A Romance for the Ages, Tonight at Eight

Review: She Loves Me

Laura Benanti and Zachary Levi star as perfectly mismatched lovers in Roundabout's fantastically funny She Loves Me.

Winsome. Charming. Utterly enchanting. All of these words and more can be used to describe Roundabout Theatre Company's top-notch revival of She Loves Me, the most whimsical and romantic night of musical theatre currently available on Broadway. Every moment of the show has been lovingly rendered by director Scott Ellis and his pitch-perfect cast, which is headlined by Tony-winner Laura Benanti in a role tailor-made to her many and varied theatrical talents.

She Loves Me is based on the same short story that inspired the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan romance You've Got Mail, and follows parfumerie clerks Georg Nowack and Amalia Balash. Constantly bickering on the job, the pair has simultaneously been falling in love via their frequent, anonymous written correspondence with one other. It is a classic romantic comedy setup that has been musicalized using a gorgeous score by Fiddler on the Roof duo Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, and although the show itself is rarely produced in New York most have likely encountered at least one of its many popular songs (such as that favorite of budding sopranos, "Vanilla Ice Cream").

The premise is uncomplicated and the outcome inevitable, but thanks to Joe Masteroff's intelligent book and Ellis' supremely sensitive direction, this refreshingly intimate musical love story has all the elements required to hold your attention for the duration of its runtime. It is clear that Ellis and his cast have an unabashed love for the material and one another, and that fondness radiates out beyond the footlights to envelope the audience in its warm embrace. By keeping the focus of the story small, She Loves Me also offers far more character development than most shows of its ilk, meaning you will come to genuinely love every one of the characters by the final ultimo.

As Georg and Amalia, Zachary Levi and Laura Benanti make for perfect romantic leads. Their chemistry is palpable and each provides a masterclass in acting a song, whether it be Levi's giddily infectious "She Loves Me" or Benanti's crystal clear and hilarious ode to the aforementioned "Ice Cream." By the time these two temperamental lovebirds realize they are perfect for each other, you are genuinely ecstatic for them, thanks to the pair's charisma, earnestness, and complete sincerity. Benanti's role in particular showcases the actress as few roles can, highlighting her impeccable comic instincts, emotional accessibility, and crystalline soprano in equal measure (and often within the same scene). It is an utter delight to have Benanti back on Broadway after a five year hiatus, and hopefully we won't have to wait another five before being graced with her talents again.

Jane Krakowski is another actress who has spent far too long away from Broadway, having left the Great White Way for the bright lights of Hollywood after her Tony-winning performance in the 2003 revival of Nine. Krakowski is simply sensational as shop attendant Ilola Ritter, skillfully combining easygoing sensuality with convincing naivety as she is constantly taken advantage of by the shop's resident ladies' man, Steven Kodaly (an immensely appealing Gavin Creel). Krakowski goes from slinky kicks and splits in the comic "Ilola" to genuine heartbreak in "I Resolve," all without missing any opportunity to make her scenes as funny as humanly possible. She and Benanti also share fantastic chemistry in their scenes together, making for believable gal pals you wish would spend more time together.

The entire cast is dressed in resplendent 1930's period garb by costumer Jeff Mahshie, which looks all the more gorgeous on David Rockwell's jewel box of a set (the first wow moment of the show is when the exterior facade of the parfumerie open up to reveal its immensely detailed interior right before your eyes). The saturated jewel tones really pop thanks to Donald Holder's lights, and the crisp sound design completes the feeling of being enveloped in the interior of a musical jewelry box.

This has been an outstanding season for musical revivals on Broadway, and She Loves Me is another knockout. A practically perfect production of an underrated show, this revival highlights everything that is splendid about Golden Age musical theatre while removing any hint of dustiness. Like all Roundabout productions, it is scheduled to play a limited engagement, so any and all interested parties should purchase their tickets as soon as possible.

A Powerful Drama from Underrepresented Voices

Review: Eclipsed

Pascale Armand, Lupita Nyong'o, and Saycon Sengbloh in the Broadway production of Eclipsed.

With diversity of representation such a prominent topic in the entertainment industry right now, Eclipsed certainly comes at a fortuitous time. Not only does this new play feature a cast comprised entirely of black actresses, but both playwright Danai Gurira (an award-winning writer best known as the actress who plays Michonne on AMC's The Walking Dead) and director Liesl Tommy are also women of color. Having a high profile Broadway production told from this viewpoint is certainly worth celebrating, but shouldn't overshadow the fact that the main selling point Eclipsed is its status as an excellently scripted and acted drama, tackling a subject rarely explored in American theatre.

