After more than 20 years away, Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit makes a fine return to Broadway.
What This Show Is About
Blithe Spirit is a 'spirited' drawing-room comedy. Coward’s haunting play tells the story of writer Charles Condomine, widowed and remarried, who inadvertently brings back ghost of his dead wife, Elvira, to haunt his current life and current wife, Ruth.
Madame Arcati, a local crank and would-be psychic, who takes herself very seriously, even if no one else does, is the unwitting medium for this comedic message.
What You'll Like About 'Blithe Spirit'
Director Michael Blakemore puts his all-star cast to great use beginning with Tony-winner Christine Ebersole. You knew she could sing, most recently from Grey Gardens, but she can handled the comedic lines as well. Ebersole is the ditsy Elvira, who lived life to its fullest and apparently plans to live death that way, too.
Just as amazing is four-time Tony-winner Angela Lansbury, a 2009 Tony winner, as Madame Arcati. There is something so funny about someone so crazy taking herself so seriously. And if that's not enough, you'll love Lansbury's dance moves.
Rounding out the top of the bill is Rupert Everett in his Broadway debut as Charles.
Blakemore recently directed Is He Dead? and Deuce, which also starred Lansbury.
Producing are the team that brought us Speed-the-Plow, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Steve Traxler.
Delightful Surprises
The first delightful surprise in Blithe Spirit is how enjoyable this revival is. From earlier reviews, you could assume the play was dead, not the lead character. Go make your own mind up. The night I saw Blithe Spirit the audience loved it (including the Academy Award-nominated actor who, by coincidence, was sitting next to me).
The second surprise is the delightful musical interludes.
The third surprise is how well this play holds up after so many years. Surely, most have seen it by now in London, New York or Akron . . . someplace! But it still manages to entertain and surprise.
Where and When
- Shubert Theatre
225 West 44th Street
- Show Times and Tickets
- Previews: February 26, 2009
- Opening: March 15, 2009
- Closing: Open-ended run
- Closing: 2 hours, 15 minutes (with intermission)