Captain America is making his Broadway debut ? sans the superpowers.
Film actor Chris Evans is set to star in this month?s revival of the 2001 play Lobby Hero, alongside Michael Cera (This is Our Youth), Bryan Tyree Henry (The Book of Mormon, The Fortress of Solitude), and Bel Powley (Arcadia, Elephants). Written by award-winning playwright Kenneth Lonergan in the ?90s and brought to life on-stage by Trip Cullman, Broadway World reports that Lobby Hero began previews in March 1 and will premiere on Monday, March 26, at the newly renovated Helen Hayes Theatre.
Personal versus professional
?Typically, I play guys who are little more taciturn and selfless ? leaders. This guy is not that,? Evans told the press in a statement about his character, Bill. The unpredictable partner to an intense rookie cop (Powley), Evans? character clashes with a young security guard (Cera) and his stern boss (Henry) in the lobby of a Manhattan apartment. The unassuming setting transforms from a simple waiting area to the site of a murder investigation, with the four characters blurring the lines between the personal and professional aspects of life.
Lobby Hero originally premiered over 17 years ago Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons under the helm of Drama Desk and Obie Award winner Mark Brokaw. It was subsequently staged in the John Houseman Theatre and made its UK premiere at the Donmar Warehouse in 2002. Cullman?s iteration of Lobby Hero is the play?s fifth overall, and the first time it is done by a different director.
Regarding Lonergan?s four-character script, Curtain Up?s Elysse Summer describes it as, ?a most smoothly plotted and crowd pleasing play.? Lonergan, whose most recent work in the film Manchester by the Sea has given him plenty of fresh accolades, manages to paint a vivid slice of contemporary Manhattan life within the two-hour play, with an emphasis on humor and its manifestations in moral struggles.
Expanding horizons
Lobby Hero is another one of Evans? courageous moves to push for further career growth beyond his most famous role: Captain America in Marvel?s Cinematic Universe. Part of this endeavor is his starring role in Marc Webb?s upcoming feature Gifted, as well as the 2014 film Before We Go, which Evans directed, produced, and starred in.
Still, one cannot deny the influence of his superhero roles in propelling Evans? career to new heights. Prior to his role as Captain America, Evans starred as the Human Torch in Fantastic Four as well as its 2007 sequel, The Rise of the Silver Surfer. He then made a natural transition into America?s hero in his first Marvel film in 2011 with Captain America: The First Avenger. Since then, Evans has worked within the Marvel Cinematic Universe as one of its most important protagonists. The Washington Post argues that Evans? role is a major factor in Captain America?s success, with which he has starred in a total of eight released films thus far, with two more set to hit theaters in the coming years.
His role as Captain America has helped herald in an unprecedented golden age of superhero movies, which, in turn, has helped develop a number of different merchandise and related activities. The global success of Marvel?s superheroes has brought about a whole slew of superhero-themed books, toys, television shows, and games. Many of the games on the Slingo gaming platform, for one, have been influenced directly by this superhero craze, with games like Wonder Woman and Thunderstruck among its roster inspired by DC and Marvel characters. Such titles allow superhero fans to enjoy a new dimension of entertainment related to their respective idols. In this way, superhero culture continues to both sustain and be perpetuated by superhero films, with Chris Evans leaving an indelible mark on the industry as a whole.
We at New York Broadway Tours can?t wait to see what he brings to the table ? or in this case, the stage ? on his very first Broadway endeavor.
