On learning of his mother’s death, country music icon Strings McCrane (Adam Driver) finds himself in an existential tailspin. The only way out, he decides, is to abandon superstardom in favor of the simple life, so he moves back to his hometown in Tennessee. The simple life turns out to be anything but simple in this brilliantly observed tragicomedy, as the consequences of Strings’s success and mind-bending effects of his fame prove all but impossible to outrun.
“Hold on to Me Darling” was the best new play of 2016 when it opened at the Atlantic Theater. Eight years later, Kenneth Lonergan’s comedy about a country singer is the best contemporary play now on the boards in New York City. A most entertaining revival opened Wednesday at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Despite a fine cast and some good laughs, three hours is too long for what “Hold On To Me Darling” winds up being, which is a strange, slight if appealing comedy that strains to be pointed and poignant.
2016 | Off-Broadway |
World Premiere Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
2024 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
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