By Naomi Serviss / New York City
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick
are making hay
acting up a storm
in Neil Simon’s creaky
(but joyously entertaining)
revival of Plaza Suite,
firmly planted in the late ‘60s.
The real-life couple
is charismatically engaging
under the influence of
John Benjamin Hickey’s skillful direction.
The set is pitch perfect
to the period, as are
the groovy clothes and footwear.
Parker and Broderick portray
three sets of different characters
navigating a slew
of complicated relationships.
Shenanigans unfold in Suite 719.
The trio of individual one-act plays
will ring familiar
to those fortunate enough to have attended
the original Broadway show
that enjoyed a robust run
of 1,097 performances.
Directed by Mike Nichols
Plaza Suite starred George C. Scott
and Maureen Stapleton.
Arthur Hiller’s 1971 film version
placed Walter Matthau
opposite Barbara Harris,
Stapleton and Lee Grant in the three acts.
The movie was considered a failure
by the playwright,
although fans would disagree.
Plaza Suite is more ephemera
than commercial heavyweights like
The Odd Couple and Barefoot in the Park,
but no less entertaining.
Simon’s later, more autobiographical work–
Brighton Beach Memoirs
and Lost in Yonkers–
rewarded viewers
with Simon’s trademark humor
laced with timeless zingers
and biographical morsels.
The current Broadway trifle
is a comfortable vehicle
for these two storied actors
and household names.
Who wouldn’t want to see
Broadway’s royal couple cavort on stage?
Sex and the City,
and its sequel, And Just Like That…aficionados
will get a kick out of
Parker’s all-in commitment
to her character’s ‘60s wardrobe,
even when matronly dressed.
Broderick is a gifted comic actor
who’s proved his chops
time and again
whatever the material.
Married for 25 years,
the pair hasn’t been on stage together
since 1996’s production of
How to Succeed in Business
without Really Trying.
The then-dating couple made sparks fly
with their on-stage chemistry.
Plaza Suite’s revival’s opening
was slated for March 2020,
but as we all know,
Covid put the kibosh on live performances.
How did these two talented actors
find the time and inclination
to anchor this production?
In 2017, the couple tickled the audience
in a staged reading
before an appreciative crowd
at New York City’s Symphony Space.
It was directed by Hickey,
a venerated actor and personal friend
of the two.
The stage was set.
The first act,
Visitor from Mamaroneck,
has Sam and Karen Nash
checking into the same suite
in which they spent their wedding night
23 years past.
Karen’s motivation for booking the suite
gets blindsided
by Sam’s workaholic ways
and eyebrow-raising intimations
of an affair.
It’s a bittersweet mini play,
as Karen longs
for a romantic rekindling.
Sam, business-suited and icy,
is preoccupied with work.
This opener provides plenty of laughs,
but the undertone
is the most serious
of the three.
The second act,
Visitor from Hollywood
is a hoot with
Broderick sporting eye-catching plaid pants
and a turtleneck sweater
(all the rage then).
Muttonchop sideburns telegraph
successful movie producer Jesse Kiplinger’s
devotion to ‘60s style.
His invite to high school sweetheart
Muriel Tate to pay him a visit,
has a surprising outcome
that will not be revealed here!
Costumer Jane Greenwood
and wig master Tom Watson
outfit Muriel in a then-stylish
Pucci print dress (I had one!)
and matching tights, shoes and gloves.
It’s great fun watching Parker
stroll the stage inhabiting
Muriel’s dressed-to-impress character.
Broderick and Parker showcase
their terrific physical comedy chops.
The story may be a tad stale,
but the execution is fabulous.
The third act,
Visitor from Forest Hills,
is a farcical, zesty romp
that many will recall
from the movie starring Matthau.
The story hinges on prying
Norma and Roy’s daughter Mimsey
out of the bathroom
to take her wedding vows
before an antsy crowd
of friends and relations.
Why revive this old chestnut now?
Why not?
Broadway will always tap
into the steady tourist market
hungry for easily digestible,
lightweight theater.
The tourists are back,
and this production serves
near-perfect family entertainment.
Enjoying three hours of unmitigated joy
(I’m a big Parker fan!)
was a welcome reprieve
from current-event stressors:
–Ukraine
–A new Covid variant
-Flying cross country next month
Broadway’s 2021-2022 season
has barely taken a breath
with 19 shows opening or reopening.
It’s been a whirlwind
run-up to the 75th Tony Awards,
to be hosted by Radio City Music Hall
on June 12th.
Audiences are still required
to be vaccinated and masked
through May 31st.
Since live performances
resumed last fall,
5 million attendees have proven
once again,
that theater is not dead.
Naomi Serviss is a New York-based award-winning journalist whose work has been published in The New York Times, Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Highroads (AAA magazine), in-flight publications, spa and travel magazines and websites, including BroadwayWorld.com