Plaza Suite with Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker was something that was really worth waiting for, given the extensive delay due to the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Plaza Suite by Neil Simon is a classic. The play is set in three distinctive acts, all varying from each other, but one remarkable constant is that the three separate couples are played by the same actors. Karen and Sam in Act One, Muriel and Jessie in Act Two and Norma and Roy in Act Three are all played by Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.
Act One is about a married couple who have visited a suite at the Plaza Hotel for their wedding anniversary, Karen and Sam. Karen, a dotting housewife and Sam, a workaholic.
Act Two is about two friends that meet up after many, many years apart. Muriel, a married housewife from New Jersey and Jessie, a famous Hollywood director, they also meet at the Plaza Hotel in the same suite.
Act Three is about Norma and Ray, a husband and wife, staying at the Plaza Hotel to attend the wedding of their very nervous daughter.
Directed by John Benjamin Hickey, Plaza Suite is a play that delves into the lives of six completely different individuals who happen to visit suite 719 at the Plaza Hotel. What is remarkable about this work is the strong performances delivered by the actors. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick portrayals are unique and memorable and it is a fun romp on stage by two very committed actors to their craft.
Written by Neil Simon, Plaza Suite, is a great comedy but a little dated. The work has aged, especially that a majority of the female characters are presented as housewives who don’t seem to think they have a life outside of the home and the male counterparts point this out, repeatedly. Also the male characters are more assertive and dominant in vocalizing their opinions, often downplaying the importance of the female perspective.
Matthew Broderick as Sam, Jessie and Roy are equally strong, but the stand out performance is his portrayal of Roy. The delivery of this characterization is almost perfection and it is a joy watching Matthew Broderick act on the stage.
Sarah Jessica Parker is an absolute delight. Being able to watch her perform in person after years of watching her on TV is remarkable. She is an actors actor and is consistently strong in all of her performances. Standout performance for me was the opening act, Act One and her characterization of Karen. A true treat watching her on stage.
Plaza Suite is an interesting play and not one that is often seen. The dialogue and themes are a little out of touch, but then again this is a play set in the 1960s and published in 1969, so it is over fifty years old, so some aging is expected.
But Plaza Suite is a clever work, it presents the lives of six individuals, three couples, all at various stages in their lives. The one consistent thing, apart from suite 719, is that they are all questioning their existence and making changes, some of the better and some for the worse. Plaza Suite is about change and how people experience it and come to terms with it when confronted by it.
Plaza Suite is currently playing at the Hudson Theater for a very limited run.