THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Broadway revival of THE FRONT PAGE is ultimately cast iron entertainment

John Slattery and Nathan Lane in "The Front Page" at the Broadhurst Theatre

John Slattery and Nathan Lane in “The Front Page” at the Broadhurst Theatre

Last night, the revival of Hecht and MacArthur’s 1928 The Front Page opened on the Great White Way at the Broadhurst Theatre. Set in 1920’s Chicago, the madcap play is a farcical, melodramatic sendup of the newspaper industry that depicts a Windy City rag’s coverage of an impending hanging. The story gets bigger when the criminal escapes prison, and all hell breaks loose.

Despite a distracted first act, the production really comes alive during the latter two acts (I myself prefer the symmetric arc provided by the old fashioned three act play structure). Director Jack O’Brien has trouble finding the play’s pulse initially, but tames the sprawling play and draws things together at an inspired clip once the farcical elements come to the fore. Kudos also to the top notch design team – sets by Douglas W. Schmidt, costumes by Ann Roth, and lighting by Brian MacDevitt. Ultimately, this Front Page is handsome cast iron entertainment worth the big bucks one pays to attend a Broadway show these days.

The huge cast is curiously uneven, given the talent involved. As expected, Nathan Lane is a force of nature as the brash Walter Burns. As his conflicted mentee Hildy Johnson, John Slattery puts in a solid, workmanlike performance. A big disappointment for me is John Goodman’s befuddled Sheriff Hartman; his performance lacks sufficient color, unfortunately. The deluxe casting also includes such luminaries as Jefferson Mays, Holland Taylor, Sherie Rene Scott, and the legendary Robert Morse.

RECOMMENDED

 

THE FRONT PAGE
Broadway, Play
Broadhurst Theatre
2 hours, 40 minutes (with two intermissions)
Through January 29

Categories: Broadway, Theater

Leave a Reply