New York City Broadway Theater Guide

Heartbreak House

Broadway Comedy

Previews  September 15 2006
Opened  October 11 2006
Closed  December 17 2006

Run  30 previews & 79 performances

Producer

Roundabout Theatre Company

Creative

George Bernard Shaw author
Robin Lefevre director

John Lee Beatty scenic design
Jane Greenwood costume design
Peter Kaczorowski lighting design
John Gromada sound design

Synopsis

A British farce, this time at a country party given by Hesione and Hector Hushabye at the onset of the Great War. The household is one "full of surprises for them that don't know our ways"

Their ways are bluntly spoken and free spirited. The door has no knocker or bell as it is "open," as are their minds and, sometimes, morals

Ellie Dunn attends the party with her father, Mazzini, and fiance, Alfred Mangan, the man who ruined her father's business, then took him into his employ. While Hesione is trying to talk Ellie out of her engagement to the much older Mangan, she finds that Ellie might instead actually like to be involved with one Marcus Darnly. Marcus Darnly? Well, he turns out to be Hesione's husband, Hector

Now Hector doesn't mind being a center of attraction for Ellie, (who, by the way is still planning to marry Mangan), but always has a ready kiss for Hesione's just returned sister, the now Lady Utterwood

And where are Hesione's affections in all of this? Always with her husband and her father, the Captain, though her head has possibly been turned by Mangan, who professes his desire for her

Along the way there's some hypnotism, a gunshot, a burglar bargaining for the capital to set up a locksmith's shop, the Nurse's secret to be revealed

Oh, and add a bit of dynamite to the mix

Broadway Show History

Dudley Digges staged and played Mangan in the first Broadway run of Heartbreak House. Produced by the Theatre Guild it opened at the Garrick Theater (35th Street) Wednesday, November 10, 1920. It had a very respectable run for that time of 125 performances

One thing that struck us when we looked at the cast was the longevity of each of these folk's Broadway careers:

Yeah, you read it right. Effie Shannon first appeared on a Broadway stage 14 years before the turn of the 20th Century and went on to a 55-year career. Lucille Wilson was active for just over half a century, Dudley Digges for 40 years. Guess they just don't build 'em like they used to

Heartbreak House has been one of the most analyzed of Bernard Shaw's plays. Written in 1919, many literary folks take its Fall 1914 setting as a look back to Britain's entry into World War I. (There are way too many approaches and opinions to bore you with at the moment.) That's why we find the timing of the play's first revival so interesting. Amidst the previous few years' talk of another great conflict and the grand skirmishes that led up to it, the Orson Welles and John Houseman produced play opened April 29, 1938. It was staged by Mr Welles at the partners' Mercury Theater. Geraldine Fitzgerald made her Broadway debut as Ellie. Vincent Price played Hector opposite Mady Christians' Hesione. Phyllis Joyce appeared as Lady Utterwood and Erskine Sanford reprised the role of Mazzini from the play's first run. Lording over it all was, of course, Mr Welles as Captain Shotover

The play's third Broadway revival opened October 18, 1959 at the Billy Rose Theater. Directed by Harold Clurman the production played 112 performances. Diane Cilento appeared as Ellie, Sam Levene as Mangan, Diane Wynyard and Dennis Price as Hesione and Hector

The last revival before the current was the 1983 Circle in the Square Theater production directed by Anthony Page. Opening December 7th, Rex Harrison led the cast as Captain Shotover, supported by Philip Bosco (Mangan), Rosemary Harris (Hesione), Amy Irving (Ellie), Dana Ivey (Lady Utterwood), Jan Miner (Nurse Guinness) and Stephen McHattie (Hector)

On Television

In May 1977 a "BBC Play of the Month" version was released. John Gielgud played the Captain, Sian Phillips and Daniel Massey appeared as Hesione and Hector, Lesley-Anne down was Ellie, Barbara Murray played Lady Utterwood and David Waller was Mangan

PBS aired a TV version of the last Broadway revival in 1985. Also directed by Mr Page, the core cast remained mostly intact with Rex Harrison, Rosemary Harris, Amy Irving, Dana Ivey and Jan Miner reprising their stage roles. This time around Remak Ramsay was in as Hector. Can't tell if this was a filming of the stage play or not