Act One 2014
Opened: April 17, 2014Closing: June 15, 2014
Act One - 2014 Broadway History , Info & More
Vivian Beaumont Theatre (Broadway)
150 West 65th St. at Broadway New York, NY 10023
When the playwright and director, Moss Hart, published his autobiography, "Act One," in 1959 it was a sensation, filled with vivid recollections of colorful characters, especially Hart's first great collaborator, the brilliant George S. Kaufman.
The book gave a fascinating insider's view of how a show really gets to the stage. Many people feel it has never been bettered. "Act One" was more than just a Broadway tale, though. It was a bestseller for almost a year, topping the New York Times list for 41 weeks. Why would this story of the playwright and director's early years be so wildly and widely popular?
We think it's because "Act One" is not just the ultimate valentine to the theater. It is also a Dickensian story of a young immigrant and his family, struggling to escape poverty in the early 20th century. From tenements to glamorous townhouses, from Buffalo stages to Catskills summer camps, and finally to the Broadway of his dreams, Hart's masterful telling captures the hope, misery and comedy of the climb, but also the glee of making it - because he did! A classic New York story.
Now, almost 75 years after Moss Hart's first Broadway success, James Lapine (who knows a thing or two about collaboration from his many shows written with Stephen Sondheim) brings ACT ONE to the stage. He has written and directs this world premiere production at the Beaumont. Tony Shalhoub, playing both George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart as an adult, is familiar to LCT audiences as the father in Golden Boy for which he was nominated for a Tony Award last season. Santino Fontana (the Tony-nominated prince in Broadway's Cinderella) portrays Mr. Hart as a young man. Andrea Martin (Tony winner for her spectacular turn as Berthe in Pippin, and also for LCT's My Favorite Year) plays Aunt Kate, a pivotal figure in Hart's early life.
Act One - 2014 - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Act One
‘Act One’ Theater Review: Tony Shalhoub Does Triple Duty in Moss Hart Memoir
8 / 10
In the book 'Act One,' as well as its stage adaptation, the producer of 'Once in a Lifetime' tells the very young Hart that he's written a good but 'noisy' play...The Lincoln Center Theater production of 'Act One' boasts 22 actors, most of them playing multiple roles, and there's a constantly revolving set of three tiers that features more than a dozen locales ranging from rooftops to stoops to alleys to theaters to offices to restaurants to speakeasies. Designed by Beowulf Boritt, this cityscape makes the original set for 'Sweeney Todd' at the old Uris Theater look like a kids' jungle gym...The producer in Hart's book wasn't sure about the word 'noisy.' Regarding Lapine's 'Act One,' the word 'fast' is closer to the mark...Shalhoub also does triple duty, playing not only the mature Hart and Hart's father but Kaufman, as well. Watching Shalhoub's many physical transformations is one of the production's greatest pleasures and its major element of suspense...
Review: Reliving the First Act of Moss Hart's Life in 'Act One'
6 / 10
Audiences unfamiliar with Moss Hart's legacy may have a hard time understanding his importance after watching James Lapine's flat adaptation of 'Act One' that just opened at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater. Instead of an inspiring account of talent and tenacity, Lapine's 'Act One' is a bland story that fails to put Hart's life into perspective...Lapine, who both wrote and directed 'Act One,' constructs the story of the show in a linear fashion, narrated by an older version of Hart (Tony Shalhoub, 'Golden Boy,' in one of three roles he plays) and a twentysomething version of Hart (Santino Fontana, 'Cinderella'). The problem with that device is that our narrators often tell us more about our character's emotions than we get to see and feel.
Act One History
Other Productions of Act One
| 2014 | Broadway |
Lincoln Center Production Broadway |
Act One - 2014 Broadway Awards and Nominations
Note: Award winners will appear on a background
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Play | James Lapine |
| 2014 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Play | Dan Moses Schreier |
| 2014 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Tony Shalhoub |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Tony Shalhoub |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Andrea Martin |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Act One |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical) | Beowulf Boritt |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Jane Greenwood |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Tony Shalhoub |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | James Lapine |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Lincoln Center Theater |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Andre Bishop |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Adam Siegel |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Hattie K. Jutagir |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Beowulf Boritt |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Dan Moses Schreier |
Videos