Two-time Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) returns to Broadway in Bernard Pomerance's Tony Award-winning classic THE ELEPHANT MAN. Directed by Tony nominee Scott Ellis, THE ELEPHANT MAN is one of the hottest productions to emerge from the prestigious Williamstown Theatre Festival, where it had theatergoers lining up hours ahead of time in the hopes of securing a ticket. This extremely limited engagement also stars Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Patricia Clarkson ("Six Feet Under") and Alessandro Nivola (American Hustle).
Based on the real life of Joseph Merrick, THE ELEPHANT MAN tells the story of a 19th-century British man (Cooper) who became a star of the traveling freak show circuit. When the renowned Dr. Treves (Nivola) takes Merrick under his care, he is astonished by the man's brilliant intelligence, unshakable faith and, most of all, his resounding desire for love and understanding. He introduces Merrick to the beautiful actress Mrs. Kendal (Clarkson), who is deeply touched by this pure and genuine soul. As a complex friendship blossoms among the three, Treves and Kendal struggle to protect Merrick from a world of questionable intentions... and so begins a story of love as unique as "The Elephant Man" himself.
The Booth Theatre is one of Broadway's most intimate venues and seating is limited.
Advance purchase is highly recommended.
In interviews, Cooper has spoken warmly of his longtime dream of playing Merrick (the 1980 movie version drew him to acting), and he certainly rises to the physical and vocal challenges. Employing the tradition of using neither prosthetics nor makeup, Cooper adopts Merrick's painfully askew physique, right arm a swollen club, left one strikingly delicate. His breathing is labored and full of gurgles and gasps, yet when Merrick speaks, it is a thoughtful, refined tenor. This collision of monstrousness and grace-of the animal and human-attracts the professional attention of Dr. Frederick Treves (Nivola), who rescues Merrick after he's been abandoned by the abusive circus impresario Ross (Anthony Heald).
Casting one of Hollywood's most beautiful people as Merrick may seem like a gimmick, but this revival, which premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2012, offers nothing of the sort. Cooper had, by all accounts, imagined himself in the role before anyone suggested it to him, and he approaches it with total commitment, not only to reflecting Merrick's physical challenges but also to capturing the character's great sensitivity and wit. That's not to say Cooper dominates this staging, robustly directed by Scott Ellis. Playwright Bernard Pomerance also was drawn to Frederick Treves, the surgeon who helped ensure Merrick had shelter and comfort in the final years of his short life, and wrote about him.
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