I wish I had stuck with my memories of enjoying the original production of Wendy Wasserstein’s landmark play instead of trying to relive them by seeing the current Broadway production. Her whirlwind tour of 25 years in the changing life of educated, affluent Americans, particularly women, was a breath of fresh air when it first appeared. While several of the play’s 11 scenes retain some of their impact, many others seemed stale --either too long or too broadly satirical or both. Elisabeth Moss is a creditable Heidi. While Bryce Pinkham is believable as Peter, Jason Biggs lacks the charm so essential to the role of Scoop. None of them compares favorably with the wonderful original cast. The supporting cast (Tracee Chimo, Ali Ahn, Andy Truschinski, Leighton Bryan and Elise Kibler) is quite good. The revolving set by John Lee Beatty and the projections by Peter Nigrini are excellent, as are Jessica Pabst’s costumes. Director Pam MacKinnon keeps things moving well through the first act, but the second act seemed interminable. If you’ve seen the play before, I suggest passing on this version. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes including intermission.
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