This isn't a celebrity-do-gooder piece (it will be later!) but I wanted to talk about this Broadway show!
On Saturday, my daughter and I saw The 39 Steps on Broadway. I didn't know what to expect. I prefer musicals and this was not a musical, but I heard it was funny and I always like funny. So we ventured in the pouring rain for a 3pm show.
The website describes the show as 'mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have THE 39 STEPS, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre!'
"In THE 39 STEPS, a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she's a spy. When he takes her home, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called "The 39 Steps" is hot on the man's trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale"
The cast of four -- played by Arnie Burton, Jeffrey Kuhn, Sean Mahon, and Jill Paice -- is absolutely hilarious. I had a soft spot in my heart for Jeffrey Kuhn who probably went to the "Tim Conway School of awesome facial expressions and voices." It's a laugh riot as the actors transpose themselves into multiple characters right in front of you, while not missing a beat. The slapstick, the facial expressions, the hilarious choreography as sets are moved around and become part of the jokes make this show a don't miss.
According to Playbill magazine, "here's how the producers characterize the madness: "The 39 Steps features a cast of four actors who, against all odds, breathlessly and hilariously attempt to reenact all of the characters, locations and famous scenes in Hitchcock's 1935 film thriller with just a few props and a lot of theatrical ingenuity and split second quick changes."
Sadly, this show is ending its run on Broadway in January and I wish it wasn't. If you're looking for something to see, this is it. The house should be full and the word of how funny this show is should be spreading like wildfire.
My cheeks literally hurt after the performance and my daughter and I talked about our favorite moments all the way home.