The show takes place in 2003 Liberia, towards the end of the country's decades-long civil war (a concise and incredibly helpful program insert describes the history of the conflict so anyone can follow along). The story centers around the multiple wives of an unseen war general, all of whom have been taken against their will and are attempting to make the best of their situation. Their carefully established equilibrium is thrown into chaos with the addition of a fifteen-year-old girl to their ranks, providing an entry point for the play to explore the many facets of this tragically common situation.

The most striking thing about Gurira's writing is that she neither shies away from nor dwells on the women's harrowing circumstances. Systematically raped and abused from a young age, the women never devolve into mere victims, even though they are so oppressed they fear using their given names; the wives refer to one another as Numbers 1 through 4, indicating the order in which they came into the general's life.

Despite this unnerving set of circumstances, Gurira's play contains large amounts of humor and even hope. We see the extreme emotional cost of their experiences, but we also see the wives looking for ways to make the best of the cards they've been dealt. One wife tries her best to work within the system, while another becomes a soldier so the men are forced to see her as an equal rather than an object. Each choice is presented as valid, and Gurira shows a large amount of compassion and respect for all of her characters.

The play's five women are brought to engrossing life by a fine company of actresses, headlined by Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o as the latest addition to the general's harem, known only as The Girl. Nyong'o is just as captivating onstage as she is onscreen, and she charts her character's complex emotional journey with supreme honesty and clarity. This Girl makes some shocking choices over the course of the play, but Nyong'o makes you believe every one of them, while at the same time projecting the character's gnawing doubt and increasing fear. It is a captivating Broadway debut, and hopefully this Mexican-Kenyan actress will find the time to make regular visits to the Great White Way between her various film projects.

Saycon Sengbloh is sensational as Wife #1, bringing a fascinating weight and authority to her world-weary head wife. Having dealt with the general's abuse the longest, Sengbloh projects a caustic outer layer while simultaneously displaying the deep wells of compassion that cause Wife #1 to treat the the other wives with a maternal sense of kindness. One of the play's most moving scenes is when Sengbloh's character learns to write her name; during that moment you can see on Sengbloh's face the joy of a thousand possibilities opening up, as Wife #1 realizes she can do more than she ever thought possible. Pascale Armand provides much of the play's comic relief as the pregnant Wife #3, but is also at the center of perhaps the most devastating moment when forced to explain her supremely conflicted feelings about the baby inside her.

Zainab Jah has the most overtly antagonistic role as Wife #2 (although it is clear throughout that the unseen men are the real villains of the piece), and she exudes massive amounts of swagger as a rebel soldier who has had a falling out with the rest of the wives. Yet Jah remains distinctly feminine throughout, and makes a convincing argument that picking up a gun is the only way to make men respect her in such a patriarchal society. Wife #2 is a complex and often off-putting character, but Jah shows us enough of her inner turmoil to make her understandable and even sympathetic. Rounding out the cast is veteran actress Akosua Busia as Rita, a member of a women's peace group who is the first to show the general's wives that there are more options available to them than they previously thought.

Director Liesl Tommy brings an insightful eye to the proceedings, making excellent use of what initially appears to be a limited set by Clint Ramos (as the evening goes on, the depth and versatility of Ramos' design becomes apparent). Tommy guides all of her actresses to fully realized, immensely interesting performances while avoiding the temptation to allow the kind of showy, scenery chewing histrionics that too often accompany these types of dramas. Tommy's strong grasp of the play's mood and tone is elevated by Jen Schriever's dynamic lighting, along with Broken Chord's original music and sound design.

Like the best dramas, Eclipsed doesn't beat its audience over the head with symbolism or heavy-handed preaching. But it does present plenty of food for thought, filled with images and ideas that will remain with you long after the performance ends. Gurira's writing is insightful and most importantly real, and it provides a perfect springboard for this fabulous collection of actresses to bring this powerful piece to life. Anyone interested in thought-provoking theatre should see this play; those who care about diverse representation should make it a priority, as Ecplised is a perfect example of the new and interesting works that can result from artists with different backgrounds than the norm.