More and more famous Hollywood stars are making their debut on Broadway. The most recent transplant is the lithesome and lovely Academy Award nominee Uma Thurman (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, “Imposters”) who’s making her Broadway debut in the buzzworthy new play by “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon’ (Farragut North Ides of March) — The Parisian Woman — which opened on Thursday, November 30, 2017 at the Hudson Theatre, 141 West 44th Street, NYC to ravishing reviews.
Dauntingly directed by Tony Award winner Pam MacKinnon (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Clybourne Park) the fun and engaging play is performed without intermission so there is no break in the creative flow and incessant laughter aimed at today’s political environment. The writing is witty and wonderful and hits way below the belt. And smart and sexy Thurman is the perfect vixen delivering her lines with amazing grace! As you’re bowled over from laughter from one scene, she’s onto her next gutsy below the belt line. You never stop laughing!
When not staring at Thurman – don’t hate her because she’s beautiful — your eyes are fixed on the elaborately chic sets. Also giving good eye candy are co-stars Josh Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama, American Psycho, “The Mysteries of Laura”), Tony Award winner Blair Brown (“Orange Is The New Black,” “Fringe,” Copenhagen, Nikolai and the Others), Marton Csokas (Loving, The Lord of the Rings) and Tony Award nominee Phillipa Soo (Hamilton, Amélie).
Willimon sets The Parisian Woman in the present in Washington, D.C., where powerful friends are the only kind worth having, especially after the 2016 election. At the center is Chloe (Uma Thurman), a socialite armed with charm and wit, coming to terms with politics, her past, her marriage and an uncertain future. Dark humor and drama collide at this pivotal moment in Chloe’s life, and in our nation’s, when the truth isn’t obvious and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Willimon’s inspiration for The Parisian Woman came from French dramatist Henri Becque’s controversial play, La Parisienne which debuted in Paris in 1885.
The creative team for The Parisian Woman is Tony Award winner Derek McLane (scenic design), Tony Award winner Jane Greenwood (costume design), Tony Award winner Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), three-time Drama Desk Award nominee Darrel Maloney (projections), Broken Chord (sound design and original composition), Tom Watson (hair design), and Tommy Kurzman (make-up design). Casting is by Telsey + Company, Will Cantler CSA. Boneau/Bryan-Brown is the general press representative.
The Parisian Woman was commissioned by The Flea Theater in New York City (Jim Simpson, founder, Niegel Smith, artistic director, Carol Ostrow, producing director). It was originally produced by South Coast Repertory and is produced on Broadway by Marc Routh, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Steven Baruch, Steve Traxler, Grad/Raqy, Jam Theatricals, Gabrielle Palitz in association with Marvin Rosen, Andy Okoskyn/Ivanna de Benito, Peter and Susan Crampton Davis, Peggy Hill, Terence and Lori Street, Lucille Werlinich, Cecelia Joyce Johnson/Deep End Productions, Thomas Kranz/Robert Shelley and Joe Watson. (Photos courtesy Broadway.com by Emilio Madrid-Kuser)
By Audrey J. Bernard
