Terrence Mc Nally‘s play Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune is one of the most-produced plays regionally in America. It is a two-character play about dating and figuring out if the person you just slept with might be the one with whom to spend the rest of your life. A Broadway revival of the play just started previews in New York at the Broadhurst Theatre. The stars of this production are Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon. Arin Arbus directs.
This is a production with a lot of statistics going for it. First it is the 25th production of a McNally play. Amongst McNally’s other plays and/or books of musicals are Kiss of the Spider Woman, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class and Ragtime (he won Tony Awards for all four shows.)
The last two titles are significant in that they both featured Audra McDonald. Frankie and Johnny… marks McDonald’s 12th Broadway show. Amongst the shows she’s appeared in are Secret Garden, Henry IV and Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. I mention those three shows because they are the only ones for which she was not nominated for a Tony Award. Amongst her 8 nominations she has 6 wins – more than any other actress. Her wins came in all four possible categories: Lead Actress in a Play, Lead Actress in a Musical, Featured Actress in a Play and Featured Actress in a Musical
This is Michael Shannon’s third Broadway show. He was Tony nominated for his performance in Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night opposite Gabriel Byrne and Jessica Lange.
Arin Arbus makes her directorial debut with Frankie & Johnny.. She is a resident artist at Theatre for a New Audience. She counts Shakespeare, opera and plays both old and new amongst her credits.
Frankie & Johnny had its premiere 32 years ago at Manhattan Theatre Club. The cast was Kathy Bates and F. Murray Abraham. A Broadway production did not happen until 2002 when Eddie Falco and Stanley Tucci. That production was also at the Broadhurst Theatre. It was made into a film in 1991 starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino.
This is a limited production scheduled to run through July 28th. Official opening night is May 30th (making it ineligible for this year’s Tony Awards – in case you were wondering.)
For tickets go here.
Of interest: A documentary about McNally called Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life will air as part of the American Masters series on PBS. It is scheduled to run June 14th
Main image: Michael Shannon and Audra McDonald in Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune. (Photo by Deen van Meer)
Update: This post has been updated to include the revised closing date of July 28th.