The Great Wide Way Shines in the Springtime

A new trend that has emerged over the past two years on Broadway is to put the hot stars of Hollywood into theatrical roles, regardless of whether or not they've had any stage training. The shows that have employed this method have drawn large crowds, and have been laughing all the way to the bank. This spring is no exception. A smorgasbord of quality theater will present itself to Broadway audiences over the next five weeks as they compete for audiences and fame, or to at least stay afloat in the harsh seas of popular sentiment.

The first of these spring shows is a revival of Nine, the 1982 musical based on Federico Fellini's most famous film, 8 1/2. The show's star is none other than Antonio Banderas, who makes his Broadway debut in this mediocre play. Despite the play's questionable adaptation, the revival will afford Banderas a chance to prove his ability to hold his own before a live audience, without digital assistance. Nine opens April 10 at the Eugene O'Neill Theater.

The most anticipated revival of the season is Gypsy, starring Bernadette Peters. The musical, which follows one mother's relentless ambitions for her daughters to be famous, marks a transition for Peters into a world of older leading lady roles. Peters, now 55 years old, is accepting the transition with all the grace and beauty for which she is known. Gypsy is already in previews, and is set to open May 1 at the Schubert Theater.

Another revival, The Miracle Worker, recounts the story of Helen Keller and her devoted teacher, Annie Sullivan. Hillary Swank, the 1999 Oscar winner for Best Actress for her performance in Boys Don't Cry, will be playing the role in Gibson's cherished work. It was a hit in 1959, and it will be a hit again, because, let's face it, everybody loves Helen Keller. Previews for The Miracle Worker begin April 8, with the show's official opening set for April 24 at the Music Box Theater.

Another serious revival, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, has come to Broadway after an extremely successful and popular run in London's West End. Starring Eddie Izzard and Victoria Hamilton, Peter Nichol's 1968 play follows the strains placed on a marriage by a brain-damaged daughter, Joe Egg. The show is already in previews, and will formally lift it's curtain on April 3 at the American Airlines Theater.

John Turturro and Helen Hunt will be starring in the season's most anticipated new work, Life (x) 3. The new comedy by Yasmina Reza plays out a dinner party with three different endings. Hunt is a genuinely talented actress who has proven her talent on Broadway stages time and time again, and Reza is a known and respected playwright thanks to Art, the Tony winner for Best Play in 1998. Life (x) 3 opened March 31, and will play as a limited engagement until June 29, 2003 at the Circle in the Square Theater.

Molly Ringwald, the darling of the Brat Pack in the 1980s, will star in Michael Barber's stage adaptation of Elizabeth von Armin's novel Enchanted April. The play examines the vacation of four English women to Italy where they rediscover the true meaning of life. Enchanted April has also been adapted as a movie, and the theater community eagerly awaits to see director Michael Wilson's vision of this popular story. Previews begin April 4, with the opening set for April 29 at the Barrymore Theater.

Although not a Broadway performance, City Opera is sponsoring a limited engagement (only twenty performances) of a revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, starring Juliet Stevenson, Claire Bloom, and Jeremy Irons. Susan Stroman choreographs the Sondheim classic, attempting to redeem herself after the lukewarm reviews she received for her original choreography for last year's revival of Oklahoma.

For Woody Allen fans, an unprecedented moment will come when Writers' Block opens its doors to audiences on May 15. Writer's Block will be Allen's first rendez-vous with stage direction, and it is a well-suited endeavor for him considering that the show is comprised of two one-act plays: New York and New Milford. Another show packed with big names and aging star quality is The Look of Love, which incorporates 30 works of Burt Bacharach and Hal David into a new musical. Bacharach's famous tunes will be backed up by the choreography of Ann Reinking, Bob Fosse's famous leading lady. After the hit success of Mamma Mia!, the new show set to the songs of Abba, this show has the artillery to ride the Broadway wave of success, beginning May 4 at the Brooks Atkinson Theater.

No matter how daring Broadway may pretend to be in one season or another, it never really gets as daring as its red-headed step-child, Off-Broadway. In my opinion, the most innovative, edgy, and intelligent work of the season is American Ma(u)l, the new work by Robert O'Hara. The play focuses on an absurd scenario whereby the American government, in a complete state of financial ruin and chaos, actually ponders the thought of declaring the 15th Amendment null and void in an attempt to reinstitute slavery as a means of remedying the pending financial armageddon. O'Hara's work is an insightful look at race relations, following a black and a white family as they cope with the possibility of this new order of social implementation. American Ma(u)l opens April 14 at the Culture Project.

Broadway literally has something for everyone this spring. From flashy revivals to serious new theatrical works, it truly is a great wide way to go.