Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes NYC Reviews and Tickets

"A nimble, exhilarating revival...In Regina, Hellman created one of the stage’s great antiheroines and a glide bomb of a role. Now, in Daniel Sullivan’s production, two actresses get to detonate it...You should see it twice. When top-drawer actors bestride the stage in a tremendous role and some truly killer gowns, it’s time to clear the calendar...Mr. Sullivan’s confident production doesn’t deny melodrama, but it prefers psychological and social detail over Southern gothic fripperies."
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"Daniel Sullivan directs Hellman’s Alabama tale with a crisp vigor that smooths over its melodramatic bumps...The cast is uniformly strong, and outstanding work comes from the leading ladies…'The Little Foxes' may not command as high a prospect in the pantheon of American drama as more poetic work by Tennessee Williams or Eugene O’Neill, but it’s cunningly built and packs a punch...This is such a richly satisfying revival, I’m going back for seconds."
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“The play isn’t subtle; it’s just delicious…My cast suggested that the switch would not materially alter the effect of the production, which is solid but not transcendent...It’s largely in the calibration of the men’s roles that the production falters…Under Sullivan’s somewhat grandstanding direction their pacing and affect suggest something too close to comedy…What remains powerfully effective is Hellman’s dissection of the way a systemic lack of power can turn into manipulative fury."
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"Daniel Sullivan's impeccable production for Manhattan Theatre Club never overstates that modern-day relevance; he simply lets the play's rock-solid construction and lucid themes speak for themselves via a first-rate cast and exemplary design team...This is a superbly cast production with incisive character work from McKean, Goldstein and Benz...This is a production as classy as it is smart, shining a spotlight on a playwright who is too seldom revived on Broadway."
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"Linney shines in the role of Regina, her deep voice and deceptive dimples perfectly suited for the character’s commanding presence...Perhaps Nixon seems like the lesser Regina only because she is so brilliant as Birdie...Of course, this repertory-style casting demands comparison of the two stars, and Nixon’s Regina and Linney’s Birdie are in no way disappointing. It’s still a treat to watch these masters at play, along with the rest of the vibrant cast."
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"Director Sullivan has done brilliant work with this revival. His casting is flawless, his team of designers couldn’t be better chosen, and the technical detail that has gone into the production is amazing. But he took a chance in letting two A-list stage actors alternate in the roles of Regina and Birdie—and the coup pays off because it encourages us to look deeper into both characters."
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"The Manhattan Theatre Club production, staged with a rock solid hand by Daniel Sullivan at the Friedman Theatre, is flawless. Which is to say tastefully mean-spirited without any need to overemphasize what is eminently self-evident. Visually, it’s sumptuous...The casting couldn’t be better...The revelation of the production, however, is Thomas...In all, a rich, satisfying deep-dive into miserableness and ill-will. Couldn’t be more fun."
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"Which version of this production to see?...There is one I’d favor over the other, and that would be the evenings on which Nixon plays Regina..Regina’s incessant scheming and her itch for enrichment are developed with a more rewardingly sinister edge in Nixon’s Regina...Whoever plays whom, Sullivan’s production reaffirms that 'The Little Foxes' is crackerjack theater, worthy of exalted rank in the American canon."
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"A crisp and taut revival...Under Daniel Sullivan’s sure-handed direction, the show satisfies no matter who’s playing Regina—more or less...Supporting actors more than ably step up...But in the end it's about Nixon and Linney. Each stands tall and shrinks as the characters obviously require, but I preferred Linney as Regina and Nixon as Birdie...When an actress plays the meek in-law as superbly as Nixon does, Birdie really takes flight and looms large."
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"An unapologetic soap opera with over-the-top characters and unbelievable machinations...Director Daniel Sullivan approaches the play with a 'let’s just roll with it and have a good time' attitude, leading to a simple but effective production full of old-fashioned theatricality...Linney and Nixon are better suited to playing Regina and Birdie, respectively, but the show is fine either way, and checking out both casting arrangements makes you appreciate their versatility."
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"Under the scrupulous direction of Daniel Sullivan, Linney and Nixon prove that there is more than one way to skin a fox, with two highly contrasting interpretations that change the way we look at the play...Several of the supporting players also make big impressions...McKean brings a comic sensibility to the role of mean older brother Ben. His electric encounters with both Reginas are worth the price of admission alone...A must-see revival."
