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(CBS) NEW YORK From the Broadway stage in 1963
starring Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashely to the 1967 film starring
Redford and Jane Fonda, playwright Neil Simon's "Barefoot in
the Park" is the story of a young couple floating from honeymoon
bliss at the Plaza Hotel to the reality-check of marriage in their
Greenwich Village walk-up.
In this revival, two-time Tony nominee Patrick Wilson plays the
conservative attorney Paul Bratter and Peet makes her Broadway debut
as his free-spirited wife, Corrie.
Peet who was most recently in the films "Syriana" and
"Something's Gotta Give" said she's nervous to make her
Broadway debut.
She said with a big smile "You don't have an editor, and you
know it's live."
Peet, a Manhattan native, said that her character's attitude to
never want to settle is healthy and timeless.
"I think there are so many women who are like that, and men,
too, who are get really scared of things returning to normal and
getting too comfortable. That's something I can relate to and that
I've talked about with my girlfriends. I think that's why the play
is still funny," said Peet. "My fiancé thinks I'm
funny," but Peet said that feels fortunate there's a net with
Broadway veterans Tony Roberts, Wilson and Jill Clayburgh onstage.
Wilson was in the movie-version of "The Phantom of the Opera"
and starred in Broadway's "Oklahoma" and "The Full
Monty". But this is the versatile actor's first Broadway play.
He said, "It's a very small cast. I'm used to a rehearsal process
of 30-something people and '5, 6, 7, 8!' and it's very chaotic.
This feels very small. It's very intimate, and I really love that."
"Part of acceptance is compromise and understanding who you
are and that never gets boring. That's one of the reasons why the
play survives. You see this young couple and the honeymoon is over,
and now it's, ‘Who are you? What happened? Wait a second I
didn't know you liked to take showers instead of baths!’"
Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi didn't miss a thing with the play's
costume design. His explanation started out with a serious face
and then he broke out giggling.
"All of my research is about the middle class in 1965. It's
about servicing those people in the ’60s. What do jockey shorts
look like in the '60s? That actually was one of my favorite fittings
on Patrick. The jockey short fitting!" Mizrahi said.
This first revival is sentimental for longtime stage and film actor
Tony Roberts. Four decades ago, he was the second actor to replace
Redford in the original production of "Barefoot in the Park"
at the Biltmore Theatre.
Roberts said, "It was a tremendous event for me. The theatre
was exciting and alive. It was a big moment in my life. Although
I never dreamt in a million years that I would play the other character,
the older man. The older man! Isn't that silly? I had to grow hair
to do that!"
Roberts is the Bratter's eccentric neighbor who cozies up to Corries
ready-to-take-a-chance mother played by film and stage actor Clayburgh.
Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park" is playing at the
Cort Theatre.
http://wcbstv.com/entertainment/local_story_051114353.html
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