‘Cult Of Love’ Broadway Review: Merry Christmas, Like It Or Not

[ad_1] If the road “What we could grasp, the holly or one another?” hadn’t already been taken by The Lion In Winter, it will make a becoming quip stuffed someplace in Leslye Headland’s deliriously slicing Cult of Love, opening tonight on Broadway.

Granted, this dysfunctional household vacation is already stuffed to the garlanded mantlepiece with emotional jabs and explosive resentments, however yet one more well-honed jibe couldn’t damage. It’s that type of play.

A Second Stage Theater manufacturing steered like a fast-moving sleigh by director Journey Cullman, Cult Of Love boasts a superb solid (headed by Zachary Quinto, Mare Winningham, David Rasche and, in a formidable Broadway debut, Star Wars: The Acolyte‘s Rebecca Henderson) that pulls off a well-known situation with sudden freshness.

The place is a good looking Connecticut farmhouse adorned to a Christmas fare-thee-well (John Lee Beatty designed the beautiful set, with Heather Gilbert contributing the festive lighting), the time is Christmas Eve and the Dahl household is of the range that comes collectively grudgingly and toting extra animosity than presents.

A part of a collection of Headland performs dedicated to the seven lethal sins, Cult Of Love will get the honour of pridefulness, and that individual transgression makes itself recognized in each deliciously holier-than-thou angle every member of this raised-Christian household brings to the social gathering.

For starters, there’s mother Ginny (Winningham) and pa Invoice (Rasche), who've raised their 4 youngsters in a strict, socially remoted suburban Christian dwelling. Invoice is the extra easygoing of the 2, to the purpose of being indifferent (and, it's suspected, experiencing early indicators of dementia). Ginny is controlling, demanding of floor perfection and not-so-subtly judgmental (assume Mary Tyler Moore in Abnormal Individuals through August: Osage County.)

And Ginny has heaps to hold her judgements on. Eldest son Mark (Quinto) has been a black sheep ever since ditching plans of the priesthood for legislation faculty (and atheism). He’s married to Rachel (Molly Bernard), previously of the Jewish religion, now transformed to Christianity however no extra a real believer than her husband. Her go-along-to-get-along demeanor has settled right into a boiling resentment on the household’s barely disguised anti-semitism.

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Subsequent up is Evie (Henderson) and her (secretly) pregnant spouse Pippa (Roberta Colindrez). Mother Ginny chooses to consider that Evie isn’t actually homosexual, regardless of all proof on the contrary, however the overt homophobia is left to youngest Dahl daughter Diana (Shailene Woodley) and her preacher husband James (Christopher Lowell), neither of whom can resist speak of hellfire and damnation couched in loving concern.

Lastly, there’s the late-to-the-party Johnny (Christopher Sears), a free-spirited recovering heroin addict who brings alongside his fellow 12-stepper Loren (Barbie Ferreira), the outsider and truth-teller whose appalled on the hateful non secular vitriol spewed by Diana.

Certainly, the tongues-speaking, self-proclaimed prophet Diana is the first pot-stirrer of the household, even because it turns into all too clear that her religiosity masks some severe (although, within the writing, not altogether convincing) psychosis.

Headland, the Russian Doll co-creator and Star Wars: The Acolyte creator making her Broadway debut with Cult Of Love, is adept at protecting the dialogue crisp, humorous and fast-moving, even when the pile-up of personalities, crises, conflicts and really exhausting emotions grows schematic and a bit predictable. Whereas Cult Of Love lacks the superior energy of, say, final season’s household reunion drama Acceptable, it definitely has the energy of its convictions (and occasional compassions), and maintains our curiosity from begin to end.

Solely within the well-performed musical interludes – this can be a household that by no means met an instrument it couldn’t strum or drum – does Cult Of Love really feel in want of some modifying. The household’s Christmas carol harmonizing makes for a stunning metaphor for the familial perfection so desired by mother and pa (and the inclusion of songs by Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens is a pleasant contact) however the grudging participation by a few of the clan may replicate some impatience amongst a minimum of a part of the viewers. As charming as Cult Of Love could be, it could actually additionally really feel as insistent as a picture-perfect mom.

Title: Cult Of LoveVenue: Broadway’s Helen Hayes TheaterWritten By: Leslye HeadlandDirected By: Journey CullmanCast: Molly Bernard, Roberta Colindrez, Barbie Ferreira, Rebecca Henderson, Christopher Lowell, Zachary Quinto, David Rasche, Christopher Sears, Mare Winningham, Shailene WoodleyRunning time: 1 hr 45 min (no intermission)