THE NORMAL HEART at the Golden Theatre

(Seen 5/7/11)

The 'best revival' title this season unquestionably belongs to THE NORMAL HEART, Larry Kramer's heart-wrenching tale about life in the gay community when AIDS first started to decimate its population.

When the play first opened at the Public Theater in 1985, it was a lone voice calling out to its own community, to the government, to the newspapers, and to the medical establishment, demanding help in recognizing that this was a plague. It pleaded for action in fighting for the lives of those battling this unknown disease.

Although times have changed and progress has been made in the past 25 years, this very personal story of a lone activist crying out in the wilderness of politics and society, still remains a poignant and heart-felt story of a small group of individuals striving to survive the epidemic, and still keep love and meaning in their personal relationships..

I have known and followed and admired the work of Joe Mantello as a director since his early off-Broadway days when he was less-known. So it is a happy revelation to see that he is still an accomplished actor who breathes such life and passion into his role. He is flawless in his re-creation of Ned Weeks, the activist who is the catalyst for this play.

The entire cast -- Ellen Barkin, Patrick Breen, Mark Harelik, John Benjamin Hickey, Luke MacFarlane, Lee Pace, Jim Parsons, Richard Topol, and Wayne Alan Wilcox all seamlessly cohere with Mantello to create an ensemble cast that fully serves the needs of the play. Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe guide this remarkable group of actors through its rocky path of progess.