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“As Birdie, Linney makes a showstopper out of her third-act monologue, but Nixon's presence in the role is more tragic, as her character forces smiles and charm while being abused. It's not a competition, of course, and personal taste will come into play as to which combination audience members will prefer. Fortunately, ‘The Little Foxes’ is a fascinating play and Sullivan's superb production is easily worth a second visit.”
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“Whichever version of ‘Little Foxes’ you attend, you are in for a memorable time…As Regina, Linney brings the fire and Nixon, the ice…The actresses' interpretations of Birdie are also strikingly different…I don't want to suggest that Linney and Nixon, as good as they are, are the only attractions in this superlative revival. Thomas is a sterling Horace…McKean is a study in suave villainy as Ben…Goldstein simmers effectively as Oscar…Everything else about Sullivan's production is first-class.”
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"If the physical production lacks that dedication to detail it's acceptable. What's not is that Nixon and Linney do not equivalently fill out their parts...When Linney is Regina and Nixon is Birdie...that's the only combination I'd suggest you go out of your way to see...As it is, Sullivan's spin might be on the weighty side. Either way, this is a fiery play that's a definite hot spot for the season when Linney is working her blazing magic on a Regina you won't forget anytime soon."
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"Sullivan’s succulent new Broadway revival of the play cannot erase its tints of both moralizing and melodrama. But it proves once again that Hellman’s drama is also enduring entertainment...Both actors give rewarding performances in both roles. What’s more: Sullivan’s production has been cast in such depth that even the formidable leading ladies are by no means the whole show...Sullivan’s crackerjack production shines with polish and acting of sharp intelligence and theatrical acuity."
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“The power of ‘The Little Foxes’ is not how good it is as a disturbing period piece, but rather, how readily familiar and accurate it is as a mirror of the present...‘The Little Foxes’ is possibly the most relevant and timeless revival of a play from an era we never intended to go back to. It will make you uncomfortable, for it tackles issues that are shockingly familiar today. And even more importantly, it goes beyond showing you the ugly truth, and ultimately instills you with hope.”
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"What a marvelous and durable piece of theater 'Foxes' is...As we watch its linear plot unfold and its crystalline characters shift allegiances with alacrity, we are acutely aware we’re watching theater of another era. Yet never does the word ‘dated’ even remotely come to mind...'Foxes' was never high art. But it most certainly was, is, and will continue to be high entertainment...Sullivan’s direction brings it all together, with meticulous attention paid to detail for a very satisfying whole."
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"Kudos to both actresses for memorizing and interpreting two roles. And while neither is going to eclipse Bette Davis' Regina or Maureen Stapleton's Birdie, both gave solid performances...Linney takes some getting used to as Birdie but she does manage to look Birdie-ish rather than her usual poised and attractive self. I found her performance to be at its heart-tugging height during the second act...I don't think you'll be disappointed if you choose to see Nixon as Regina."
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“A delicious production…The intrigue is presented like so many layers of a French pastry. Directed with style and precision by Daniel Sullivan this is a crisp evening of deceit and calculation. Everyone is up to something, and you don’t want to take your eyes off any of them for a second. Each character – and each very fine actor – is on a trajectory of their own making. The result is an ensemble that is having a devilishly good time.”
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"Both women are equally memorable in a play that marries the stylized drama of Southern Gothic with the wit of a comedy of manners...It's easy to sink into the play, which passes swiftly...Sullivan commands a fluid ensemble performance, stretching great drama out of heated arguments and pregnant pauses...In 2017, 'The Little Foxes' feels a little bit like elderberry wine and tea cakes in the afternoon—a superfluous indulgence, but an intoxicating, transportive treat, nonetheless."
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"What fun this play is. The 2 1/2 hours flies by without a thought to the time. Regardless of who is playing the fox, and who is the bird...Linney’s Regina is a formidable force to be reckoned with and, as expertly directed by David Sullivan, Birdie is no match, nor does she even try. Nixon embodies her to perfection...Do yourself a favor, and try both on for size...That black gown seems to fit these two women equally well."
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“With Cynthia Nixon and Laura Linney swapping the central roles in repertory, Hellman’s play still has much to show us about ourselves…With just enough exposition and the carefully drawn performances of Linney and Nixon, these women are vividly complex…Nixon plays Regina smooth and steely. No histrionics or even raised voices…The cast is strong across the board, providing all the ballast the play needs to keep the tension between the family members taut.”
