‘Our Town’ is pure Broadway gold
The play is truly “the thing” to director Kenny Leon. And when Leon handles it, it is a beautiful thing. Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on W 47th Street, is the timeless classic brought to life with a distinction that will hit you right away. Of course, with Leon bringing this to life, you can count on a phenomenal and diverse cast. And what makes me say that the play is “the thing” is that the only thing you see on stage are the amazing actors — there are no props used throughout the production. You find yourself truly focusing on the importance and value of the words that Wilder wrote. You find yourself listening to the story’s details with gripping attention.
Leon’s respect for the words and the story that Wilder tells of life in a small town is absolutely breathtaking, at times funny, and at times profound to experience; Leon has always been a dramatic genius when it comes to his unbelievably imaginative direction. Wilder wrote about the lives of the people in the small town, their relationships, the makeup of the town over the years, the deaths and struggles that the townspeople experienced. He showed the commonality that all of us share as human beings. This story will have you reflecting on the tremendous importance of appreciating and embracing the everyday things in life — the dawn, the moon, the smell of flowers, spending quality time with family and friends. This play definitely will make you ponder the importance of realizing that life is quite a gift that we should not take for granted.
The way that Wilder explains, through his detailed characters, what happens after you die and what the dead experience as they watch human beings carry on and mourn them is quite deep. The cast that Leon has assembled is absolutely marvelous. Jim Parsons is fantastic, funny and charming as the Stage Manager, who narrates the entire story, setting up the scenes, interrupting scenes; he is very amusing, until he’s not. Billy Eugene Jones is incredible as Dr. Gibbs and has a wonderful, warm chemistry with Michelle Wilson, who plays his wife Mrs. Gibbs. Wilson delivers a stunning performance. Ephraim Sykes is delightful and charming as their son George Gibbs. If you know the story of “Our Town,” you know that the Gibbs family lives next door to the Webb family. The Webb family is movingly portrayed by veteran actor Richard Thomas as Mr. Webb, a newspaper publisher. Katie Holmes is engaging as Mrs. Webb and Zoey Deutch is adorable as Emily Webb. Sykes and Deutch have a great chemistry as they find young love. Safiya Kaijya Harris is memorable as Rebecca Gibbs. Donald Webber Jr. has a wonderful singing voice and great stage presence as he plays Simon Stimson, the choir director. Julie Halston is funny as Mrs. Soames.
The stage is generously occupied by an amazing ensemble of thespians in this 28-member cast that include Ephie Aardema Sarnak, Heather Ayers, Willa Bost, Bobby Daye, Doron JéPaul, Shyla Lefner, Anthony Michael Lopez, John McGinty, Bryonha Marie, Kevyn Morrow, Hagan Oliveras, Noah Pyzik, Sky Smith, Bill Timoney, Ricardo Vázquez, Matthew Elijah Webb, Greg Wood and Nimene Sierra Wureh.
The play will officially open Thursday, October 10. “Our Town” is a play for our time! The non-traditional casting works beautifully, from the interracial casting of the two main families to the interesting casting of a milkman who communicates through sign language and everyone in the town communicates with him in that way. When it comes to bringing innovation, creativity and the humanity in us all to a Broadway stage that is where Kenny Leon always hits the mark.
The play has set design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Allen Lee Hughes, sound design by Justin Ellington, as well as hair, wig and makeup design by J. Jared Janas. For tickets to “Our Town” visit www.ourtownbroadway.com.
The post ‘Our Town’ is pure Broadway gold appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.