THEATRE REVIEW: "Our Town" at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (New York, NY)

 

     On the afternoon of December 11th, 2024, I saw a performance of the Thornton Wilder play "Our Town" at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City.  This was a three act play, yet it was just under two hours with no intermission.  I was glad to have stayed for the entire show.  It was a dreary and rainy day outside.  If there was an intermission, it is possible I might have left.  If I had, I wouldn't have known that the show kept getting better and better.  The acting got more impressive as well. 

A photo I took of the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (while trying to keep my phone dry from the rain).

     On the day I saw "Our Town," the cast included Jim Parsons (Stage Manager), Billy Eugene Jones (Dr. Gibbs), Sky Smith (Joe Crowell/Si Crowell), John McGinty (Howie Newsome), Michelle Wilson (Mrs. Gibbs), Katie Holmes (Mrs. Webb), Ephraim Sykes (George Gibbs), Safiya Kaijya Harris (Rebecca Gibbs), Hagan Oliveras (Wally Webb), Zoey Deutch (Emily Webb), Shyla Lefner (Professor Willard), Richard Thomas (Mr. Webb), Heather Ayers (Woman in the Balcony), Bryonha Marie (Belligerent Person in the Auditorium), Willa Bost (Lady in the Box), Donald Webber Jr. (Simon Stimson), Julie Halston (Mrs. Soames), Bill Timoney (Constable Warren), Doron Jépaul (Sam Craig), Anthony Michael Lopez (Joe Stoddard), Bobby Daye (Mr. Carter/Man Among the Dead), Ricardo Vazquez (Man Among the Dead), and Ephie Aardema Sarnak (Woman Among the Dead).  While I seemed to have listed every cast member in the show, that is because this is a play about a town, and its people.  Each and every character was crucial to the play.

     

     When I won the ticket lottery for "Our Town" one of the first things I thought of was reading the short story in high school.  I remember having trouble understanding what was going on in the story.  I certainly don't remember the last part of the story having to do with death and loss.  I think I found the town name "Grover's Corners" annoying, and each time it was written, I paid less attention to the plot.  I really enjoyed the play though.  I was glad that it got morose and unsettling towards the end.  It captured my attention.  Though, at the same time, I found the subject matter of loss a little upsetting.  That combined with Beowulf Boritt's dreary scenic design was perfect duality of theatrics.  The weather was icing on the cake, metaphorically speaking.  Other shows I've seen that were designed by Beowulf Boritt include "A Bronx Tale" (National Tour) and "Come from Away" (Broadway).

POV Playbill Photo I took from my seat at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. 

     Jim Parsons became noticeably absent when the show got more serious.  He would help move the narrative along during slow parts (in a way that provided comic relief).  But when the dreaded third act was underway, he, or rather his character, was nowhere to be found.  I suppose that was appropriate.   There are only so many grief-related quips one has in their repertoire.  This play was also designed with a few rows of seating on the stage.  I don't know how the selected audience refrained from exhibiting signs of being human (yarning, looking at the ceiling as if to say "me next!" during Act Three... and so forth...).  I might have wondered the same thing when I saw the Second National Tour of "Spring Awakening," which also featured on-stage seating.  

     

     It also confused me that Katie Holmes didn't get more prominent billing along with Jim Parsons.  She has not only been in TV Shows, but movies too.  I mean, "The Gift," "Teaching Mrs. Tingle," .... "Batman Begins."  Jim Parsons made it big as Sheldon in "The Big Bang Theory," but the only movies I remember seeing him in were "Garden State" and "The Muppets."  I think Jim Parsons and Katie Holmes should have gotten equal billing.  Thornton Wildner's name could have been moved to the bottom of the ads and posters.  What movies has he been in lately?  Richard Thomas is pretty famous too, having played John-Boy in "The Waltons."  More recently, he played the part of Erik Blake in the National Tour of "The Humans."  I hadn't heard of Zoey Deutch prior to seeing "Our Town," which was her Broadway Debut.  However, she has been in a fair amount of TV Shows and movies. 

An unsuccessful selfie of me in front of the Ethel Barrymore Theatre marquee.  Barely visible is the signage for "Our Town."  Plus, what am I looking at?

     Joking aside, this was a great opportunity to see a classic play.  I had never seen "Our Town" before.  I had missed out on the world premiere of the musical version of the play at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre in Illinois.  The name of the musical was... you guessed it.... "Grover's Corners."  That production ran from July through October of 1987.  Whether or not I missed out by not seeing the musical, I'm glad I didn't miss out on seeing "Our Town."  I am also grateful to my parents for making this additional theatre outing possible.   

     This was the first time I saw a show at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.  Opened in December of 1928, the Ethel Barrymore Theatre was designed by Herbert Krapp.  The exterior design was influenced by Roman public baths (all of which apparently featured a two-story terra-cotta grillwork screen).  The theatre's interior design is a combination of Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adamsesque styles.  Many iconic plays and musicals premiered at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.  One play that had its Broadway Premiere at the Barrymore Theatre was the Frederick Knott stage thriller "Wait Until Dark," which is a play I definitely want to see (should it be revived).  As far as revivals go, "Our Town" is one of my favorites.

 

Jim Parsons (as the Stage Manager) and the cast of "Our Town."  Photo taken by Sara Krulwich.

**This production of "Our Town" runs through January 19th, 2025.