Lombardi

Lombardi, at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre
Gratuitous Violins rating: ** out of ****

Lombardi was the 11th pick in my fall 2010 Broadway draft and it was a bit of a longshot. Although I went through a sports fan phase as a teenager, it's been awhile since I've watched a football game.

But I figured, Vince Lombardi was an iconic figure in the 1960s, the period in American history that interests me the most. While I'm pretty well-versed in the era's politics and culture, I'm a few yards short of a first down when it comes to the sports highlights.

So I went into Eric Simonson's play hoping to learn what made Lombardi such a legendary football coach, to the point where the NFL named the Super Bowl trophy after him, and wanting to get a sense of his place in the midst of that tumultuous decade.

Well, there is a fascinating story here and a terrific, nuanced performance. It comes from Judith Light, as Lombardi's wife, Marie. She is sublime, absolutely the most interesting character onstage.

In the title role, Dan Lauria (best known as the father of Fred Savage on The Wonder Years) looks like the Green Bay Packers coach. But that's not enough for a winning performance, in my opinion. I felt like he got by too much on bluster and Vince Lombardi remained elusive.

The premise of the play also seemed contrived and not very dramatic - a writer from Look magazine has come to Green Bay in November 1965 to do a story on Lombardi, in the wake of an unflattering piece that ran in Esquire.

Keith Nobbs is appealing as Michael McCormick, youthful and eager to make a splash on his first big assignment. But he doesn't act like any reporter I know. He lives with the Lombardis during his week in Green Bay. He prefers to not take notes during interviews. And he's shocked when he realizes the type of story his editor wants. Wouldn't they have discussed that before he left New York City?

My biggest problem, though, is that most of what I learned about Vince Lombardi came secondhand, from conversations between McCormick and Marie, and when he interviews three Packer players - Paul Hornung (Bill Dawes), Jim Taylor (Chris Sullivan) and Dave Robinson (Robert Christopher Riley).

There certainly were moments when I got to see what made him tick. Lombardi talks about his frustration at being passed over for head coaching jobs, which he blames on the fact that he's Italian. In Green Bay, he makes it known that his team will only frequent restaurants that welcome black players. There's a passing reference to how he doesn't understand kids these days.

But I didn't get a sense from Lombardi of what made him unique as a coach, why his players revered him despite his toughness toward them, his relentless criticism. He just seemed loud, quick-tempered and stubborn and not very likable.

Marie Lombardi, on the other hand, was a different story.

The play offered a much deeper sense of her life: what it was like for her and their two children to live in the shadow of a famous husband and father, the difficult adjustment when they moved from New Jersey to Wisconsin. She tells McCormick that the three most important things to her husband are God, family and the Green Bay Packers - not necessarily in that order. Light handles all of this wonderfully, usually with a drink in Marie's hand.

Director Thomas Kail and set designer David Korins used the space in Circle in the Square well. I never felt like I was shortchanged in seeing the actors' faces in the round. The action takes place mostly in the Lombardi living room and on the practice field. (Ironically, the theatre is one of the few on Broadway that's not shaped like a football field.)

In the end, while there's one terrific performance and a few good moments, I was a bit bored at times. I'm not immune to having my heartstrings pulled by an inspirational sports story but Lombardi didn't quite do it for me. (Ok, I'll admit I did get a little choked up at the very end.)

It's possible I would have enjoyed the play more if I were more of a football fan. There was a cheer when the name of a New Jersey high school where Lombardi coached was mentioned. And there was an even bigger cheer at the curtain call when it was announced that the Packers had beaten the Vikings that afternoon.

Lombardi is produced in association with the National Football League and they've set up a nice display of Green Bay Packers memorabilia in the lobby, including signed footballs, newspaper articles and an old bench from Lambeau Field. I noticed a lot of people lingering afterward to get another look.

Clearly the play is attracting football fans to Broadway and they're enjoying themselves - and that's a good thing.

World AIDS Day 2010

I know it sounds strange to say that I enjoy being asked for money but I look forward to those pitches for donations to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS when I'm at a show.

Since it's World AIDS Day 2010, here's a pitch from me.

At the end of 2009, there were 33 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, about 1 million of them in the United States. An estimated 56,300 Americans become infected every year.

This year's United Nations report offers some encouraging statistics: worldwide, the number of people newly infected with HIV is declining and AIDS-related deaths are decreasing.

But much work remains, including caring for people who are living with the disease.

Whenever I go to the theatre at this time of year I always make sure that I have a little extra cash to drop in the bucket if the cast is collecting for Broadway Cares. (Touring productions of Broadway shows often collect donations, too.)

The organization will award about $10 million in grants in 2010 to groups in nearly every state and around the world. Broadway Cares supports health clinics, food service and meal delivery, housing and emergency assistance. Most likely an organization near you receives help.

Broadway Cares also supports other organizations that provide services to performing artists, including the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, the Al Hirschfeld Free Clinic and resources for actors and dancers.

While they're serious about the organization's good work, the requests for donations at the curtain call are often done with a sense of humor. In 2008, I watched Daniel Radcliffe auction off a sweaty polo shirt he wore during Equus.

This fall, David Hyde Pierce was ready with a few witty one-liners after La Bete. (He should host the Tony Awards!) And it was sweet to see 12-year-old Jeremy Gumbs, the youngest cast member of The Scottsboro Boys, smile broadly at the curtain call after playing a very serious role so well. He was so incredible in the musical that it was almost startling to realize yeah, he's a kid.

But I have to give the prize to the cast of Lombardi. Bill Dawes, who plays Green Bay Packer Paul Hornung, had us laughing hysterically. And Dan Lauria was pretty funny, too, staying in character as the legendary Packers coach.

I got an autographed Playbill for $20 (a color one!) and I saw quite a few people walking out of the theatre with $100 signed window cards. But any amount helps.

I'm happy to support an organization that helps so many people and it's my way of saying thank-you to the people whose work I've enjoyed all year long. That includes everyone who works onstage and backstage and without whom, the show would not go on.

Broadway Cares also has an online store with lots of great ideas for gifts for Christmas, Chanukah or any time of year.

NFL to Lombardi: Be Italian

I'm looking forward to seeing Lombardi on Broadway in November and I've read good things about the performance Dan Lauria delivers as the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers.

There's an interesting interview with Lauria in New York magazine about his background and what he did to prepare for the role. I have to admit I was a bit taken aback when he talks about how he got the part:

He says the theatre owners didn't want him - they would have cast Julia Roberts to sell tickets. "The NFL was adamant about having me - they wanted an Italian and they wanted someone who played football."

Lauria goes on to say that he doesn't think Lombardi would have been mounted without the involvement of the National Football League, which is a producer and has put its marketing power behind the show.

Now, I can understand the NFL wanting to read the script before giving its seal of approval to a play about the man whose name is on the Super Bowl trophy. I can even understand the league's desire to want someone in the role who's played the game, although I don't agree with it.

But I think a creative team is on the proverbial slippery slope when it casts an actor based on ethnic background, disregarding those who don't fit the bill. (And does this mean Italian actors can't play non-Italian roles? Because someone should tell Al Pacino.)

I've never seen Lauria in anything - not even The Wonder Years. I'm not disparaging his acting ability. In this case, I guess it was a happy coincidence that he's Italian-American and played football in college and knew the director, Thomas Kail.

Honestly though, none of that will matter when I see Lombardi. All I care about is whether Lauria creates a memorable character onstage.

And I'm not trying to sound naive about how these decisions are made. Casting a Broadway show is probably a lot like making sausage - I don't want to know everything that goes into it.