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“An engrossing revival with a superb cast…Finely directed by Daniel Sullivan…Linney and Nixon wouldn’t shine so brightly without a supporting cast full of stand-out performances. Richard Thomas is exactly right as the goodly, dying Horace Giddens…The play’s craftsmanship and its intensity have not diminished in this fifth, fierce, Broadway production…And I believe the changing times—and these particular times—have invested ‘The Little Foxes’ with greater significance.”
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"A remarkably well-structured work, full of complex characters, and fully stocked with a variety of themes that resonate today...Luckily, Sullivan’s exceedingly handsome and solid production captures this landmark work in most of its glory...Where the actresses differ most is in their portrayal of Birdie – Nixon wins hands-down in a performance that could earn her a Tony...Sullivan, long considered Broadway’s finest 'actor’s director,' mostly lives up to his reputation here."
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“'The Little Foxes' is an example of old-fashioned but still magnetic playwriting: a tightly constructed play with crystal-clear exposition, sharply defined characters, a theatrically colorful time and place, and a powerful, anticapitalistic theme, as resonant today as during the Depression. Linney's Regina, as good as it gets, captures all this vixen's charm, craftiness, daring, viciousness, unscrupulousness, and ambition. Nixon makes Birdie a completely convincing counterpoint character.”
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"Lillian Hellman’s 1939 play 'The Little Foxes' is a considered a classic of 20th-century drama and after seeing Manhattan Theatre Club’s version, I understand why...A master class in acting...Expertly directed by Daniel Sullivan, this production is strong in every aspect. 'The Little Foxes' seems to predict a future that is here...The cast is all at the top of their game and this is a splendid production."
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"This blissfully cynical work is as juicy a three-act play as anyone would hope to find in American theater annals...The ensemble supporting Linney and Nixon are first-rate and go an impressive distance to underline the incipient evil rotting these Southern vines...Linney and Nixon are surely enjoying the challenge they’ve given themselves and each other, but, were push to become shove, they might see that the former is a more appropriate Regina and the latter a more appropriate Birdie."
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"A first-rate cast...The role of Regina suits Linney well; she captures both the steeliness and the traces of charm. However, she is almost overshadowed by Cynthia Nixon’s superb performance as her sister-in-law Birdie...Linney and Nixon are so persuasive in these roles that is hard to imagine them in reverse...Daniel Sullivan directs with a sure hand. The play is far from subtle, but, with such a fine production, it is very entertaining."
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"On opening night, Linney played Regina and Nixon played Birdie, and they are excellent in those respective roles. Less wonderful is Nixon’s Regina and Linney’s Birdie...The rest of the cast alters their respective performances not one iota in responding to these very different interpretations from the two female leads...That minor objection aside, Sullivan delivers a triumvirate of consummate mendacity in the perfectly wedded performances of Goldstein and McKean."
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“Laura Linney’s Regina makes Southern gentility organic without losing the character’s edge. Imperiousness fits like a bespoke glove, avarice is palpable. So much emotion is internalized, however, one misses flashes…Cynthia Nixon inhabits Birdie from the moment she enthusiastically flutters onstage...Altogether splendid. Director Daniel Sullivan excels at this kind of solid drama. His characters exist naturally and, for the most part, distinctively.”
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“Tremendously satisfying…Director Daniel Sullivan provides a rip-roaring production dripping with melodrama and histrionics, but never going over the top into camp territory. Linney’s Regina is a monster of deceit and narcissism…Richard Thomas as Horace, Regina’s ailing, conscience-stricken spouse, provides a fiery curtain speech as he denounces his wife while Michael McKean and Darren Goldstein are suitably wily as the grasping Hubbard brothers.”
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"More interesting than a competition, however, is the crackling seriousness with which director Daniel Sullivan approaches this strongly cast revival...I was struck by the snappy, tight writing and the psychological truth in the people...As Regina...Linney has the gutsy, snazzy elegance...And Nixon makes a sublime Birdie...The reverse casting is enlightening, but, in comparison, feels a bit more stagy...The rest of the cast is far more than background."
