Denzel Washington, two-time Academy Award winner and Tony Award winner, returns to Broadway in one of the signal roles in the American theatre in Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, for 14 weeks only.
Frank Rich of The New York Times raved, "the word 'masterwork' is not invoked lightly. Eugene O'Neill's tragic vision remains undiminished by time. The Iceman Cometh is a ferocious American classic that has lost none of its power to send one shaking into the middle of the night." Beginning March 22, 2018, Denzel Washington, fresh off his extraordinary sell-out runs in both Fences and A Raisin in the Sun, comes back to the Main Stem in "the greatest American play" (New York Magazine) by "the greatest American playwright" (The Washington Post).
Five-time Tony winner George C. Wolfe directs this strictly limited engagement.
"Before Eugene O'Neill, America had entertainment; after him, it had drama." John Lahr, The New Yorker
"Eugene O'Neill did nothing less than re-invent - or rather invent - the American theater." - Sarah Churchwell, The Guardian
"The Iceman Cometh ranks among the theater's finest works. One final salute to a notable drama by a man who writes with the heart and wonder of a poet." - Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times
Yet the cumulative effect of this handsomely decrepit production is bracing. Director George C. Wolfe keeps things moving at a quick clip; not all of the bigger character choices pay off-and some of the actors are hard to hear or understand-but there are performances to savor. (I especially admired Michael Potts as a crapped-out gambler, Bill Irwin as a slick-handed ex-carny and Tammy Blanchard as a hard-nosed streetwalker.) In the end, however, it is Washington's show, and he seizes it with both hands in Hickey's climactic monologue, an aria of eroding self-deception boldly delivered straight to the audience. He takes us into his confidence, even as it crumbles.
In order words, Hickey (played by Nathan Lane three years ago at BAM) would not appear to be a role destined for Denzel Washington - yet here he is on Broadway giving a first-rate performance in a first-class revival of O'Neill's titanic 1946 tragedy of shattered dreams, hopelessness and inebriation.
1946 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1956 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
1973 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1985 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1999 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2015 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Off-Broadway |
2018 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | David Morse |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Denzel Washington |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | The Iceman Cometh |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | David Morse |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Ann Roth |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | George C. Wolfe |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Jules Fisher |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | David Morse |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Denzel Washington |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | The Iceman Cometh |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Santo Loquasto |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Dan Moses Schreier |
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