REVIEW: ‘Born Yesterday’ revival delivers timely laughter

Nina Arianda, Jim Belushi and Robert Sean Leonard make the most of a classic American comedy

BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

BROADWAY REVIEW

Garson Kanin’s classic comedy about the not-so-dumb blond that made a star of Judy Holliday, “Born Yesterday” is so well known a play (and 1950 film) that let’s skip the story and get down to business:

Nina Arianda is simply wonderful as the awakening Billie Dawn, Robert Sean Leonard is very smart as the journalist who wises her up and Jim Belushi is perfect as the bullying millionaire who hates the change.

Bowing on Sunday at the Cort Theatre, director Doug Hughes’ production is elegant in every way.

To her considerable credit, Arianda’s delightful characterization does not echo Holliday’s indelible Billie. Maybe this jangling platinum-blond cutie with a kewpie voice recalls Jean Harlow at times, but mostly Arianda’s oh-so-vibrant Billie is a lovable original creation with a warm heart, great personal honesty and a clearly quickening intelligence. I’m mad about her.

Arianda’s Broadway debut is a smashing follow-up to her amazing performance in last year’s “Venus in Fur” (see my review here). A bright new star being born, Arianda undoubtedly will be a hot competitor to Vanessa Redgrave and Frances McDormand in this season’s Tony Awards.

Handsomely swaggering about in Harry Brock’s double-breasted suits and swank smoking jackets – Catherine Zuber’s mid-1940s clothes are insightful – Belushi portrays the overbearing junk dealer with menacing charm. Quietly giving an understated yet assured performance as Billie’s mentor, the lean, keen Leonard does the sexy-geeky thing very well.

Before complimenting the other actors, let’s note how beautifully Hughes has cast and directs Kanin’s work, which remains a great American comedy. You think you know “Born Yesterday” from all those TCM showings? See the 1946 play and recognize how eloquently it speaks to our own times.

Cynics may feel they’re watching an animated civics lesson, but the play’s plentiful humor drowns their doubts in laughter. Kanin’s potent mix of mirth and truth is expertly served by Frank Wood as the glib, self-hating attorney, Terry Beaver as the uneasy Senator up for sale and Patricia Hodges as a sporty Congressional matron. Never removing his fedora in the “cherce” role of the junkman’s cousin and slavey, Michael McGrath lopes around like a guy out of Damon Runyon.

Expect to see first-class Broadway visuals. In its high-1940s style, designer John Lee Beatty’s red, white and dark blue setting for the Washington D.C. hotel suite is every deluxe inch Dorothy Draper (and a bit more). Peter Kaczorowski’s lighting and David Van Tieghem’s music unobtrusively serve the production.

“Born Yesterday” continues at the Cort Theatre, 138 W. 48th St., New York. Call (212) 239-6200 or visit www.bornyesterday.com.