Neil Simon's
"BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS"
(at the Nederlander Theatre)
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In better economic times, it might have seemed like a non-brainer. Neil Simon's long-time producer, Emanuel Azenberg, wanted to revive two of Simon's most enduringly popular plays, "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound," and present them on Broadway--in repertory--with some of the same actors appearing in both plays.
"Brighton Beach Memoirs," "Biloxi Blues," and "Broadway Bound" are three semi-autobiographical plays that Simon wrote in the 1980's about his youth. The character "Eugene Morris Jerome"--who appears in all three plays--is a surrogate for young Neil Simon; older brother seen in the plays, "Stanley Jerome," is a surrogate for Simon's own older brother; the weary father, "Jack Jerome," is modeled on Simon's real-life father, and so on.
These were well-received plays, when first presented on Broadway; and they have remained staples of regional and community theaters ever since. Azenberg's idea--to present two of these three semi-autobiographical plays in repertory, letting audiences see some of the same characters at different stages of life--was a good one. And in prosperous times, there should have been an audience for these shows. (In fact, I was hoping Azenberg might eventually revive the third play of the trilogy as well, letting audiences enjoy all three different looks at the same family of characters.)
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However, these are not prosperous times. Theater attendance is down. And no sooner had the revival of "Brighton Beach Memoirs" opened at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre, rumors began circulating that advance ticket sales were not strong enough to sustain a run, and the show would soon be closing. (The actors read these rumors in The New York Times even before they heard official word from the producers.) And sure enough, within a week, the closing notice was posted for "Brighton Beach Memoirs," and an official announcement was made that "Broadway Bound" (which was then in rehearsals) would not be opening at all. The Nederlander Theater--whose marquee proudly proclaimed "THE NEIL SIMON PLAYS"--went dark. And some very talented actors were abruptly, unexpectedly, out of work. In more prosperous times, backers might have put up more money for advertising, and these well-crafted Neil Simon plays should have found their audiences. But these are not prosperous times. And "Brighton Beach Memoirs" was gone before almost anyone had a chance to see it.
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And that's a pity because "Brighton Beach Memoirs" remains a very rewarding play, and the short-lived new revival (which opened October 25th, 2009), directed by David Cromer, had much to recommend for it. "Eugene Morris Jerome"--who dreams of someday being a writer--is growing up in a lower-middle-class family in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, in the late 1930's. His hard-working father (effectively portrayed by Dennis Boutsikaris) is just barely getting by as a cutter in the garment trade, and his health his declining. There are long-simmering tensions between Eugene's weary mother (captured well by Laurie Metcalf) and her sister (Jessica Hecht). If that weren't enough, the family has relatives in Europe whose lives are theatened by the Nazi advance.
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This production isn't quite perfect. Laurire Metcalf, for example, is an excellent actress, and I greatly enjoyed her performance. However, she is not the ideal choice to portray a Jewish, Brooklyn mother of the late 1930's. Traces of Metcalf's own midwestern accent kept seeping through. But her potrayal was so moving and generally memorable, I could overlook that imperfection.
The original Broadway production of "Brighton Beach Memoirs" benefitted enormously from the presence of Matthew Broderick as "Eugene Morris Jerome." Broderick--then basically just starting his career--was gifted with great presence, charm, and likeability. You could not have asked for a more perfect "Eugene Morris Jerome"; Broderick had everything going for him--looks, personality, talent. He was the standout in the cast, and the show seemed to revolve around him.
This is more of an ensemble production. Noah Robbins, making his Broadway debut as "Eugene Morris Jerome," does a competent--even more-than-competent--job. But he isn't the radiant scene-stealer that Broderick, without even trying, could be. Broderick (who won a Tony Award for his work) seemed very much a star. Robbins seems a nice-enough, down-to-earth kid.
Santino Fontana, playing the troubled older brother, makes as strong an impression as anyone in the cast, including Metcalf. And he registers much more strongly than Robbins; he is simply a better, more focused actor, with greater presence and subtlety. The role of the older brother--which I barely remembered from the original production--takes on greater importance in this production, simply because Fontana is so wonderfully intense. He a terrific actor. I enjoyed his work very much. Ideally, the show should have an actor just as strong playing the central role of "Eugene Morros Jerome."
This was the play that helped people to realize that Simon was more than just a master gag writer, that he was capable of writing effective drama not just comedy. "Brighton Beach Memoirs" remains a very good play. And this production, although imperfect, offered plenty of rewards. I was sorry to see it go so quickly.
-- CHIP DEFFAA
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