Le monde des musicals

Lobby Hero (2018-03-Hayes Theatre-Broadway)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Hayes Theatre (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 1 mois 2 semaines
Nombre : 30 previews - 56 représentations
Première Preview : jeudi 01 mars 2018
Première : lundi 26 mars 2018
Dernière : dimanche 13 mai 2018
Mise en scène : Trip Cullman •
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Avec : Michael Cera (as Jeff), Chris Evans (as Bill), Brian Tyree Henry (as William), and Bel Powley (as Dawn)
Commentaires : The renowned off-Broadway company Second Stage Theater re-opens the Hayes Theater (formerly Helen Hayes Theatre) and launches its inaugural Broadway season with Academy Award winner Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero. Under the direction of Trip Cullman, the play marks the Broadway debut of "Captain America" star Chris Evans and a Broadway return for "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" star Michael Cera, who previously appeared in the 2014 Broadway revival of This Is Our Youth. Emmy Award nominee Brian Tyree Henry and Bel Powley complete the Broadway cast.

Expertly constructed by one of theatre and film's most talented contemporary writers, Lobby Hero follows the interpersonal relationships between two police officers (a male, self-assured veteran and a female rookie) and two security guards of a Manhattan apartment building lobby. The drama eventually unfolds as all four become entangled in a murder investigation enquiry that explores ideas of morality, loyalty, and police corruption. However, Lonergan's script has plenty of comic bite to it, which is largely played out to great effect by Michael Cera as the awkward, yet chatty Jeff. Cera is once again in his element, perfectly cast as a scrawny, 27-year old, unambitious security guard, who constantly protests he is not a doorman. Chris Evans also plays the brutish, chauvinistic Bill with a sly sense of comedy, straying away from his usual heroic protagonist roles and portraying something as detestable as it is instantly recognizable. There is no doubt, we are laughing at him and not with him. Bel Powley's portrayal of young, feisty Dawn clearly sets her up as the underdog of the piece and she cleverly finds ways of puffing out her chest like a small rodent trying to make itself appear bigger. Finally, Brian Tyree Henry revels in the most versatile character of the play as William, displaying elements of sheer confidence (in his position of authority over Jeff), of cautiousness and of moments of desperation at his predicament. Should he provide a false alibi to protect a close family member? What would we do in his shoes?

David Rockwell's scenic design is minimalistic and judged to perfection with a rotating stage that enables interior and exterior scenes to flow into each other effortlessly, skillfully avoiding any problematic sightline issues. And Second Stage Theater has accomplished a great feat in the renovation and modernisation of The Hayes Theater; its stylish new home on the Great White Way. With Lobby Hero, Second Stage's Broadway journey is off to a great start.
Presse : "Shut up. Keep talking. Those clashing orders whisper side-by-side in your mind as you watch the meticulously acted revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s “Lobby Hero,”... That’s because you will probably come to — if not like — then feel personally invested in the four self-sabotaging New Yorkers so completely embodied here by Michael Cera, Chris Evans, Brian Tyree Henry and Bel Powley. And none of them can participate in the simplest exchanges of words without doing serious damage." Ben Brantley for New York Times

"Lonergan, who won an Oscar for his screenplay for “Manchester by the Sea,” specializes in flawed sad sacks and self-sabotagers. He has an all-too-rare gift of perfect pitch when it comes to dialogue." Joe Dziemianowicz for New York Daily News

"The social issues that Lobby Hero touches on—sexual harrassment, racial bias in the justice system, the blue wall of silence—are as topical now as when it premiered, but the play's lens is rigorously trained on the personal. Jeff, a chatterbox, is entrusted with secrets that he may not be able to keep, and Lonergan keeps the audience off-balance about his characters’ morality and motivations as the play vascillates between tragedy and humor. As the dramatic waters rise, Jeff bobs with the tides, moored to his desk: a lost buoy in rough seas." Adam Feldman for Time Out New York

"Let's get the obvious question out of the way up front: Does Chris Evans cut it in his leap from the superhero universe to the naturalistic comedy-drama of Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero? Absolutely." David Rooney for Hollywood Reporter

"Helmer Trip Cullman does his best work with small, tight ensembles like this one, so there’s no slack in the emotional tension and no escape from the sticky web that even nice people get tangled up in when they tell lies – especially the lies they tell themselves." Marilyn Stasio for Variety