Formerly breaking all box office records in London with "the highest opening advance for any play in the entire history of the West End," Terry Johnson's stage adaptation of "The Graduate" is gaining momentum as a great success on Broadway this season.
First appearing as the 1967 movie (directed my Mike Nichols and based on the novel by Charles Webb), "The Graduate" succeeded in epitomizing baby boomer angst. In addion, it expanded the horizons of sexuality and artistic creativity in the cinema and paved the way for entertainment stars such as Dustin Hoffman and Paul Simon.
The stage production of "The Graduate" opened at the Gielgud Theatre of London in March 2000, starring Kathleen Turner as the notorious Mrs. Robinson. The production has appeared at the Plymouth Theater in New York since March 15, and currently stars Jason Biggs and Alicia Silverstone alongside Turner.
Biggs (yes, the "pie guy" from "American Pie," who also appears in "American Pie 2" and Amy Heckerling's "Loser") has been typecast as sexually awkward, yet nonetheless likeable. He is thus well-suited for the first half of the play (no pun intended, as he is seen wearing his graduation present — a scuba suit — in the first scene).
To the audience's surprise, Biggs conquers Benjamin Braddock's dynamics in the later parts of the play and is never overshadowed by the demanding presence of Kathleen Turner. Biggs is especially gifted at perking up the seemingly gratuitous dialogue that is often inevitable in movie-to-play adaptations.
He comes across more favorably than his movie counterpart Benjamin (played by Hoffman) and is not quite as psychologically unstable. The climactic wedding scene has been drastically revised from that of the movie.
A major downfall of the stage production is that "Serial Mom"-turned-seductress Turner isn't quite . . . well, seductive enough. This is confirmed, unfortunately, by the shocking, full-frontal nudity scene in the first act. It is a stretch that an attractive, accomplished 21-year-old like Braddock would ever entertain the fantasies of a con-niving alcoholic. In other words, if this scene is at all reminiscent of "American Pie," Kathleen Turner is no Nadia. In fact, she's not even Geeky Band Girl.
Turner portrays Mrs. Robinson as brusque and impenetrable, a huge change from the vulnerable and feminine Anne Bancroft (who earned one of the film's seven Academy Award nominations). Apart from the comparisons to Bancroft, however, Turner's portrayal of Mrs. Robinson is truly phenomenal.
Broadway, apparently, is one answer to the question as to what Alicia Silverstone has been up to since her unforgettable portrayal of Cher in Amy Heckerling's 1995 hit "Clueless."
Ironically, her character in "The Graduate" could be described using the same word. Silvertone portrays Elaine Robinson, who, in contrast to Braddock, has an overlyoptimistic outlook on life. She masters Elaine's innocence, thus making her a standout character amid a slew of alcoholics, people in gaudy '60's floral prints and edgy businessmen.
Silverstone unfortunately crosses into the realm of naivete much more so than her cinematic counterpart, Katherine Ross. She communicates this with a fingernails-on-a-chalkboard, downright whiny voice, which causes the audience to breathe a sigh of relief that "The Graduate" is not a musical. (If it was, she and Turner would make for an interesting duet, singing first soprano and base voice parts, respectively.)
Despite her nasality, Silverstone adapts quite well to a stage setting. Her interpretation of the role is apt for Johnson's adapted climax and ending, which are quite different from those from the movie.
Mathey and Rocky residential colleges recently sponsored a joint trip to the Plymouth Theater in New York. Those who took advantage of the opportunity seemed to agree that this was a production was worth seeing.
"I thought Jason Biggs was perfect for his part," says Mathey resident Marjorie Censer '05. "Overall, the show was really great, and it was fun to see some big movie names close up."
Interestingly, "The Graduate" is just one of numerous adaptations or revivals to be found on Broadway this season. "Oklahoma!," arguably the model for most modern American musicals is included in this list. Similar to "The Graduate," the "Oklahoma!" revival had a British debut, premiering for London's Royal National Theater in 1998.
Other revivals to look for this season include "The Crucible," starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney; "Sweet Smell of Success," starring John Lithgow (of "3rd Rock from the Sun" fame); "Into the Woods," starring Vanessa Williams; and another movie-inspired production, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," starring Sutton Foster (in what was originally Julie Andrews' role).
Broadway's "The Graduate," though advertised as a "new comedy," shares a tone similar to that of the movie.
This innovative adaptation of Mike Nichol's original successfully reintroduces many of the movie's themes, which are presented perhaps even more effectively onstage two generations later. Swap big hair and floral-print fashion with shorter 'do's and worn jeans, change plastics industries to dot-coms, and the Braddocks and Robinsons really aren't so unfa-miliar.
Terry Johnson interjects a phe-nomenal instrumental soundtrack between scenes (including hits by Paul Simon, The Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas), which adds to the convincing '60s scene. Johnson's adaptation is unexpectedly clever and, surprisingly, more didactic than the original. Even if you don't make it to Broadway, the success of this revival should at least be enough to inspire a viewing of the original cast on video.
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