Well it's been a while since Mr NYC went to the theater so it was a quite a joy to go back recently and see Edmund Rostand "Cyrano" at the Richard Rodgers Theater.
First, the plot: written by Edmond Rostand and set in 17th century France, nobleman solider Cyrano de Bergerac is a great wit ("My panache!") and ever greater warrior. He loves the beautiful Roxane but his unusually big nose makes him feel unworthy of her love. Roxane in turn loves Christian, another soldier, a sweet man but not the sharpest sword in the army. Sublimating his own desire, Cyrano helps Christian woo Roxane with beautiful words that Christian himself cannot conjure up. Cyrano's genius helps Christian win Roxane's hand in marriage but then war and personal tragedy intervene. In the end, we see what a tangled web love weaves.
Second, my review: directed by David Leveaux ("Jumpers"), this new Broadway version stars Kevin Kline ("The Big Chill", "A Fish Called Wanda") as Cyrano, Jennifer Garner ("Alias", "Juno") as Roxane, and Daniel Sunjata ("Rescue Me", "The Bronx is Burning") as Christian. It is a fun, rollicking, beautifully-staged production and the performances, including Chris Sarandon ("Dog Day Afternoon") as a scheming Count, are uniformly excellent. While Garner and Sunjata play their roles with great delicacy and respect, this is really Kline's show. It's the kind of big, scenery-chewing performance that he gave in movies like "Soapdish" and that won him an Oscar for "A Fish Called Wanda."
The play is a little long and the production is sometimes over the top but if a show makes you feel spiritually enriched when you're walking out of the theater, then it's a good show. This "Cyrano" does that.
Cyrano on Broadway
First, the plot: written by Edmond Rostand and set in 17th century France, nobleman solider Cyrano de Bergerac is a great wit ("My panache!") and ever greater warrior. He loves the beautiful Roxane but his unusually big nose makes him feel unworthy of her love. Roxane in turn loves Christian, another soldier, a sweet man but not the sharpest sword in the army. Sublimating his own desire, Cyrano helps Christian woo Roxane with beautiful words that Christian himself cannot conjure up. Cyrano's genius helps Christian win Roxane's hand in marriage but then war and personal tragedy intervene. In the end, we see what a tangled web love weaves.
Second, my review: directed by David Leveaux ("Jumpers"), this new Broadway version stars Kevin Kline ("The Big Chill", "A Fish Called Wanda") as Cyrano, Jennifer Garner ("Alias", "Juno") as Roxane, and Daniel Sunjata ("Rescue Me", "The Bronx is Burning") as Christian. It is a fun, rollicking, beautifully-staged production and the performances, including Chris Sarandon ("Dog Day Afternoon") as a scheming Count, are uniformly excellent. While Garner and Sunjata play their roles with great delicacy and respect, this is really Kline's show. It's the kind of big, scenery-chewing performance that he gave in movies like "Soapdish" and that won him an Oscar for "A Fish Called Wanda."
The play is a little long and the production is sometimes over the top but if a show makes you feel spiritually enriched when you're walking out of the theater, then it's a good show. This "Cyrano" does that.
Cyrano on Broadway
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