''Biloxi Blues'' is a semi-

autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three ...

. It portrays the conflict of Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey and Arnold Epstein, one of many privates enlisted in the military stationed in

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...

, seen through the eyes of Eugene Jerome, one of the other soldiers. This play is the second chapter in what is known as his ''

Eugene trilogy __NOTOC__ The Eugene Trilogy refers to three plays written by Neil Simon, the "quasi-autobiographical trilogy" '' Brighton Beach Memoirs'', '' Biloxi Blues'' and '' Broadway Bound''. History The trilogy tells the story of Eugene Jerome from his a ...

'', following ''

Brighton Beach Memoirs ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon. The play is a coming-of-age comedy focused on the main character of Eugene Morris Jerome, a Jewish teenager from a Polish immigrant family. It is set in September 1937 in ...

'' and preceding '' Broadway Bound''. The play won the

Tony Award for Best Play The Tony Award for Best Play (formally, an Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award given to the best new (non-musical) play on Broadway, as determined by Tony Award voters. There was no award in the Tonys' first year ...

, and Barry Miller won a

Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play The Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality supporting roles in a Broadway theatre, Broa ...

for his performance as Arnold Epstein.

Plot overview

The story begins with 18-year-old Eugene Morris Jerome from

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, who is drafted into the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and is sent to

for basic training. There he meets a diverse assortment of soldiers, including the gentle and intelligent Arnold Epstein, who is the play's central figure. The piece portrays Epstein's struggle for power with middle-aged, hard-drinking platoon leader Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey. In a memorable scene, Epstein manages to force Toomey to perform two hundred push-ups in front of the platoon.

Production

''Biloxi Blues'' had its world premiere at the

Ahmanson Theatre The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. Shows at this theater are produced by Center Theatre Group. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the ...

, Los Angeles, California, running from December 8, 1984 to February 2, 1985. It then ran at the

Curran Theatre The Curran Theatre, located at 445 Geary Street between Taylor and Mason Streets in the Theatre District of San Francisco, California opened in February 1922, and was named after its first owner, Homer Curran. As of 2014, the theater is owned b ...

in San Francisco from February 6 through March 9, 1985. ''Biloxi Blues'' opened on Broadway at the

Neil Simon Theatre The Neil Simon Theatre, originally the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 250 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1927, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp ...

on March 28, 1985 and closed on June 28, 1986 after 524 performances and 12 previews. Directed by Gene Saks, the cast starred Barry Miller as Arnold and

Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. He starred in ''WarGames'' (1983) as a teen government hacker, and ''Ladyhawke (film), Ladyhawke'' (1985), a medieval fantasy alongside Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. He play ...

as Eugene.

Scenic Design Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including Play (theatre), plays and Musical theatre, musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, wher ...

was by David Mitchell,

costume design Costume design is the process of selecting or creating clothing for a performers. A costume may be designed from scratch or may be designed by combining existing garments. "Costume" may also refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a ...

Ann Roth Ann Bishop Roth (born October 30, 1931) is an American costume designer. In a career spanning over six decades, she is recognized for her prolific work across stage and screen. She has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, tw ...

, and lighting design by

Tharon Musser Tharon Myrene Musser (January 8, 1925 – April 19, 2009)Emanuel Azenberg served as producer in association with

Center Theatre Group Center Theatre Group is a non-profit arts organization located in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest theatre companies in the nation, programming subscription seasons year-round at the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and th ...

."'Biloxi Blues'"
Internet Broadway Database, accessed April 12, 2012Rich, Frank.

''The New York Times'', March 29, 1985

Opening cast

Sources:Internet Broadway Database; ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' * William Sadler – Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey * Barry Miller – Arnold Epstein *

Penelope Ann Miller Penelope Ann Miller (born Penelope Andrea Miller; January 13, 1964), sometimes credited as Penelope Miller, is an American actress. She began her career on Broadway in the original run of '' Biloxi Blues'' (1985–1986), later appearing in the ...

– Daisy Hannigan * Randall Edwards – Rowena *

– Eugene * Matt Mulhern – Joseph Wykowski *

Alan Ruck Alan Douglas Ruck (born July 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Cameron Frye in John Hughes' film '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), as well as television roles as Stuart Bondek on the ABC sitcom '' Spin City'' (1996� ...

– Don Carney * Geoffrey Sharp – James Hennesey * Brian Tarantina – Roy Selridge

Notable replacements

Matthew Broderick was succeeded by Bruce Norris, Zach Galligan, William Ragsdale, and Jonathan Silverman.

Jamey Sheridan James Patrick Sheridan (born July 12, 1951) is an American actor known for playing a wide range of roles in theater, film, and television. He is known for Randall Flagg in ''The Stand'' (1994), Captain James Deakins on ''Law & Order: Criminal I ...

replaced William Sadler as Sgt. Toomey.

Response

Frank Rich Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born June 2, 1949) is an American essayist and liberal op-ed columnist, who held various positions within ''The New York Times'' from 1980 to 2011. He has also produced television series and documentaries for HBO. Rich is ...

wrote: "Besides being extremely funny, ''Biloxi Blues'' is Mr. Simon's first serious attempt to examine his conscience as an artist and a Jew."

Awards and nominations

Source: Tony Awards at BroadwayWorld, Playbill *

(winner) * Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play (Barry Miller, winner) *

Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony the Tiger, cartoon mascot for Frosted Flakes cereal * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * ...

(Gene Saks, winner) * Theatre World Award (Barry Miller, winner) * Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play (nominee) * Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Barry Miller, winner; William Sadler, nominee) * Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (Gene Saks, nominee) *New York Drama Critics' Circle for Best Play (nominee)

Film adaptation

A 1988 film adaptation was directed by

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of ...

. The cast features Broderick, Miller, and Mulhern reprising their Broadway roles, with

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Christopher Walken on stage and screen, His work on stage and screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Christopher Walken, accolades includin ...

(Sgt. Toomey), Corey Parker (Epstein), Markus Flanagan (Selridge), and

Casey Siemaszko Kazimierz Andrew "Casey" Siemaszko (; born March 17, 1961) is an American actor. He had supporting roles in ''Back to the Future'' and '' Stand By Me'' before having starring roles in '' Three O'Clock High'' and '' Young Guns''. Personal life Sie ...

(Carney).Canby, Vincent
"Review/Film; Film: Simon's 'Biloxi Blues,' Coming of Age in the Army"
''The New York Times'', March 25, 1988

References

External links

* *
archive
{{TonyAwardBestPlay 1976-2000 1984 plays American plays adapted into films Autobiographical plays Broadway plays Plays by Neil Simon Plays about the military Plays set in Mississippi Plays set in the 1940s Plays about World War II Sequel plays Tony Award–winning plays Works about Mississippi