In the opening moments of this disjointed, noiresque, bummer of a production the question is asked, “Where is she?” referring to the heroine of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S – Holly Golightly – the self created, self centered, stylish, phony party girl whose favors for men pay her rent in 1940’s New York City.
It’s a good question as the actress chosen to portray Holly in this sluggish new adaptation by Richard Greenberg of Truman Capote’s poetic ode to the odd Holly – namely Emilia Clarke – the character of Ms. Golightly is missing in action.
It appears that Ms. Clarke has also been unsuccessfully trying to find Ms. Golightly in this darker new take on Holly. Coming up with a combination of Veronica Lake, Katherine Hepburn not Audrey and Lea Michele. It’s an odd and annoying performance which I hereby nominate for “The Elena Roger (Evita) Miscast Person of The Year Award.” We simply don’t care enough about her to invest our time.
Watching a very unstylish (despite some nice period costumes by Colleen Atwood) and listening to the bizarre and grating mixture of accents emanating from Ms. Clarke for two and a half hours is akin to hearing cats howling in the alleyway.
And speaking of cats, the adorable ginger tabby named Vito Vincent, rescued by Holly looks as bewildered as we do in trying to figure what is going on up there on the Cort Theatre’s stage and practically steals the show.
A show which features the Narrator (an excellent Cory Michael Smith) almost more than its heroine. She has named him Fred after her beloved brother and he is infatuated with her antics while attempting to become a published writer and come to grips with his sexuality. However, his speeches lifted directly from Capote’s novella seem to be at odds with Mr. Greenwood’s new dialogue. There are two different styles going on here and never the twain shall meet.
George Wendt comes up professional as Joe the Bartender, dispensing martinis and listening to Fred’s sad tale of the missing in action Holly as we watch her downward spiral into self destruction as absently and awkwardly directed by Sean Mathias.
There are a bevy of fine supporting characters that enliven the proceedings but not enough to make this a must see event. Included are: Suzanne Bertish, Lee Wilkof, Kate Cullen Roberts and Pedro Carmo.
There is a naked bathtub scene between Fred and Holly that seems out of place in this endless production that just gets worse as it goes on and on and on giving us a case of “The Mean Reds” an anxiety ailment that Holly suffers from. To cure them she goes off to Tiffany’s. See you there.
www.BreakfastAtTiffanysonBroadway.com Photo: Nathan Johnson
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