ART on Broadway

Me and Amelia went into this only knowing that it was a pretty stacked cast. Seeing Neil Patrick Harris, James Corden, and Bobby Cannavale live is hard to pass up. The theater was intimate and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. Now let’s see if these three can create a masterpiece.

The main premise is that Neil’s character buys an art piece that’s pretty much a white canvas. Bobby plays his friend who is absolutely incensed at the idea that his friend would spend an outrageous amount of money on something so “shit.” James plays the third friend who’s more of the mediator that just wants to hang with his friends and enjoy their company.

At first I really couldn’t take Jame’s character seriously. It seemed like he was trying way too hard. Then it suddenly clicked. He had one scene where he shows up late and goes on a lengthy and heated dialogue about his fiancee and mom disagreeing about the names that should be on their wedding invitation. It was probably the highlight of the show and really emphasized how special James could be on the stage.

The other two were also phenominal. The dialogue was always elevated and they never missed a beat. I was surprised at how many laughs it got out of me. There’s a reason all three of these guys have had storied careers and it was a treat to see them work in real time. What starts out as a disagreement on what art is becomes more nuanced as their whole friendship and history is put into question. It got extremely personal at times and I honestly don’t get how they stayed friends at the end. In a way it must have been cathartic for them to get so much off their chest and reach an understanding about their relationships.

I do think the play lagged in a couple places. Overall though, it was a fun show to experience and remember. Afterwards, we were sad at how the curtains closed and we didn’t get to chat with them about their performances. We felt so close with them in that quaint little theater and that feeling highlighted just how special the night was.

Rating: 844/1000