Overall Score / Emoji
AARON: Despite the thrill of seeing Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker on Broadway, the overall play was an 😊.
ESTA: 😊 For me, I love anything Neil Simon, and I have always loved PLAZA SUITE. It was exciting to see these huge Broadway legends and Tony award-winning icons perform live on stage. It was a plus for me. Sarah made the difference, but not enough to give it a 🤩.
Your thoughts on each act:
AARON: This play had more ups and downs than Matthew Broderick’s performance.
- ACT I was so bad I gave it a 🤮. It was a long bore with the lone highlight line from Sarah Jessica Parker saying, “Everybody cheats with their secretary. I expected more from my husband.”
- ACT II was a hilarious short “stinger,” “vodka” optional. 🤩
- ACT III was as mediocre as its RUNAWAY BRIDE theme. 😊
ESTA:
- Act I was very slow and plodding. Mathew was definitely off his game. The score would have been higher if the pacing had been quicker and lightning speed, like Neil Simon writes. I cannot give it a vomit, though. It is, after all…Sarah and Matthew together at last. It is a 😊.
- Act II was wonderful. It flew by with zingers and broad facial expressions. They had that rhythm going for great comedic timing. The “ba-boom boom” was spot on. It definitely deserves a 🤩
- Act III had its moments. It needed more from Matthew to match Sara’s energy. I would give it a 😊.
MVP – Matthew or Sarah?
ESTA: There was no contest here. Sarah Jesica Parker was phenomenal. She made the play what it was supposed to be. She got the biggest laughs and applause. And it was well-deserved. Her timing was impeccable, and she jumped the lines as she should, reacted to everything going on and to Matthew in every act. She created three distinct characters for each act. Matthew seemed tired and just out of step performing next to his wife. He didn’t do anything different for each character, and if he started to make a change, it got lost halfway through. Matthew has always been the “darling of theatre.” I just don’t see it in PLAZA SUITE. Give the Tony to Sarah.
AARON: Hands down, this one goes to Sarah Jessica Parker. It’s weird watching a husband and wife on Broadway in a show together. It’s even weirder seeing how Parker completely kills each of her roles in every act, whereas Broderick phoned it in – “room service” not included. Every Broderick character felt the same, whereas Parker played each differently throughout Act I, II, and III. “Ferris” definitely took a “day off” in this show.
Final Thoughts:
AARON: It’s fitting that PLAZA SUITE takes place in room 719 because the play is barely a 7.19 out of 10.
ESTA: Haha!! I would disagree. Sarah made the entire night worthy. And we didn’t even talk about the outstanding set designs! It looked just like a hotel room in the late 60s. Great details and color scheme that changed for every act. And Kudos to the costumer. Nice touches. I loved how Sarah’s physical frame changed for every costume. Sarah and Matthew are the play. They are the draw. There was so much love on stage that Matthew tenderly kissed Sarah’s hand during the curtain call. Oh, my heart.
