

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Also saw the car accident coming just before remembering he also wrote Rabbit Hole. Kind of surprised she came back but it would’ve been a bit serious and it let the ending be an episode of Succession.

 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/12/26 at 9:38pm

this flew by, because the script is full of great one-liners and the supporting cast is top notch. Lindsay-Abaire is so talented, so I had a good time, but this really could use a few more turns. the ending is particularly ridiculous and unnecessary. i liked the tirade against the bigots and the overly woke silliness, but ultimately this boils down to a bunch of hypocrites calling each other out on their grating hypocrisy, and all turning on the biggest jerk of the bunch.

richard thomas is such a likeable reasonable everyman--a stage treasure--but he seems maybe miscast here, because i felt like anika noni rose was sanctimoniously bullying him--until the plot reveals who he really is, which is hard to square with the character thomas puts forward. until that point. i found both the leads frustrating--and everytime I thought I could get behind Rose, the script pulled the rug out from under me again. Lindsay Abaire gives her a bit of comeuppance at the very end but it doesnt land. 

so all the caricatures get taken down a notch in hilarious fashion except the lead, who is always texting her off stage daughters, and giving long speeches to the audience, not to the other characters. Both Thomas and Rose do this so this might be Kenny Leon's work, but i found it irritating and was in stark contrast to the way Becky Shaw flowed so much more naturally.

thankfully, we have so many gems to enjoy around the two main characters. Michael Esper gets his moment, Carl Clemons Hopkins is a treat, Mary Louise Burke is perfection in a role written for her I must assume, and Margaret Colin gets zinger after zinger (giving Linda Emond a bit of a run for her older cranky white lady money but not really). the ensemble lifts a predictable and preachy piece from OK to better than OK. 

the set was beautiful and well used, and the costumes (something i never notice) were impressive. i agree with the comment above that the mics are SO turned up- I think this was to the benefit of some voices but overall was a bit odd. i do think the actors are still getting their footing and there were a few moments where people spoke over each other- at one point an outburst from Burke caused the cast to break up a bit. i imagine this will only gel better with time, and its possible that the two leads will get more comfortable and less performative, which will make it all go down easier. 

Updated On: 4/12/26 at 09:38 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 9:53am

I was at the show last night and, although it took about 20 minutes to get off the ground, the setup is absolutely worth the subsequent 80 minutes of gut-busting payoffs. Lindsey-Abaire wrote some HILARIOUS zingers and Leon directed the game cast with a very deft hand.

I do agree with the previous poster that ultimately it’s a play that boils down to the foibles resulting from liberal hypocrisy, and everyone gets their comeuppance one way or another - it’s right at the intersection of THE MINUTES and EUREKA DAY. However, all the chaos that erupts from this not-so-friendly neighborhood HOA really makes me wish they could adapt this into a 13-episode half hour sitcom, because I wanna know more about all these characters and the tea that gets spilled along the way. 

Margaret Colin, giving MAJOR Lucille Bluth, for my money had the best line of the night:

 

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When Kayli Carter’s trust fund baby/social justice warrior character abstains from the big final vote, Colin belts to the rafters - “OH MY GOD! EVEN HER VOTES ARE NON-BINARY!”

 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 4/14/26 at 11:55pm

This was pretty good but for a play about people saying and doing tone deaf things, utilizing a VERY long segment of a Kanye West song was very off putting and distracting all things considered right now, and it is the second Kenny Leon production to use one in recent seasons (Othello had one as part of the walkout music)

with so many choices this was a real eyebrow raiser  

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 11:55am

This is fine fine fine. It is not necessary viewing.

Anika Noni Rose holds it all together in a way that I don’t think Goldsberry could have done. Thomas tries very hard to make an ending work that feels over the top and not quite earned in terms of his character’s arc.

Updated On: 4/15/26 at 11:55 AM