• Act One (Lincoln Center broadcast)

6/25/20 (Thurs)

Lincoln Center’s wonderful 2014 retelling of Moss Hart’s classic autobiography. I had missed this show back in the day and, as a huge fan of the book, had this broadcast marked in my calendar as soon as I heard about it. A bit more is packed into the 2.5-hour timeframe than can be comfortably accommodated, especially in the first half, but the tale of the desperately poor kid who works his way to fame and fortune remains compelling and ultimately very moving. The story of how Hart, working with the already renowned George S Kaufman, crafted Once in a Lifetime from a promising idea into a smash hit was the most thrilling depiction of the artistic process that I’ve ever seen. I was surprised to learn that the nicely straightforward telling was by writer/director James Lapine, who showed he actually had a heart as opposed to the more cynical, wanna-be-intellectual approach of Sunday in the Park or Into the Woods. This is the first time in one of his shows that I’ve really believed in the characters. I was teary-eyed at the end despite having read the book, especially when the father silently acknowledged his son’s accomplishment as they left their old lives behind. The director kept the story flowing with a spinning, twisting set by Beowulf Boritt that took the action smoothly from the slums to the theater to Kaufman’s residence to just about everywhere. I would love to see this show in person just on the strength of that set, which must have been amazing in the theater, though a revival on this scale would seem unlikely.

Moss Hart was played at different stages of his life by three actors, often a recipe for disaster but ably handled here. The elder Hart reminisces about his upbringing and narrates the story, while the boy Hart and then the young adult Hart act the scenes, with the latter often commenting on them as well. A large cast of 22 portray a bewildering number of characters, all other than the young Hart taking on at least two roles. Some characters inevitably get short shrift, but the overall picture is a nice mosaic of the times as recalled (or at times reinvented and embellished, as in his book) by Hart. The portraits can be questionable, such as the old aunt, who seems a smug elitist despite Hart’s rosy memories. But all is perception, and how Hart remembers it is more important to his life story here than how it may really have been. I enjoyed every minute of it.

The three Harts were all terrific, including the boy actor Matthew Schechter (who also later played Hart’s younger brother). Santino Fontana, who’s played both Prince Charming and Tootsie on Broadway, maintained a great balance between the nervous charm and naiveté of the aspiring writer and the sheer ambition and confidence that it must have taken to keep plowing on despite the many setbacks. He took what could have been a stereotypical character and made him feel real. But the real star here was Tony Shalhoub (The Band’s Visit) as the older Moss, Moss’s father and, most memorably, an hilariously eccentric George S Kaufman in the performance of the evening – playing all these distinctive roles within five minutes of each other at one point. Bravo. Andrea Martin was also invaluable in the vastly different roles of the old aunt, a theatrical agent and Kaufman’s wife, enhancing as always every part she touches. She proved again that she’s one of the best character actresses on Broadway. I was happily surprised to see her taking her bows at the end with the two older Harts, a well deserved tribute.

A big thumbs up for this show. I can’t wait to reread the book.