Pushing up Daisy: A Broadway extension for Redgrave and Jones
Wed Dec 15 2010
I wasn't too wild about the Broadway revival of Alfred Uhry's 1987 Driving Miss Daisy when I reviewed it for TONY back in October. While the production's two stars, Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones, are undeniably very fine actors—as is Boyd Gaines, who completes the cast—David Esbjornson's staging struck me as vague, and I was unpersuaded by Redgrave's performance. (For all her gifts, she often seems subtly off when playing Americans.) "Without a strong connection between the odd couple at its core, the play putters along as little more than a star vehicle, and one in which Jones does most of the driving," I wrote. But the formula of familiar title, big-name stars, elderly-friendly material and feel-good message about interracial friendship turns out to be a winning one, and the show's grosses have been impressive. The production will therefore putter on a little longer than scheduled: Originally slated to close on January 29, Driving Miss Daisy will now welcome golden-agers to the Golden Theatre through April 9. So if your nana is visiting and you want something guaranteed not to offend, you can order from the new block of tickets here. Drive safe!
