Present Laughter Revival 2017
Opened: April 5, 2017Closing: July 02, 2017
Present Laughter - 2017 Broadway History , Info & More
St. James Theatre (Broadway)
246 West 44th St. New York, NY
Noel Coward's totally-irresistible comedy, Present Laughter, follows a self-obsessed actor (is there any other kind?) in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Freely indulging his considerable appetite for wine, women and sleeping late (not necessarily in that order), the theatre's favorite leading man suddenly finds himself caught between fawning ingenues, crazed playwrights, secret trysts and unexpected twists.
Present Laughter first premiered on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre in 1946, following an immensely successful wartime tour starring Coward himself. One of his most produced and beloved works, Present Laughter has come to define Coward's singular comedic voice for generations of theatergoers. In addition to Coward, some of the world's most accomplished stage actors, including the likes of Albert Finney, Peter O'Toole, and Ian McKellen, have played the lead role.
Present Laughter - 2017 - Broadway Cast
PREVIEW Present Laughter - 2017 - Broadway
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FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Present Laughter
Theater Review: Noël Coward’s Present Laughter Is Ever-Modern
7 / 10
His moral comedy is undiminished. The scene in which he finally calls out the sexual subterfuges of his comrades - and definitively rids himself of his own extraneous women - successfully counterweights the play's many trivialities. Most of the rest of the cast, under the direction of Moritz von Stuelpnagel, seems to have got the same memo: Play the problems, not the jokes. I was especially impressed with the women. Cobie Smulders, a star of How I Met Your Mother making her Broadway debut as Joanna, not only looks sensational in gowns by Susan Hilferty but finds a core of valor in a typically odious character. Kate Burton - who played the ingénue Daphne opposite George C. Scott in 1982 - brings exceptional clarity and warmth to Liz, who can sometimes come off as a scold. And Kristine Nielsen is hilarious as the trusty secretary Kristine Nielsen.
Present Laughter starring Kevin Kline – review at St James Theatre, New York – ‘lugubrious’
6 / 10
The result is that laughter is only intermittently present. It feels lugubrious and weighty rather effortless. Our taste for the kind of theatrical vanity encapsulated by Essendine has long waned and it seems incongruous that his theatre career could support such a large permanent staff, including housekeeper, valet and secretary, or allow his house to look like Victoria station, with so many people coming and going.
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Present Laughter History
Other Productions of Present Laughter
| 1946 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1958 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1982 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1996 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 2010 | Broadway |
Roundabout Revival Broadway |
| 2017 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
| 2019 | West End |
Old Vic Revival Production West End |
Present Laughter - 2017 Broadway Awards and Nominations
Note: Award winners will appear on a background
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Play | Kevin Kline |
| 2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Kevin Kline |
| 2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Play | Susan Hilferty |
| 2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | Josh Marquette |
| 2017 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Kate Burton |
| 2017 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Kevin Kline |
| 2017 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Present Laughter |
| 2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Kevin Kline |
| 2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Susan Hilferty |
| 2017 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Cobie Smulders |
| 2017 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Susan Hilferty |
| 2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Kevin Kline |
| 2017 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Present Laughter |
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