May 10, 2006

Brían F. O’Byrne opens in 'Shining City' on Broadway

Conor McPherson's play about guilt, loss and change, Shining City, opened on Broadway Tuesday night with rave reviews for Tony winner Brían F. O’Byrne in one of the lead roles.

Oliver Platt, in his Broadway debut, drew (non-universal) praise, as did the perfomaces from Martha Plimpton Peter Scanavino. Set in Dublin, Platt's character keeps seeing the ghost of his deceased wife and goes to see a psychiatrist, who is grappling with issues of his own. It's directed by Robert Falls.

"Shining City" plays through July 16 at the Biltmore Theatre, located at 261 W. 47th St., map.

A sample of the reviews:

Variety - "The ghosts that hovered over the rural pub regulars in Conor McPherson's 'The Weir' are no less a factor for the haunted Dubliners of the playwright's 'Shining City.' Reflecting with subtlety and compassion on the guilt, anxiety and restlessness of two lonely men seeking emotional and spiritual connections, this compelling drama has been staged with penetrating insight and an impeccable balance of humor and melancholy by Robert Falls. With a superb cast that digs deep inside naturalistically drawn characters, the final play of the Broadway season is one to savor."

Newsday - "If the pivotal character were played by anyone less fascinating than Brían F. O'Byrne, it would be hard to justify the effort in Robert Falls' conscientious production. O'Byrne, who made a pedophiliac murderer almost appealing in 'Frozen,' and made us hate to doubt the priest in "Doubt," is compulsively watchable as the connecting link here."

New York Times - "In terms of construction, 'Shining City' is as close to perfection as contemporary playwriting gets. As elliptical as the conversation is, there's not a word or pause that doesn't feed the work's theme or its interconnected, disconnected stories. The same is true of even small physical details, like the malfunctioning downstairs buzzer in Ian's office building, and what turns out to be the most shocking ending on Broadway."

Daily News - "Despite the wonderful cast and Robert Falls' sensitive direction, the two plays never quite jell."

Post - "In 'Shining City,' we're offered snippets of stories that never quite hang together and never quite make sense. They're presumably meant to illuminate characters which, unfolding before us, provide a meaningful dramatic experience. They don't."

Sun - "Mr. McPherson's curiously touching drama 'Shining City' hinges on a plot point that cannot in good conscience be divulged or even hinted at. But it also stems from a steady patience on his part, a willingness to let conversations progress at their own speed, with all their stumbles and dead ends. All the while, he has hidden within the chatter a quietly devastating tale of suppressed guilt and hard-won grace."

Journal News - "Everything is right about 'Shining City,' Conor McPherson's fantastic new play that opened last night at the Manhattan Theatre Club's Broadway venue, the Biltmore Theatre."

Associated Press - "Platt perfectly captures a man in shambles, the unraveling of a person done in by unexpected loss. His long, hesitant speeches are almost monologues, the baring, in bits and pieces, of his soul."

Hollywood Reporter - "Although he's still overly reliant on the use of monologues, McPherson here has crafted a subtly devastating portrait of human desperation and loneliness that proves the irony of its title (it refers to Dublin)."

May 10, 2006 07:45 AM in Broadway

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