Imagine you created a family tradition for each of your birthdays. You went about and baked the same cake, a yellow vanilla cake with plenty of butter. You were first taught this recipe by your mother on your 18th birthday and you carried the tradition through until your last birthday on this earth.
Birthday Candles is a play that explores the life of Ernestine, played by Debra Messing, from her 18th birthday to her 107th birthday. The ups and downs of life. Moments of pure joy and love and others that are true heartbreak. All of these are played out on stage in what can only be described as a very unique and remarkable play that will pull at your heartstrings.
Ernestine (Debra Messing) on the eve of her 18th birthday is taught how to make a family tradition for parties, a cake, a recipe passed down by the generations, from grandmother to her mother and now down to Ernestine. The recipe is unique as each member of the family has altered it depending on their taste. So now has come the time for Ernestine to make it her own and take it along her life journey. Along the way, we are introduced to Kenny (Enrico Colantoni) and Matt (John Earl Jelks), and quite a few incarnations of the goldfish.
Directed by Vivienne Benesh, Birthday Candles is a play that addresses the passages of life, in particular aging and the emotional rollercoaster that is life. Triumphs and tragedies and how we as humans deal with some very difficult times in our life. Don’t get me wrong, it is a tremendous piece of theatre, but some themes are addressed that are difficult to watch as some of them do hit very close to home and are things we have all thought about, especially as we age.
Written by Noah Haidle, Birthday Candles isn’t like any play I had seen before. It touches on very difficult subjects that as an adult traveling along our journey have thought about time and again but maybe haven’t vocalized.
Whereas with Birthday Candles the stage play addresses all these subjects we have thought about and made sure the audience will continue to think about it too, where we fit into life, how much of a legacy do we leave, and does my life matter.
Debra Messing as Ernestine Ashworth is tremendous. Her performance is consistently good throughout the entire 90-minute production. There are moments where the script does seem a little far-fetched, the length of her life, but Debra is a strong stage presence and a joy to watch on stage.
Enrico Colantoni as Kenneth is adorable. There is something about his performance that seems so genuine. His characterization will remind you of someone in your life who has held a candle for someone when the love isn’t reciprocated. Such a touching performance that will bring tears of joy to your eyes.
Birthday Candles is a play that delivers a lot of interesting themes but will also address the ideas of family and aging but also how someone deals with some traumatic periods in her life but maintains the family birthday tradition of making a favored cake.
Birthday Candles is on Broadway for a very limited time.