Born Yesterday

At the Cort Theatre 138 West 48th Street. It opened on April 24, 2011 and will run until July 31, 2011.

This revival is the third outing on Broadway. The play is by Garson Kanin. The New York premiere was on February 4, 1946 at the Lyceum Theatre. Starring Paul Douglas, Judy Holliday and Gary Merrill. It ran for 1,642 performances and remains the 7th longest running play. Two years later it moved to the Henry Miller Theatre and closed Christmas Eve 1950.

On January 29, 1989 it opened at the 46th Sreet Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre) starred Ed Asner and Madeline Kahn. It closed on June 11. 1989 and ran for 153 performances.

Two movies were made. The one made 1950 starrred Judy Holliday and Matthew Broderick. Judy won an academy award for her role. John Goodman and Melanie Griffon were featured in the 1993 remake. Melanie on the other hand received a Golden Raspberry Award for the worse achievement of the movie year.

Harry Brock (Jim Belushi) is a crude , self made millionaire. He bullies the people around him, his cousin Edie Brock (Michael McGrath), his lawyer Ed Devery (Frank Wood)and of course his mistress Billie Dawn (Nina Arianda).

Harry is in Washington DC to influence Senator Noval Hedges (Terry Beaver) to help pass a law which would help his overseas business.

Ed feels Billie needs to be polished up she a little rough around the edges. She was in the chorus of Anything Goes when she met Harry. With the help of Paul Vernell (Robert Sean Leonard) a reporter doing a story on Harry, Billie starts seeing the light. It's amazing what a little education can do. What follows is a hilarious quest on doing right and being trated with respect.

Jim Belushi puts fire into his role as Harry Brock.

Nina Arianda does Billie Holiday proud. She well deserves her Tony nomination as Billie. Congratulations.

The set is very lavish and was designed by John Lee Beaty. He did Time Stand Still, Driving Miss Daisey, Whipping Man, Other Desert Cities and Good People. John is one of the best scenic designers I have seen on Broadway.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor