Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test

The Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test is our personal and highly opinionated Commuter's Guide to New York theater and cultural events, with an emphasis on Broadway and Off-Broadway theatrical productions. The test is simple: is an event worth the always expensive, time consuming, and too often horrendous struggle to commute to New York City from New Jersey, Long Island, Upstate New York or Connecticut? Only truly great or near-great performances and productions may meet this stiff challenge!

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Location: Princeton, New Jersey, United States

James Camner is an antiquarian dealer of autographs, manuscripts and printed music and books of Opera, Classical Music, Theater, Dance, and Film, as well as a published author of more than 10 books on the performing arts including "How to Enjoy Opera" (Simon and Schuster), "The Great Opera Stars in Historic Photographs" (Dover), "Stars of American Musical Theater in Historic Photographs" (Dover - with Stanley Appelbaum); was for over 20 years a reviewer for Fanfare Magazine and has written feature articles and reviews for Opera News.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Pygmalion, a play by George Bernard Shaw at the American Airlines Theatre. Roundabout Theatre Company, starring Claire Danes, Jefferson Mays, Boyd Gaines and Jay O. Sanders, directed by David Grindley. We practically flew home to Princeton, so exhilarated were we by this pitch perfect revival of Shaw's masterwork "Pygmalion." Just a week ago we were treated to a great performance by a television star, Jennifer Garner. Tonight it was a great performance by luminous film star Claire Danes (who had a Pygmalion-like turn in the fine film "Shop Girl"). Danes is a fabulous Eliza: with flawless accent and graceful physicality, she's utterly charming and winning, fully worthy of comparison to the legendary Wendy Hiller in the famous Asquith film. So too is Jefferson Mays equal to his predecessor, Leslie Howard. Mays is a mercurial quicksilver Higgins, brilliant, petulant, and like Danes, winning. Boyd Gaines is a warm and sympathetic Colonel Pickering, while Jay O. Sanders delivers his biting Shavian satire with gusto - he had the audience eating out of his hands. The rest of the supporting cast is also on the highest level. The direction is flawless (my only caveat is the canned music in the scene changes). The sets are gorgeous, rich, satisfying. I've seen many Shaw revivals and have not enjoyed any of them half as much as this one. Other than "The Doctor's Dilemma," this is my favorite Shaw play. It's much deeper and has a satirical edge that the wonderful musical "My Fair Lady" lacks. It is, in my opinion, a better work. It's pure Shaw. This is Theatrical Nirvana. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. A+

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