Susan Granger’s review of “Plaza Suite” (Hudson Theater on Broadway)
What surprised me most about this revival of Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite” is how Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have become cagey, funny and voraciously smart masters of physical comedy.
The secret to physical comedy goes far beyond slapstick pratfalls. It’s how an actor uses her/his body to sell something humorous to the audience. Facial expression and body language are core facets of communication, often delving into the psychological idea of ‘schadenfreude’ or why we derive secret pleasure from the troubles, failures or humiliation of others.
Set in the late 1960s, Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite” is an old-fashioned, three-act comedy, focusing on a trio of couples who occupy the same suite 719 at Manhattan’s fabled Plaza Hotel.
A middle-aged couple who have grown apart celebrate their bittersweet 23rd anniversary; celebrity culture is skewered as a star-struck suburban housewife reunites with her former high school sweetheart who has become a sleazy Hollywood producer; and, best of all, frustrated parents-of-the-bride coping with a wedding catastrophe.
“Plaza Suite” opened on Broadway 52 years ago with Maureen Stapleton and George C. Scott in the title roles; it ran for more than 1,000 performances. Yes, it’s dated, certainly before #MeToo – but parts of it are gleefully hilarious – and the belly laughs are still there.
Making his Broadway debut as director, John Benjamin Hickey takes full advantage of John Lee Beatty’s opulent, faux-French, mid-century set and Jane Greenwood’s gauche, era-appropriate costumes. In supporting roles, Molly Ranson, Danny Bolero, Eric Wiegand and Cesar J. Rosado fill out the cast.
Off-stage, Sarah Jessica Parker (TV’s “Sex and the City,” “And Just Like That”) and Matthew Broderick (“The Producers”) have been married since 1997.
Already almost Sold Out until its engagement concludes at the end of June, “Plaza Suite” runs 2 hours, 40 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.