McDonagh hangs in
‘Three Billboards’ scribe might take on Harry Potter at Tonys
MARTIN McDonagh may well win the Oscar for his screenplay for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” And now he may also be a contender for a Tony for Best Play — although he’ll have to work some pretty nifty magic to topple Harry Potter.
McDonagh’s dark new farce, “Hangmen,” opened at off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theater Company space this week to strong reviews. Tickets are impossible to come by, but plans are in the works to move the production to Broadway’s Cort Theatre just before the April 26 Tonyeligibility cutoff date.
Which means “Hangmen” will square off against that juggernaut from London, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
“Harry Potter,” opening at the Lyric Theatre on April 22, has an advance of more than $15 million. Every time new blocks of tickets go on sale, they’re snapped up within hours. “Harry” is also the only new play slated to open on Broadway this spring. Everything else — including “Angels in America,” “Three Tall Women,” “The Iceman Cometh” and “Children of a Lesser God” — is a revival.
The plays eligible for the Tony this year include “Meteor Shower,” “Junk,” “The Children,” “Farinelli and the King” and “John Lithgow: Stories by Heart.” Only the last two in that list are still running, and none of them has a shot against “Harry Potter.”
“Hangmen” is an underdog, too. Four of McDonagh’s plays (“The Beauty Queen of Leenane,” The Lonesome West,” “The Pillowman” and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore”) were nominated, but didn’t win.
There could be some sentiment among Tony voters that the fifth time’s the charm, although if “Hangmen” topples “Harry Potter,” it will be an upset.
“Hangmen” is a sublimely creepy play. It’s set in the mid-’60s in a pub owned by Harry Wade, the second-best hangman in England. The death penalty has just been abolished and the news attracts an assortment of characters to Harry’s bar. Not all of them are who they appear to be.
“Hangmen” won the Olivier Award in 2016. The superb british cast includes Johnny Flynn, Reece Shearsmith, Sally Rogers and former “Game of Thrones” star Mark Addy. All will make the move to Broadway and will probably fill the ranks of Tony nominees.
The Atlantic is a powerhouse, lately. This tiny Chelsea theater also produced “The Band’s Visit,” which I’m betting will win the Tony for Best Musical.
Its next show is “This Ain’t No Disco,” a musical set in Studio 54 in 1979. Stephen Trask (music and lyrics on “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) and Peter Yanowitz (from the band the Wallflowers) have written the score and the script, with an assist from Rick Elice (cowriter of “Jersey Boys”).
The buzz was mixed on a workshop a year or so ago, but now I’m hearing the show’s much-improved. And what’s not to like about a musical set in Studio 54, especially one with a Stephen Trask score?
Previews begin May 11.
THERE’S tons of fun to be had this weekend at City Center with “Hey, Look Me Over!,” a re- vue celebrating the 25th anniversary of Encores! The show has opening numbers and finales from second-tier musicals that have not — repeat, not! — been staged by Encores! But there’s plenty of gold in that second tier. Songs from “Wildcat,” “All American,” “Greenwillow,” “Jamaica” and “Milk and Honey” are sure to sparkle. Don’t miss it.