The James Earl Jones Theatre on West 48th Street (once called The Cort) has put out its newly-refurbished welcome mat to a new rom/com by Delia Ephron based on her best-selling memoir. It’s been lavishly mounted in a handsome production sponsored by over two dozen would-be producers led by the well established Daryl Roth. Though strictly a play and not by any definition a musical, director Susan Stroman has staged the piece with fluidity using Beowulf Boritt’s beautifully designed library/living room that anchors the comedy in the lavish and accomplished world of the Broadway and Hollywood glitterati. Alas, it’s a total misfit as the story is one involving the hard working and determined young playwright who is sister to the star screen writer Nora Ephron. This comedy works hard to find humor in sister Delia’s struggles, romantic involvement, and life threatening medical problems.
Peter Gallagher and Julianna Margulies (Joan Marcus)
When Nora’s younger sister Delia Ephron lost her husband–the love of her life–to cancer, she withdrew from the world to write about their relationship. The play we are watching today is all about her second chance at recovery with a new love who was–coincidental to a speaking engagement she had taken with Jungians–a practicing Jungian Psychologist himself.
He falls deeply in love with Delia only to almost lose her after a long but victorious bout with cancer. There is a lot of story to tell, and Delia Ephron gets to tell it to us with two main characters abetted by only one actor and one actress playing all the supporting characters including best friends, doctors, nurses, and all others as needed. On occasion, these four gifted actors–Julianna Margulies as the lead and Peter Gallagher as her persistent second husband supported by Kate MacCluggage and Peter Francis James–bring all of this to life for us. It was a treat to spend almost a couple of hours watching all four actors having a go at physical comedy, at accents and vocal humor, and at the use of wardrobe and hairstyling for effective character changes. But clearly the basic material does not readily offer much source for a comedy. As a result, I found myself wishing for more emotional impact or involvement.
Peter Francis James, Peter Gallagher, Julianna Margulies, Kate MacCluggage (Joan Marcus)
Susan Stroman has contributed a consistently smooth staging that has helped to hold us for the 110 minute intermission-less act, but there is no obvious break in the narrative. Too little suspense and not enough surprise make this stage version of the book little worthy of a full length play.