THE HANGOVER REPORT – Bess Wohl’s semi-successful comedy GRAND HORIZONS opens on Broadway, led by the great Jane Alexander

James Cromwell and Jane Alexander in Second Stage Theater's production of "Grand Horizons" by Bess Wohl at the Helen Hayes Theatre. Photo by Joan Marcus.

James Cromwell and Jane Alexander in Second Stage Theater’s production of “Grand Horizons” by Bess Wohl at the Helen Hayes Theatre. Photo by Joan Marcus.

This week, Second Stage Theater’s production of Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl opened on the Great White Way at the Helen Hayes Theatre. The new comedy was developed in conjunction with the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, where it enjoyed a pre-Broadway run last summer with a somewhat different cast than what’s currently on display at the Hayes. The play tells the story of an older couple who consider divorce late in their marriage, to the befuddlement of their family.

Ms. Wohl is known for thought provoking works such as Little Mouth Sounds and Make Believe. Grand Horizons, on the other hand, tries – only half successfully, at best – to conjure the spirit of broad, obvious but effervescent comedies and sitcoms of yesteryear. My assessment is that the play would have worked better as a parody of the genre. Unfortunately, in direct comparison, Ms. Wohl’s play pales in comparison to the Neil Simon-esque works it attempts to emulate. Much of Grand Horizons simply isn’t that funny, although the second act does go into some interesting territory (exploring the question what really is marriage, and by extension, family?) after an effortful, still-born first act. However, it’s a case of too little, too late.

Fortunately, the cast is pretty good, led by James Cromwell and the great Jane Alexander. Ms. Alexander, with her patrician profile and presence, is particularly delicious as more of her character is revealed over the course of the evening (no spoilers here!). Other cast members – which include Michael Urie, Ashley Park, and a criminally underutilized Priscilla Lopez – are game and give it the old college try. Director Leigh Silverman endeavors to give the production a sprightly quality, despite the play’s attempt to attain the merely mediocre.

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GRAND HORIZONS
Broadway, Play
Second Stage Theater / Helen Hayes Theatre
2 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Through March 1

Categories: Broadway, Theater

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