Lombardi!

      I am not what one would call a sports fan. Let's face it, I am about as far removed from being a sports fan as Sarah Palin is from joining PETA. When it was announced last spring that the NFL would be producing a play on Broadway about late Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi, I was less than enthused.

    Last evening I took in the play, after much putting off. I am glad to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Rather than being a play about football, or the ins and outs of football, or a particular team, Lombardi! attempts to reveal the man behind the coach. This is achieved by creating a fictional character of a reporter who is sent from New York City by "Look" magazine to do a story about Vince Lombardi.

     This device is not always effective. There are some very well written and compelling scenes in the play. Where things slow down is when the reporter delivers one of his "between the scenes" monologues. These monologues read like play by plays of what you missed during the commercial break. Rather than show you through scenes what happens, or trusting that you can get from point A to point B, the author has filled in the gaps with monologues that tell you what happened between scenes that he didn't think was important enough to show you acted out fully, but is important enough that you need to be told that it happened. Other than this minor annoyance, it's a wonderful play.

     Dan Lauria is utterly convincing as coach Lombardi. He gives the myth a truly human form. His performance is not to be missed. The highlight of the evening, however, is Judith Light as Marie Lombardi. Her performance is astounding. She is a delight from beginning to end. Her comic timing and delivery is unparalleled. Not only does she elicit laughs, she gives the woman depth, and allows us to see through the slightest body language how much she loves her husband, and how much she had to put up with because of that love.

     The rest of the cast turn in very good performance as well. It's a very short play, a bit over 90 minutes long. It's definitely one of the better new plays that I've seen on Broadway this season. Judith Light is certain to be nominated for a Tony award and has a very strong chance of winning. Dan Lauria deserves to be nominated, but may be passed over for more high profile performances. Tickets are currently on sale through June 19th, don't miss it!