David Mamet’s play American Buffalo broke new ground on Broadway when it opened in 1976 with the vulgarity of its language and the rapid-fire pace of the onstage conversations. Now it’s being revived with Hollywood star power.
It’s the story of three men – Don, Bob, and Teach – who plan to steal a coin collection. (Don believes he unknowingly undersold a valuable nickel to the collector.)
While the language – shocking in its day – is nothing you couldn’t hear now in reruns of The Sopranos, the play is particularly relevant for its dissection of the American Dream where middle-class aspirations meet harsh reality.
In this revival, producers opted to put well-known names on the marquee. John Leguizamo, a Broadway veteran, is Teach. Broadway first-timers include Don, played by Cedric the Entertainer, and Bob, Haley Joel Ozment, whom many will know from child roles, in particular, The Sixth Sense.
American Buffalo’s lead producer is Elliott Martin, whose list of production credits is as long as your arm and features an earlier rival of Buffalo.
The show is directed by Robert Falls.
Belasco Theatre
Opened: November 17, 2008
Closed: November 24, 2008