When Steven and I first moved to the East Coast last year, one of the first Broadway shows I declared I had to see was Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.

The production - which had its first run in Boston at the beginning of 2020 - was slated to begin its Broadway run in March of 2020. Timing couldn’t have been worse, as on opening night, they were given ordinance by the governor to evacuate the theatre due to rising concern about the Coronavirus. The cast and crew were forced to abandon the set, costumes and equipment of the show they’d painstakingly worked on, thinking they’d return in a matter of weeks. It would take almost two whole years for the show’s production to continue.

In February of 2022, the play finally reopened for a limited engagement. And on July 10th, we got the chance to witness the show’s final Broadway performance.

Dinner at The Elgin

We decided to make an evening out of the show by grabbing a bite to eat at The Elgin. Steven enjoyed their pepperoni pizza, while I indulged in a creamy tomato soup and some fried chicken.

The Hudson Theatre

We then headed over to the Hudson Theatre. It happened to be both of our first visits to this particular venue. This gorgeous Beaux-Arts style theatre originally opened in 1903. The Hudson is known for being one of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, and even provides guided tours focused around the historical significance it’s had on the entertainment industry over the years.

One of the things that stuck out to me in the theatre was the intricate detailing on the ceiling, which included original Tiffany glasswork.

We then found our seats up on the balcony level. I was impressed that not only did this theatre serve cocktails in real glassware, but they let us carry them into the theatre to enjoy during the show. I’ll admit that it’s quite tedious to shuffle across the steep balcony rows while trying not to pour a gin and tonic on the heads of the people in the row in front of you. But it was nice for once not to have to drink an alcoholic beverage out of one of those adult sippy cups the theatres typically provide you with nowadays.

Review

Plaza Suite is a play by Neil Simon, which debuted in 1968. In its original production, it took place in present day. So this iteration also sets the play in the late 1960s. Each act of the play focuses on a different set of guests staying in Suite 719 in the iconic Plaza Hotel: Visitor from Mamaroneck, Visitor from Hollywood, and Visitor from Forest Hills. Parker and Broderick play all three of the couples in the various acts.

In Visitor from Mamaroneck, Parker and Broderick play a married couple revisiting their honeymoon suite on their anniversary, who have to deal with a very unpleasant elephant in the room that is their faltering marriage. In Visitor from Hollywood, they play former flames: A movie producer and a housewife who meet at the Plaza to catch up after years apart. And in Visitor from Forest Hills, they play a middle-aged married couple whose stubborn daughter has locked herself in the suite bathroom in protest of attending her own wedding ceremony downstairs.

I’ve seen this production come under criticism from audience members. I even heard some people in line for the ladies room before the show expressing their apprehension, as they’d read on the forums that this was a boring play. And after seeing it myself, I can honestly say that this opinion is a matter of expectations. I think that with the billing being Carrie Bradshaw and Ferris Bueller on Broadway, people expected it to be more modern and hip. Or perhaps they expected more gloss and theatrics a la Wicked or Phantom of the Opera. But this is a quintessential 1960s dialogue-heavy play by Neil Simon. Simon’s works are about the dynamics of relationships, using his beloved city of New York as a backdrop. This is both a love-letter to the Plaza Hotel and three different takes on the mid-20th century marriage.

Whether or not this style of play intrigues you is a matter of personal opinion. However, I’d argue that this production was undoubtedly successful in execution because it understood the heart of the play. Parker and Broderick give each act its own brand of comedic and dramatic moments, while breathing new life into the set with each couple’s check-in. Producers of the show also understood that the main character of this play is the setting: The Plaza Suite is the consistent player throughout the entirety of the show, and the common denominator between all three of the couples. And this production makes sure that we know every inch of that set by the end of the night.

While I’m a fan of both Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick from their work on the silver screen, the real reasons I wanted to see this play were because of their real-life marriage, and their shared passion for theater. Parker and Broderick have a successful marriage (boasting 25 years married and three children together,) making them a Hollywood enigma. They also both have theater backgrounds: Parker starred in Annie on Broadway at the age of 14, and Broderick is a Broadway veteran, known for his performances in Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs (for which he won a Tony,) and The Producers - which Steven was lucky enough to see at the St. James Theatre back in the 2000s.

They’re an extremely talented couple, who love New York, theatre, and - most importantly - each other. And that showed not only through their perseverance to make this production happen despite the pandemic, but also on-stage in their performances. And I feel very fortunate to have been able to witness it. I have a strong feeling that this isn’t the last time we’ll be seeing either of them on Broadway. And I can’t wait to see what they do next.

As we exited the theater, Sex and the City fans started to crowd around as they realized that Carrie was in the building. We heard many girls ask around “Are there still tickets available?” Perhaps this will drum up more interest and get them to bring this show back for another run! I know we had a lovely time.