Lucky Guy

Playing at the Broadhurst Theatre located at 235 West 44th Street. The show runs two hours twenty minutes with one intermission. It runs until July 3, 2013.

Norah Ephron is the playwright. She was nominated for three Academy Awards for orginial screenplay, “Sleepless In Seattle” (1994), “When Harry Meets Sally” (1990) and “Silkwood” (1984). In 2002 she had a play on Broadway called “Imaginary Friend. Nora co-authored the play “Love, Loss and What I Wore” with her sister Delia at the Westside Theatre. It ran from October 1, 2009 thru March 25, 2012. She met Mike McAlary at the New York Post were she worked for five years.

Tom Hanks won two Academy Awards for “Philadelphia” (1993) and “Forrest Gump” (1984). He has been nominated for the 2013 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a play for Lucky Guy.

George C. Wolfe is the director. He has won two Tony Awards for “Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da funk (1996) and “Angels in America” (1993) George has been nominated for a 2013 Tony Award for Best Director of a play for this show

David Rockwell did the scenic design. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for “Legally Blonde” (2007), “All Shook Up” (2005) and “The Rocky Horror show” (2000). In 2003 he was nominated for a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Circle Critics Award for “Hairspray”. David was nominated for the 2013 Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for a Play (Lucky Guy) and a Musical (Kinky Boots).

The play takes place in New York City from 1985 to 1998.

The story is about Mike McAlary a reporter. He started at the newspaper New York Newsday covering baseball games in Queens. After Newsday he went to work at the New York Post, Daily News back to the New York Post and finally The Daily News. He worked his way up to having a daily column. Mike worked at the News for twelve years.

As he climbed up the ladder and got a daily column he became more arrogant and drank more. He had a bad car accident after drinking heavily which kept in the hospital for a couple months.

In 1996 he reported on a rape which he claimed his source said did not happen. Not backing up his facts he was proven wrong. It hurt his reputation.

Mike was given a tip on a black male that had been sodomized by two police officers in the 70th Precinct station in Brooklyn. He reported on the Abner Louima assault. It won him a Pulitzer Prize in 1998 for distinguished commentary for his expose of the brutalization of Louima by NYPD officers.

Mike died in 1998 from colon cancer. He was 41 years old.

This is a well done play weaving a story of a man in love with his work and the people in his life.

Tom Hanks does an outstanding job. He is passionate and gives his character fire. Tom deserves his Tony Award nomination. This is his Broadway debut.

Christopher McDonald does a fantastic job as the realtor/lawyer. He makes you feel uncomfortable. There is something you don’t trust about him.

Courtney Vance as his editor does a job well done. His compassion and friendship for Mike seem so sincere. It is good to have him back on Broadway

George Wolfe did a solid job directing this large cast of fourteen. The cast works well together. They did Norah Ephron proud in her last play. She died June 26, 2012. George’s Tony nomination is well deserved. I can see why, he brought out the best in every one.

The scenic design was great. Nothing is overdone and comes to the point. Mike headlines flash on the back of the stage. Desks come out for the news room, different furniture comes and goes that are different parts of Mike’s house, a bar comes out where the reporters hangout.

This is a play worth seeing. Great cast, direction and story.

If I could vote I would vote for this show to win a Tony Award for Best Play. I have not seen all the other show to vote on the other awards.

The show has been sold out but if you can stand for two hours twenty minute you can get standing room. They are sold one and a half hours before the show opens for $29. It is well worth the pain. But if you are under five feet two inches maybe you better try and get a ticket.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

 To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.