New York
If you chose not to splurge on tickets for Hugh Jackman’s
concerts
At Radio City Music Hall—where prime seating can cost several hundred dollars—you get another opportunity to enjoy the performer’s welcoming aura in a much cozier venue and possibly at a significantly lower price.
Mr. Jackman is performing in “Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes” at the intimate Minetta Lane Theatre, as part of an innovative program backed by Audible — the renowned audio production firm that has spearheaded productions in this venue over multiple seasons. This endeavor also marks the debut collaboration under their partnership named ‘Together,’ involving actor Hugh Jackman and acclaimed producer Sonia Friedman. A portion of tickets—specifically one-fourth—are reserved gratis for local organizations through TDF (the organization formerly recognized as the Theatre Development Fund). Another segment priced at only $35 can be obtained directly from the theater’s ticket counter or entered into a digital draw on the same day as the performance. Concurrently running alongside this presentation will be a revamped rendition of August Strindberg’s classic work titled “Creditors,” headlined by Liev Schreiber.
Considering that you may have to secure a home equity loan to purchase a pair of tickets for the growing array of celebrity-studded performances happening not only on Broadway but also elsewhere these days, this is quite an admirable initiative.
The production, penned by the Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch, offers Mr. Jackman an intimate platform to demonstrate his remarkable talent for enveloping spectators in a warm embrace right from the stage.
Indeed, the character portrayed by Hugh Jackman, an esteemed English professor and bestselling author named Jon, gradually becomes entangled in a complicated affair with one of his students, played by Ella Beatty. This might make him seem less likeable. However, throughout the series, Jon frequently turns to address the viewers directly, recounting the convoluted nature of their connection. As such, this gives Mr. Jackman plenty of opportunities to engage our attention with his irresistible charisma. He certainly knows how to captivate; during my visit, Mr. Jackman humorously paused from acting to greet some tardy arrivals warmly. Additionally, he casually offered a “bless you” along with understanding comments regarding seasonal sniffles when someone nearby had a sneeze fit.
The play itself is engaging but insubstantial: a familiar story of a middle-aged, unhappily married man who cannot resist the temptation offered when a 19-year-old student, the aspiring writer Annie, approaches him outside of class to genuflect at his prodigious talent.
Jon, whose third wife has recently left him, and who is struggling to finish his new novel, reacts with awkward formality when he finds Annie on his front lawn—she lives nearby and has been semi-stalking him, it appears. But her shy confession of how much his books have meant to her, and the eye-catching red coat she wears, linger in his mind. “He’d become so panicked by his interest in her that to calm down, he’d taken the cigarettes out of the freezer, the ones he smoked socially from time to time . . . and smoked the whole pack,” Jon admits. (He narrates much of the play—most of it, in fact—and refers to himself in the third person throughout, for reasons we will learn only at the play’s end.)
After two serendipitous encounters—or perhaps not coincidental at all—Jon invites Annie into his home. Following an uncertain conversation about his profession, Jon directly questions her, “Are you aware that you’re showing interest in me?” Flustered by his question, she stammers, but before she can respond, he instructs her to depart. However, this leads him to suddenly kiss her.
Ms. Moscovitch has crafted a compelling depiction of Jon as an intelligent, reasonable, and surprisingly empathetic individual. Under the strain of a crumbling marriage and typical midlife turmoil, he consciously abandons his moral principles. Meanwhile, Mr. Jackman exudes natural charm that renders both his errors and the ensuing agonizing remorse relatable. Far from being a repulsive aggressor, Jon actually encounters resistance when he attempts to express regret and terminate their affair with Annie.
Despite the striking crimson coat, this story doesn’t follow the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. Uncertainty and mixed feelings weave through their interactions. The performance cleverly avoids conventional moral judgments regarding the actions of both individuals involved. Even with such a sensitive topic, Ms. Moscovitch uncovers moments of comedy, particularly when Annie discusses her disappointing encounters with men her age: “Nobody really understands what they enjoy. It’s all about putting fingers in various spots.” Ouch indeed.
Ms. Beatty, who most recently concluded her performance in Lincoln Center Theater’s production,
“Ghosts,”
possesses a graceful, almost dreamlike quality with a porcelain-like allure reminiscent of an Ingres painting. The prose penned by Ms. Moscovitch for Annie features sharp, uneven tempos and abrupt sentence structures—reflecting her doubts and self-awareness. Ms. Beatty adeptly portrays Annie’s hesitant and clumsy efforts to express her intricate emotions; occasionally, this brought to mind the remarkable Sandy Dennis, particularly when Annie seemed as though she might retract part of what she said, conveying her uncertainties vividly.
As Jon and Annie’s connection deepens, Ms. Beatty does not introduce significant new nuances to her portrayal. Even though director Ian Rickson maintains a mostly engaged and seamless approach, Ms. Beatty fails to reveal how Annie is altered by their bond—whether she becomes more self-assured, more fragile, or perhaps more jaded. Nonetheless, having Ms. Beatty share the stage effectively with an performer as skilled—and undeniably captivating—as Mr. Jackman stands out as quite an accomplishment in its own right.
Misconduct Among the Middle Class
The Minetta Lane Theatre at 18 Minetta Lane, New York, with the website audiblexminetta.com, will be closing on June 18.
Mr. Isherwood serves as the Journal’s theater reviewer.