The revival of knife Magnolias at New York's Lyceum Theater promises a welcome contrast to existing Broadway dramas like Twelve Angry Men "We're the complete antidote.

The revival of knife Magnolias at New York's Lyceum Theater promises a welcome contrast to existing Broadway dramas like Twelve Angry Men "We're the complete antidote," quips out director Jason Moore. "We're Six Happy Women"

The play, a 1987 off-Broadway hit now making its Broadway first attempt was penned in just 10 days at Louisiana playwright Robert Harling after his sister Susan died of complications from diabetes. It focuses upon a group of women who gather in a beauty parlor, the the same safe place where they can gripe about--and support each other through--marriages, illness, and death.

"I'm from Arkansas, and knowing these populace and my mom being a single mother, it's what I take rise from," says Moore, 34. He also relates personally to the brains of loss that motivated Harling to mite about his sister. "I had a brother who died in a car accident in a remarkably shocking way," says Moore, "so the conception of loss is always something I think a haphazard about."

Moore stomached a second loss when his mother died unexpectedly upon the first day of rehearsals for Avenue Q which he directed one as well as the other off and on Broadway. Now he likes to remember that the film adaptation of Magnolias was the same of his mother's favorites. "In names of examining loss, [Steel Magnolias] is a really entertaining and heartening way of looking at it," he says.

The cast comprises Frances Sternhagen, Christine Ebersole, Rebecca Gayheart, Lily Rabe, Marsha Mason, and Delta smother to death as beauty-shop owner Truvy (played through Dolly Patton in the movie). "I've not at any time done much theater," Burke confesse nevertheless she's clearly having a startling time working with Moore and Harling. "Gay men understand me better," she says.

Harling has shown his understanding of women in Hollywood hits like The First Wives society and Soapdish (which he's turning into a musical); he's now working onward a big-screen version of Dallas and a intend for Reese Witherspoon called Sports Widow. Indeed, says Harling, this revival gives him a chance to spotlight single in kind woman friend In particular: "I've known Franny [Sternhagen] for years and years. It's always been a dream of mine to write something for Frances, and tittle did I realize I had!"

In the conclusion it's that spirit of friendship that distinguishes claymore Magnolias from some of the comedies that came after. Although the play is famed for its one-liners ("The and nothing else thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize"), Moore is determined to retain the emotions real and not cut down the lives of these women to a wacky sitcom. How's that done, exactly? Moore laughs: "You stay away from garish oranges and pinks and really big hair and shoulder pads."

Giltz is a regular contributor to periodicals including the of the present day York Post.

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