"Regrets Only"
Here’s the official listing for this play:
" 'Regrets Only'. WORLD PREMIERE Written by Paul Rudnick. Directed by Christopher Ashley. From the pen of the inspired Paul Rudnick comes a delicious world premiere comedy of Manhattan manners, exploring the very latest topics in marriage and friendship. The setting: a Park Avenue penthouse. The players: a powerhouse attorney, his deliriously social wife and their closest friend, one of the world’s most staggeringly successful fashion designers. Add a daughter’s engagement, some major gowns, the President of the United States, and stir. This wedding gift arrives courtesy of the Obie-winning author of such plays as Jeffrey, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, and I Hate Hamlet, and movies like Addams Family Values and In & Out. Directing is Mr. Rudnick’s frequent collaborator Christopher Ashley, whose MTC credits include Wonder of the World and Between Us."
Which really tells you nothing about this delightfully fluffy, 1 hour and 50 minute public exploration, actually open letter to Prez Bush about gay marriage. The piece is enacted by two masters who are at the top of their game: George Grizzard and Christine Baranski, with comic Jewish relief in the form of Jackie Hoffman, a one woman show in her own right.
It’s in one of the smaller stages at City Center, making the play quite an intimate living room drama. It wouldn’t work on Broadway proper and I hope they don’t try and take it there. It’s also not worth $100, but then again precious little is on Bway,
What did we find so charming about it? The humor was broad and almost cartoonish, especially in the first scene of the second act; the characters almost caricatures, yet highly recognizable; the setting, a Park avenue penthouse was all too familiar yet of course also exclusively unreal. It was written for laughs. It was written as political satire. It is very of the moment⎯it won’t work in a few years from now or wouldn't have been as funny 5 years ago. But it works in a small way. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would.
Would I recommend it? If you can get 1/2 price tickets, yes. If you are a subscriber to City Center, I would say "enjoy!" If you were to come into NYC from far away JUST for this, I might say make sure you have a really nice dinner as well to make an evening of it.
" 'Regrets Only'. WORLD PREMIERE Written by Paul Rudnick. Directed by Christopher Ashley. From the pen of the inspired Paul Rudnick comes a delicious world premiere comedy of Manhattan manners, exploring the very latest topics in marriage and friendship. The setting: a Park Avenue penthouse. The players: a powerhouse attorney, his deliriously social wife and their closest friend, one of the world’s most staggeringly successful fashion designers. Add a daughter’s engagement, some major gowns, the President of the United States, and stir. This wedding gift arrives courtesy of the Obie-winning author of such plays as Jeffrey, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, and I Hate Hamlet, and movies like Addams Family Values and In & Out. Directing is Mr. Rudnick’s frequent collaborator Christopher Ashley, whose MTC credits include Wonder of the World and Between Us."
Which really tells you nothing about this delightfully fluffy, 1 hour and 50 minute public exploration, actually open letter to Prez Bush about gay marriage. The piece is enacted by two masters who are at the top of their game: George Grizzard and Christine Baranski, with comic Jewish relief in the form of Jackie Hoffman, a one woman show in her own right.
It’s in one of the smaller stages at City Center, making the play quite an intimate living room drama. It wouldn’t work on Broadway proper and I hope they don’t try and take it there. It’s also not worth $100, but then again precious little is on Bway,
What did we find so charming about it? The humor was broad and almost cartoonish, especially in the first scene of the second act; the characters almost caricatures, yet highly recognizable; the setting, a Park avenue penthouse was all too familiar yet of course also exclusively unreal. It was written for laughs. It was written as political satire. It is very of the moment⎯it won’t work in a few years from now or wouldn't have been as funny 5 years ago. But it works in a small way. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would.
Would I recommend it? If you can get 1/2 price tickets, yes. If you are a subscriber to City Center, I would say "enjoy!" If you were to come into NYC from far away JUST for this, I might say make sure you have a really nice dinner as well to make an evening of it.
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