THE HEIRESS Reviews

Today is Thursday, November 1, marking the official opening night for the new Broadway production of Ruth and Augustus Goetz's period drama The Heiress. Following previews from October 6 at the Walter Kerr Theatre, this new mounting stars Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain who plays the awkward Catherine Sloper, with Dan Stevens as a handsome suitor, Morris Townsend, who arrives on her doorstep. Windows and doors figure prominently in the 1947 drama set in 1850 New York City, under the astute direction of Moisés Kaufman.

Here's how the producers bill The Heiress: "In this timeless New York love story, a protected young woman (Jessica Chastain) finds herself caught between her steely, grief-stricken father (David Strathairn) and a mysterious, handsome suitor (Dan Stevens). The power of passion, loss and money scars their lives in this unforgettable drama."

Somewhere, right now, Ben Brantley is shouting, "Stop the presses!"

The NY Times is... mixed to negative, I'd say? I really disagree with Brantley here. I think Jessica Chastain is giving a tremendous performance.
Interior Designs Conceal a House’s Dark Corners

I am seriously beginning to doubt Brantley's intelligence, not to mention his taste. Oh, sorry Wickedfan.

Updated On: 11/1/12 at 11:14 PM

Times is mixed. He is not a fan of Chastain. http://theater.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/theater/reviews/the-heiress-with-jessica-chastain-at-walter-kerr-theater.html?ref=theater&_r=0

AP is positive.
http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/FamousNews/MovieNewsFeed.aspx?story=50176

Hollywood Reporter is mixed.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/theater-review-jessica-chastain-heiress-385300

Entertainment Weekly is a rave.
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20364394_20643906,00.html

NY Mag is mixed.
http://www.vulture.com/2012/11/theater-review-the-heiress-jessica-chastain.html

Village Voice is pretty positive, overall.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2012/11/jessica_chastai.php

Bloomberg.com is positive.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-01/jessica-chastain-seethes-in-satisfying-heiress-review

Newsday is mixed.
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/the-heiress-review-chastain-isn-t-pretty-1.4173911

AM New York is positive.
http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/theater-review-the-heiress-3-stars-1.4179193



Opinions on Chastain are really all over the map. And I saw a handful of the reviews I posted use the word "starchy" to describe the production.

Updated On: 11/1/12 at 11:18 PM

I'm honestly shocked that this isn't getting across the board raves from every critic.

I thought this was just a perfect production of the show. But what do I know....

Honestly, Jordan, the last revival was really the perfect production of this show and I knew this revival wouldnt fare well by critics in comparison. I enjoyed this production, but Cherry Jones' performance was one of the best on Broadway in the last twenty years, and much like Janet McTeer in A Dolls House, completely reinvented which otherwise is a good, somewhat 'starchy' script.

Chastain is doing good work here, but whoever took on this role on Broadway after Cherry Jones was a little doomed to unfavorable comparison. Jones' performance in the final scene remains one of the scariest most thrilling moments I've ever seen in a play.

Updated On: 11/1/12 at 11:34 PM

I will say, Michael Bennett, that the FIRST thing I thought after I walked out was that I wanted to go to Lincoln Center so I could see Cherry Jones' performance.

Edit: Which I had never seen. After seeing Chastain, I was just curious to see what Jones had done with the role.

---

Updated On: 11/1/12 at 11:39 PM

Ben Brantley isn't a fan of a woman? With a vagina?

---

Jordan, its really hard NOT to think of "The Heiress" and Cherry in the same thought if you were lucky to see that performance. I think we forget that before "Heiress" she was a well respected, but totally work-a-day actress. She was getting some large roles off-Broadway in mediocre plays like "Baltimore Waltz" but she became CHERRY JONES because of "The Heiress". I do remember loving her in a Richard Nelson supporting role several years previous as well...

That's all well and good but the problem is that (and this is a big secret so don't tell anyone) Cherry Jones isn't in this production of THE HEIRESS. It's actually a DIFFERENT production of it. I know that's like totally rock my socks-make my head explode CRAZY, but it's true!

"I will say that I hate how Brantley worded his critique of Chastain. It dumbs down his opinion. Sometimes you don't need to be clever or bitchy. A simple well-worded critique is enough. "

That's becoming my main issue with Brantley--and seems to me a sign when a critic should move on. Instead of offering your opinion, you seem at least as interested in getting out a clever turn of phrase (clever=bitchy). Anthony Lane is the master of that in his New Yorker film reviews, which I admit I like to read just because I find them amusing, but they're not very useful. Maybe Brantley has always had this problem, and I just never noticed...