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"Reasons to Be Pretty" Hits Home for Young Audiences
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Recently, Broadway has banked on musical revivals and undeniable crowd pleasers like South Pacific and Guys and Dolls, as well as famous movie stars like Susan Sarandon and Rupert Everett to keep audiences coming back. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the biggest musical dork of them all. One note of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and I’m singing the Evita soundtrack for the next week. But let’s face it, most of us can’t relate to Eva Perón.
Playwright, screenwriter and film director Neil LaBute’s Broadway debut, “Reasons to Be Pretty”, has none of those things. It is a new American play with theatre actors. There aren’t any flashy dance numbers or A-list celebs, though you might recognize Carly, played by Piper Perabo, star of the bar flick Coyote Ugly. But what the "Reasons" does have is a whole lot of talent and story line to which anyone who has ever been young, in love and unsure of their future can relate.
The plot is simple. Greg’s (Thomas Sadoski) off-handed remark about a female co-worker’s pretty face, which implies that his girlfriend Steph’s (Marin Ireland) is not, gets back to her. As their relationship crumbles, their friends Kent (Stephen Pasquale) and Carly (Perabo) get caught in the crosshairs and all four must confront uncomfortable and painful issues: deceit, infidelity and betrayal. The play is underscored by the age-old American question: How much is pretty worth?
As Greg deals with the emotional fallout of his failed relationship, he is forced to grow up and learn to stand up for himself and Steph. This means no longer allowing his long-time friend and co-worker Kent to bully him and making hard decisions about how to live his own life.
Kent provides a complete character foil to Greg, employing macho humor and approaching life unabashedly, while Greg is quieter and more introspective, using literature to escape from reality.
What makes this play so accessible to young audiences in the 21st century is that it tackles is a coming of age story that tackles two very basic, but poignant themes: love and relationships and how to be happy with life choices. Like many people trying to find their way in the world, the working class characters in “Reasons” grapple with how to turn around their seemingly dead-end lives.
LaBute’s dialogue is real, sometimes inducing moments of awkwardness for the characters. The four-person cast features standout performances from Sadoski and downtown theater queen Ireland, who were both nominated for Tony awards for their roles. "Reasons to Be Pretty" also received a Tony nomination for "Best Play".
“Reasons to Be Pretty” is currently playing at the Lyceum Theatre. Click here for discount tickets to the show. The offer expires May 31, 2009.
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