REVIEW: Gore Vidal's 'The Best Man' looks better than ever

Cybill Shepherd, John Stamos, Kristin Davis and Elizabeth Ashley join the political comedy

BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

BROADWAY REVIEW

Broadway's marquees were dimmed at curtain hour last Friday evening in honor of Gore Vidal, who died a few days earlier.

It was touching to see the actors in the current revival of the playwright's “The Best Man” congregate along the fire escapes outside their dressing rooms at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater to witness and applaud the moment.

Then they went inside and performed Vidal's engrossing 1960 comedy-drama about the increasingly ugly behind-the-convention struggle between two rivals for their political party's candidate for President.

The three-act work is smart, sardonic in tone and solidly crafted with colorful characters – the sort of well-made play that rarely gets made anymore. Times have changed since 1960, but Vidal's witty observations regarding politics, power and personal morality remain eternal: “The self-made man often makes himself out of pieces of his victims.”

Director Michael Wilson's enjoyable production, which has been running since April, recently welcomed several actors into the company.

Grinning fiercely, John Stamos seems as slick and hard as Brylcreem as the ruthless senator who points his fingers at others to deflect their criticism of his dubious methods.

Kristin Davis sweetly portrays his loyal spouse with considerable spontaneity.

Contrasting as the patrician wife of Stamos' opponent, Cybill Shepherd nicely suggests her reticent character's gathering strength as the story proceeds.

Looking like an overblown peony in her fussy couture, Elizabeth Ashley is in fine, husky-voiced fettle as an influential committeewoman.

Still anchoring the production with a thoughtful, frequently wry presence, John Larroquette remains thoroughly convincing as the intellectual candidate who is all too sadly aware of the seamy side of politics. James Earl Jones looks to be enjoying the time of his life as the dying ex-President who is savoring his last hurrah in the political arena. Jefferson Mays provides an intricately-detailed cameo as a nervous figure unearthed from Stamos' past.

The remainder of the large company, which includes Mark Blum as a steadfast campaign manager and Dakin Matthews as a cynical senator, continue to invest their characters with energy. Wilson's staging remains fleet, Derek McLane's settings unfold with ease and the classy production offers a lot more entertainment than we'll probably see at this year's national conventions.

“The Best Man” continues through Sept. 9 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater, 236 W. 45th St., New York. Call (212) 239-6200 or visit www.thebestmanonbroadway.com.