''33 Variations'' is a play by

Moisés Kaufman Moisés Kaufman (born November 21, 1963) is a Venezuelan theater director, filmmaker, playwright, founder of Tectonic Theater Project, based in New York City, and co-founder of Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre. He was awarded the 2016 Nat ...

, inspired by

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

Diabelli Variations The ''33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli'', Op. 120, commonly known as the ''Diabelli Variations'', is a set of variations for the piano written between 1819 and 1823 by Ludwig van Beethoven on a waltz composed by Anton Diabelli. It f ...

. It débuted on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

on March 9, 2009, starring

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...

. Originally written in 2007, its world première was held at

Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...

in Washington, D.C.

Plot

The play simultaneously examines the creative process behind Beethoven's ''

'' and the journey of a

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...

, Katherine Brandt, to discover the meaning behind why Beethoven was compelled to write thirty-three distinct variations on a simple theme by a minor music publisher. The progression of her

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most commo ...

(ALS) and her relationship with her daughter are also themes of the story, as is Beethoven's growing deafness. The action takes place both in Beethoven's time and the present, switching back and forth between the two. However, at certain key points, characters from both time periods appear on stage to deliver lines simultaneously, emphasizing the parallels between the exploits of both sets of characters.

Production history

The original production was directed by the playwright, Moisés Kaufman, with piano by Diane Walsh. ''33 Variations'' premièred at Arena Stage in September 2007, with

Mary Beth Peil Mary Beth Peil (born June 25, 1940) is an American actress and soprano. She began her career as an opera singer in 1962 with the Goldovsky Opera Theater. In 1964 she won two major singing competitions, the Young Concert Artists International Au ...

as Katherine, Laura Odeh as her daughter Clara, and Graeme Malcolm as Beethoven. A West Coast production ran in April 2008 at

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under ...

's Mandell Weiss Theatre, with

Jayne Atkinson Jayne Atkinson (born 18 February 1959) is a British-American actress. She is best known for the role of Karen Hayes on '' 24'', as well as her Tony Award–nominated roles in '' The Rainmaker'' and '' Enchanted April''. She has also appeared i ...

as Katherine,

Zach Grenier Zach Grenier is an American character actor of film, television and stage. He is best known for his roles in films such as ''Fight Club'', '' Tommy Boy'', and ''Twister'' and for his roles in television such as David Lee in ''The Good Wife'' and ...

as Beethoven, and Odeh returning as Clara. The play premièred on Broadway at the

Eugene O'Neill Theatre The Eugene O'Neill Theatre, previously the Forrest Theatre and the Coronet Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 230 West 49th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and ...

in a limited engagement, on March 9, 2009, with

as Katherine, in her first appearance on Broadway in forty-six years. Grenier returned as Beethoven. Sets by Derek McLane; costumes by Janice Pytel; lighting by David Lander; sound by André J. Pluess; projection design by Jeff Sugg; choreography by Daniel Pelzig. It closed May 21, 2009. ''33 Variations'' had regional premieres at

Carolina Actors Studio Theatre Carolina Actors Studio Theatre (CAST) was an independent non-profit theatre company located at 2424 North Davidson Street in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was founded in 1992 by Charlotte acting instructor Ed Gilweit as an actor's teaching schoo ...

in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 23, 2012, at the Capital Repertory Theater in Albany, New York on September 10, 2010, and at the

Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional equity theatre located at 1127 Vine Street in Cincinnati, Ohio that was founded in 1986. It is Greater Cincinnati’s second largest professional theatre, and until April 2012 was known as "Ensemble Thea ...

on September 2, 2009. In March 2019, the play was staged for a limited engagement at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. The production featured

Ellen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complicated women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Em ...

as Katherine,

Lisa McCune Lisa McCune (born 19 February 1971) is an Australian actress, known for her role in TV series ''Blue Heelers'' as Senior Constable Maggie Doyle, and in '' Sea Patrol'' as Lieutenant Kate McGregor RAN. She has won four Gold Logie Awards. McCun ...

as Clara,

William McInnes Daryl William Mathew Gabriel McInnes (born 10 September 1963) is an Australian film and television actor and writer. He portrayed the role of Matt Tivolli in '' The Time of Our Lives''. He is best known for his roles as Senior Constable Nick Sc ...

as Beethoven,

Francis Greenslade Francis Greenslade (born 3 October 1962 in Honiara, Solomon Islands) is an Australian comedic actor. He also teaches acting. Early life In the 1980s, Greenslade studied at the University of Adelaide where he first met Shaun Micallef. They per ...

as Diabelli, Helen Morse as Gertrude,

André de Vanny André Guy Foreman De Vanny (born 14 September 1984) is an Australian actor, who starred in ''Wicked Science'' and ''Swansong''. Filmography *''Of Mice and Men'' (2015) as Curley *''War Horse'' (2013) *'' The Pacific'' (2010) as ''Crazy Marin ...

as Schindler, and

Toby Truslove Toby Truslove is an Australian film, theatre and television actor. Career In 2001, Truslove appeared on the television drama series ''Crash Palace'' as Bryan Rossiter. He has since made guest appearances on Australian TV series including '' Al ...

as Mike

Awards and nominations

2009 Tony Awards: * Best Play (nominated) * Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play,

(nominated) * Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play,

(nominated) * Best Scenic Design of a Play, Derek McLane (WINNER) * Best Lighting Design of a Play, David Lander (nominated) It won the 2007 Edgerton New American Play Award and the 2008 Harold and Mimi Steinberg

American Theatre Critics Association The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) is the only nationwide professional association of theatre critics in the United States. The ATCA membership consists of theatre critics who write reviews and critiques of live theatre for print, broad ...

New Play Award."U.S. Theater Critics Honor Moises Kaufman's ''33 Variations''"

, March 29, (2008?). Accessed May 19, 2009.

References

External links

''33 Variations''
s listing at the

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...

{{Portal, Theatre 2007 plays Plays by Moisés Kaufman Broadway plays Cultural depictions of Ludwig van Beethoven Plays based on real people Plays based on music