''To Be or Not to Be'' is a play written by
Nick Whitby
Nick may refer to:
* Nick (given name)
* A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat
* British slang for being arrested
* British slang for a police station
* British slang for stealing
* Short for nickname
Places ...
, based on the 1942 film ''
To Be or Not to Be To Be or Not to Be may refer to:
* ''To be, or not to be'', the soliloquy from ''Hamlet''.
Films and TV, theatre and books
* ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1942 film), directed by Ernst Lubitsch
* ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1983 film), a remake produced ...
''. The play, described as a "black comedy"
[ was produced by the ]Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has ...
, and ran 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 ...
in 2008.
Plot
The time is 1939, the place is Warsaw, Poland. A theater troupe run by Josef and Maria Tura is involved in pre-war problems. Josef and Maria
help catch a spy, with the aid of Stanislaw Sobinskya, a handsome fighter pilot. Stanislaw has a romantic yearning for Maria.
Production
''To Be or Not to Be'' premiered on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, formerly the Biltmore Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 261 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the neo-Renais ...
on September 16, 2008, in previews and officially on October 14, for a limited engagement,[Bacalzo, Dan]
To Be Or Not To Be Postpones First Preview, Opening Night"
theatermania.com, September 11, 2008. closing on November 16 after 40 performances.
The director was Casey Nicholaw
Casey Nicholaw (born October 6, 1962) is an American theatre director, choreographer, and performer. He has been nominated for several Tony Awards for his work directing and choreographing ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' (2006), ''The Book of Mormon'' (2 ...
, with principal cast including Peter Benson, David Rasche
David Rasche ( ; born August 7, 1944) is an American theater, film and television actor who is best known for his portrayal of the title character in the 1980s satirical police sitcom ''Sledge Hammer!'' Since then he has often played characters ...
, Peter Maloney and Jan Maxwell.
Sets were by Anna Louizos, costumes by Gregg Barnes
Gregg Barnes is an American costume designer for stage and film. Barnes is a two-time winner of the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for his work on the Broadway productions of ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' (2006) and ''Follies'' (2011 ...
and lighting by Howell Binkley.
Several cast changes were made prior to the previews: David Rasche took over the part of Josef Tura from Craig Bierko
Craig Philip Bierko (born August 18, 1964) is an American actor and singer.
Early life
Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York where his mother Pat ran The Harrison Players, a local community theatre.
After graduating Blind Brook High School, ...
, and Peter Maloney replaced Brian Murray in the role of Dowasz.[
]
Critical reception
The ''CurtainUp'' reviewer called the play an "overcooked theatrical perogi", but goes on to write that the play: "...does follow his
ubitschcomedy classic's basic plot of having the thespians foil a Nazi plan to entrap the leaders of the underground movement. Its few laughs come when the script sticks to Edwin Justus Mayer's screenplay...But it's all weighed down by added and unfunny jokes."
[Sommer, Elyse]
"Review. ''To Be or Not To Be''"
curtainup.com, October 15, 2008
References
External links
*{{Playbill production, to-be-or-not-to-be-samuel-j-friedman-theatre-vault-0000001510
archive
Broadway plays
2008 plays