Last of the Red Hot Lovers | |
---|---|
Written by | Neil Simon |
Characters | Barney Cashman Elaine Navazio Jeanette Fisher Bobbi Michele |
Date premiered | December 28, 1969 |
Place premiered | Eugene O'Neill Theatre New York City |
Original language | English |
Genre | Comedy |
Setting | An apartment in the East Thirties. December, August and September - late afternoon. |
Last of the Red Hot Lovers is a comedy by Neil Simon. It premiered on Broadway in 1969.
The play opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on December 28, 1969, and closed on September 4, 1971, after 706 performances and six previews. [1] Directed by Robert Moore, the original cast featured James Coco, Linda Lavin (as Elaine), Doris Roberts (as Jeannette), and Marcia Rodd (as Bobbi). [2] The scenic design was by Oliver Smith, the costumes by Donald Brooks, and the lighting by Peggy Clark. [3]
Later in the run, Dom DeLuise replaced Coco, Cathryn Damon and then Rita Moreno replaced Lavin, and Barbara Sharma replaced Rodd.
The play, Coco, Lavin, and Moore all were nominated for Tony Awards. [4]
Barney Cashman, a middle-aged, married nebbish wants to join the sexual revolution before it is too late. A gentle soul with no experience in adultery, he fails in each of three seductions:
Simon adapted his play for a 1972 film directed by Gene Saks. The cast featured Alan Arkin, Sally Kellerman (as Elaine), Paula Prentiss (as Bobbi), and Renée Taylor (as Jeanette). [5]
A Chinese adaptation, starring the husband-wife team of Xu Zheng and Tao Hong (who played all 3 seductresses), was so well received in China that the couple performed the play over 30 times in 2005 and 2006. [6]
In 1999 a North American Tour starring Gary Burghoff played throughout the US and Canada. The show was produced by William and Sally Rogers and in addition to Burghoff featured Sherry Lubov-Ripps, Genah Gale and Nancy Marvy.
Clive Barnes, in his review in The New York Times , wrote: "He is as witty as ever...but he is now controlling that special verbal razzle-dazzle that has at times seemed mechanically chill... There is the dimension of humanity to its humor so that you can love it as well as laugh at it." [2]
Marvin Neil Simon was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received three Tony Awards, and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for four Academy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. He was awarded a Special Tony Award in 1975, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1995 and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2006.
God's Favorite is a play by Neil Simon, loosely based on the Biblical Book of Job. It was produced on Broadway in 1974.
James Emil Coco was an American stage and screen actor. He was the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a Drama Desk Award, a Cable ACE Award and three Obie Awards, as well as nominations for a Tony Award, an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Coco is remembered for his supporting roles in the films Man of La Mancha (1972), Murder by Death (1976) and Only When I Laugh (1981).
Linda Lavin is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing the title character in the sitcom Alice and for her stage performances, both on and off-Broadway.
California Suite is a 1976 play by Neil Simon. Similar in structure to his earlier Plaza Suite, the comedy is composed of four playlets set in Suite 203-04, which consists of a living room and an adjoining bedroom with an ensuite bath, in The Beverly Hills Hotel.
The Good Doctor is a comedy with music written by Neil Simon. It consists of a series of short plays, based on short stories and other works of Russian writer Anton Chekhov, framed by a writer making comments on them.
Plaza Suite is a comedy play by Neil Simon.
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The Neil Simon Theatre, originally the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 250 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for Alex A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley. The original name was an amalgamation of Aarons's and Freedley's first names; the theater was renamed for playwright Neil Simon in 1983. The Neil Simon has 1,467 seats across two levels and is operated by the Nederlander Organization. Both the facade and the auditorium interior are New York City landmarks.
Robert Moore was an American stage, film and television director and actor.
Gene Saks was an American director and actor. An inductee of the American Theater Hall of Fame, his acting career began with a Broadway debut in 1949. As a director, he was nominated for seven Tony Awards, winning three for his direction of I Love My Wife, Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues. He also directed a number of films during his career. He was married to Bea Arthur from 1950 until 1978, and subsequently to Keren Saks from 1980 to his death in 2015.
The Eugene O'Neill Theatre, previously the Forrest Theatre and the Coronet Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 230 West 49th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed for the Shubert brothers. It opened in 1925 as part of a hotel and theater complex named after 19th-century tragedian Edwin Forrest. The modern theater, named in honor of American playwright Eugene O'Neill, has 1,108 seats across two levels and is operated by Jujamcyn Theaters. The auditorium interior is a New York City designated landmark.
Marcia Rodd is an American actress, singer, and director. After studying theatre at Northwestern University, she moved to New York City and began a successful career as a stage actress.
The Gingerbread Lady is a play by Neil Simon. It was widely believed to have been written specifically for actress Maureen Stapleton, who won both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for her performance. But in a later autobiography, Simon wrote that he'd feared Stapleton might be "hurt" if she assumed the character's flaws and personal damage were a direct dramatization of her life. Simon said that it was director Mike Nichols' suggestion to cast Stapleton in the role, and that Simon responded, "This is not really Maureen. It's ten, twenty different actresses I've met over the years."
Next is a one-act play by Terrence McNally. The play opened Off-Broadway in 1969.
Neil Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers is a 1972 American comedy film based on Neil Simon's 1969 play of the same name. Alan Arkin, Sally Kellerman, Paula Prentiss and Renée Taylor star in it.
Arnold Saint-Subber, usually known as Saint Subber, was an American theatrical producer.
Play It Again, Sam is a 1969 Broadway play written by and starring Woody Allen. A substantial hit, it ran for more than a year and helped build Allen's reputation as a performer who could portray a comedic romantic lead as well as the neurotic persona for which he was best known at the time. The play became the basis for a 1972 film of the same name, starring Allen and directed by Herbert Ross.
Red, White and Maddox is a satirical musical revue written by Jay Broad and Don Tucker. The play debuted in Atlanta in October 1968 and later had a 41-performance run on Broadway from January 26 to March 1, 1969. The play was conceived by Broad, who at the time was the director of the Theatre Atlanta theatrical company. Modeled as a fictional biography of Georgia Governor Lester Maddox, the play is split into two acts. The first act chronicles Maddox's foray into politics as a firebrand segregationist, culminating in him becoming governor of the state. The second act, set in the future, details Maddox becoming president of the United States.