Written by Moises Kaufman
Directed by Moises Kaufman
Synopsis:Jane Fonda heads a cast of eight in 33 Variations, a new American play written and directed by Moisés Kaufman, about Katherine Brandt (Jane Fonda) trying to solve a centuries-old mystery about the world's greatest composer. Katherine's obsession takes her from present-day New York to 19th century Austria. As the music that consumes Katherine comes to life on stage, she races against time to find common ground with her daughter and to embrace the legacy of her own life.
NEW YORK TIMES:
"Ms. Fonda’s layered crispness is, I regret to add, a contrast to Mr. Kaufman’s often soggy play, which sends her character on a quest to unlock, with a mortal deadline looming before her, a musical mystery about the Beethoven composition of the title. Still, I’m willing to forgive a fair amount in a production that returns Ms. Fonda with such gallantry to the Broadway stage after an absence of 46 years. "
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NEW YORK POST:
"Mostly, however, there's talk, talk and more talk, with occasional snatches of music. The author of fact-based works like "The Laramie Project" and "I Am My Own Wife," Kaufman regurgitates his considerable research in artless chunks. And it often feels as if he didn't trust his premise's innate pull: The friction between Katherine and her daughter, for instance, seems little more than a forced attempt to create more drama. "
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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS:
"The Oscar winner brings everything to this role that's made her an iconic film star: Pure enthusiasm, toughness tempered by vulnerability, and that distinctive voice which makes every line fascinating. Too bad this handsomely designed but unconvincing drama isn't as big an event as Fonda's return. "
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THEATERMANIA:
"Fortunately, the multi-media play, written and directed by Moises Kaufman, is something more than that -- even if for part of its two-act duration it trips too often while walking the narrow line between charming and saccharine."
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VARIETY:
"There's perhaps a couple too many mannered directorial flourishes, but overall this is an impeccably honed production, its fine cast backed by exquisite visuals. "
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NEWSDAY:
"The result is a strained, pseudo-serious, intellectually scattershot project that makes us appreciate all the pitfalls that "Wit" (about a dying scholar with intimacy issues) and "Amadeus" (about Mozart's creative process) managed to avoid. "
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NY1:
"For all its lofty ambitions, it doesn't rise to the level of great theater. Still, it's an engaging work centering on a classical music mystery; and Jane Fonda's performance is a high note. "
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BACKSTAGE:
"Kaufman, who also directs, attempts to transform a subject of academic interest -- Beethoven's obsession with a simple waltz, upon which he based the titular project -- into a theatrical event. But he layers the story of the elderly genius with the melodrama of Dr. Brandt, and the result is like Amadeus meets Lifetime TV. "
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amNY:
"But for the most part, Kaufman’s play hits the right notes – and not just with music. It is an engrossing and moving drama that music enthusiasts are bound to especially appreciate. Still, it would really benefit from some careful cutting here and there... "
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TIME OUT NY:
"In dramatic terms, 33 Variations is cultured, balanced, humane—and dull. Kaufman has done his research and connects the dots, but forgot to write fully rounded or surprising characters. "
Read the whole review HERE.
