“Bryce attended the Yale School of Drama for his M.F.A. “We are extraordinarily lucky to have Bryce Pinkham as our Monan Professor this spring,” said Theatre Department Chair and Associate Professor of the Practice Luke Jorgensen. His other Broadway credits include original roles in Holiday Inn, The Great Society, Ghost, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and the upcoming Ohio State Murders with actress Audra McDonald. Visit, who graduated in a 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and theater, notably appeared in the Broadway revival of The Heidi Chronicles as Peter Patrone, for which he was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance. “Benny & Joon” will be at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn through May 5. And that’s a big problem in a play where Benny is really the central character. Watson also plays one of Benny’s friends, who seem as puzzled by his behavior as we, the audience, are. Scenic designer Dane Laffrey does get into the spirit of the musical, though, creating a miniature train for Sam to ride, and a surrealistic backdrop: an aerial view of the city of Spokane, Wash., where the action takes place.Īmong the supporting actors, Jacob Keith Watson makes the biggest impression as a surly video store owner whom Sam - who comes to the store, looking for a job - manages to win over with his earnest charm. You might expect the songwriters to add some offbeat touches to mirror the oddness of the characters, but these are few and far between. The songs (music by Nolan Gasser, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein) are pleasantly melodic but a bit bland. Still, it has some good moments, mostly from Pinkham - the Tony nominee is a talented mimic and an even more gifted physical comedian - as the truly one-of-a-kind Sam, who glides through life creating magic and amusing everyone with whom he comes into contact.īryce Pinkham makes an unconventional entrance, in “Benny & Joon.” So the musical didn’t really work for me, as a story. It’s a truly disturbing segment that is at odds with all the cuteness that has come before. (Some psychological explanation is offered via a back story: He and Joon lost their parents in a car accident, and he is still reeling from that, emotionally, and determined to keep Joon safe, any way he can.)ĭeep into the second act, the reality about Joon’s affliction is finally depicted, and the menschy Benny snaps. This makes Benny’s obsessive caretaking seem like overprotectiveness, and his insistence on sabotaging his own chance at romantic happiness, with Ruthie, seem bizarre. Guenther goes light on Joon’s problems at first, presenting her as quirky rather than truly troubled. As a result, this “Benny & Joon” ultimately seems too contrived to be fully satisfying.
It’s too much for one mortal writer to pull off. And she’s also got to sustain the film’s whimsical tone (which inevitably seems even more whimsical in the context of a stage musical) while also taking Joon’s mental illness seriously. She’s got to keep four likeable, well-meaning characters from finding happiness too quickly.
“Benny & Joon” is, essentially, a romantic comedy, so there must be obstacles to be resolved.īook writer Kirsten Guenther - adapting the 1993 film that was written by Barry Berman and Leslie McNeil and co-starred Mary Stuart Masterson, Johnny Depp and Aidan Quinn (and was something of a cult success) - has a delicate balancing act to perform. So we should be on the fast track to a happy ending, right? Meanwhile, Joon’s older brother Benny (Claybourne Elder), a garage owner and operator who has devoted much of his life to taking care of her, meets Ruthie (Tatiana Wechsler), an ex-actress (now working as a waitress) with car troubles, and a heart of gold.īoth couples seem perfect for and totally enamored with each other.
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