Nora Ephron’s play about the life of a journalist is an eye-opener that gives the public a peek into the inner lives of reporters. You are exposed to how the mind of a journalist works, and in this instance, that mind belongs to Mike McAlary, who wrote for the Daily News and the New York Post and won a Pulitzer Prize.
Through the splendid words of recently, sadly departed Ephron, the audience gets to know every facet of this man’s life. And we get to see it delightfully portrayed by Tom Hanks. We go with McAlary through his ups and downs, and while his career grew, so did his ego. As a writer, he covered a lot of police stories that involved corrupt cops, and even wrote a story once that led to the subject of the piece committing suicide.
Hanks is on stage with an all-star cast that includes Courtney B. Vance, who is by far one of the most talented and humble actors in the business. Vance plays Hap, Mike’s editor. The cast of “Lucky Guy” demonstrates what happens when you pair brilliant, funny, creative writing with a cast that knows the skill of acting like the backs of their hands.
There are many familiar faces in the production that we’ve all seen in television shows and films over the years and they are perfectly suited to the stage, such as Maura Tierney, Christopher McDonald, Peter Gerety, Peter Scolari and Richard Masur.
The play lets the audience see what McAlary’s life was like. He is praised by his co-workers at times and given credit for being an amazing reporter. Later, these same reporters confront him about his ego. McAlary becomes a columnist and his ego skyrockets. Ephron doesn’t miss a beat about this man’s life and she shares it all with the audience. We see the people that he cared about and how they influenced his life.
This play flows with such incredible precision that one has to give total admiration and credit to its amazing director, George C. Wolfe.
Sitting in the audience, I felt so proud to see a phenomenal play with this subject matter. “Lucky Guy” is playing at the Broadhurst Theatre on West 44th Street. In the Playbill listing, the show is billed as a “New York play” and that it definitely is, but it is also a great piece of work. It is funny, mature, entertaining and filled with profanity. But don’t let that last detail turn you away–the profanity is part of the charm of the play. “Lucky Guy” is a gem on Broadway!
For more info, visit www.broadway.com/Lucky-Guy.