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"A classic Broadway drama and an American theatre warhorse. Manhattan Theatre Club's bracing new production is fresh and invigorating. It’s so good you may want to see it twice...Daniel Sullivan's finely calibrated production isn't just a vehicle for these two fine performances, it’s also a glorious ensemble production that crackles with tension and there are terrific contributions from Richard Thomas as Regina's husband and Michael McKean and Darren Goldstein as her two brothers."
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"A handsomely mounted Manhattan Theatre Club revival...Both actresses are excellent, and excellently distinct...The contrast of Regina and Birdie, and the emerging prominence of Alexandra highlights this as a play at least partly about what power a woman can assert and exercise having grown up and into a patriarchal world...We are never left in any doubt that a triumphant Regina is as damaged as Birdie."
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“When Birdie’s unspoken truths bubble over in a second-act emotional meltdown, Linney’s delicately daffy and devastating performance elicited the only exit applause of the night. With her broad vocal register shading in every color, it was as arresting a scene as I’ve seen on stage all season. Nixon...is firmly in her element as Regina…Director Daniel Sullivan’s finely tuned production features a strong ensemble cast.”
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"Powerful and chilling...The story is filled with delicious twists and turns up until the end. But the fun in this production is watching these two extraordinary and captivating actresses at play, no matter which role she's tackling. Each at the height of her game, the veteran performers were clearly given latitude to interpret their characters as they will...Both prove to be equally effective in either role — a sign of each actress' talent and the production's overall perfection."
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"Daniel Sullivan directs a strong cast with actors that let their characters build, especially in a sizzling second half. Richard Thomas is outstanding...While Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon both shine in their roles, it is easy to imagine them alternating as Regina and Birdie. 'The Little Foxes' is a well-crafted thriller by Lillian Hellman and beautifully delivered at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. It is a show that is tempting to see again."
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"Exquisitely rendered in every detail in this gorgeous production...It never feels old-fashioned or dated; instead it highlights the play’s freshness and relevance to today’s world...The cast for the 2017 revival is simply brilliant...Sullivan directs with impeccable attention to detail; nary the smallest matter is overlooked, and the pacing is wonderful, with two well-timed intermissions over two and a half hours...Don’t miss it."
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"Two actresses of top-drawer talent command the stage...Hellman's political acuity and insights into the darkest pathways of greed and corruption, the culture of avarice, make this work so electrifying and still so pertinent today...It’s melodrama of a high order, and director Daniel Sullivan lets it all hang out...Even with its familiar twists, a good production can keep you on the edge of your seat. And this is a first-rate mounting."
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"They alternate roles, getting to play two juicy parts, with results that prove to be expectedly rewarding. First, I saw Linney as the scheming matriarch Regina. Linney is very good, exuding fake charm when needing to...All smiles and trying to please, Nixon is extremely touching...Linney was an absolutely superb Birdie, not as dithery as she’s usually played, but just as plagued by regrets and sorrow underneath the perky exterior...The men are uniformly good."
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"While I can report that Linney makes for a splendidly seething Regina, and Nixon is especially strong as the defeated but still desperately hopeful Birdie, I should also add that nothing about this effective, but straight-over-the-plate production compelled me to want to return...Hellman's proto-feminist observations about how power structures imprison even the most strong-willed of women are compelling, if facile...This 'Little Foxes'...never quite gets the pulse racing."
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"Daniel Sullivan's production is thrilling. In a stroke of casting genius, Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon alternate in the Regina and Birdie roles at different performances. You can see both — and you should...What struck me hardest is how rounded these characters are...The best part? Both women characters are too strong to be merely victims. This is a compelling play about power and its abuses...It's also a complex character study. This is one you shouldn't miss."
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"It’s an old play. And it could have been written yesterday...Manhattan Theatre Club’s decision to revive the play under the brilliant direction of Daniel Sullivan is in itself commendable. But what’s even better is their gathering of a superb cast and creative team to bring this revival to spectacular life...Linney gives Regina a certain charm that surrounds her stony heart like a silk glove covers sharp claws...Nixon makes Birdie an object of pity but never ridicule."
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"Lillian Hellman’s 'The Little Foxes,' superbly staged in revival at Manhattan Theatre Club, is as satisfying as theatre gets...Hellman’s drama is a model of structure...The direction by Daniel Sullivan is as direct and straightforward as the playwriting itself...The cast is superb...Linney’s performance as Regina, played with grand, stylized cunning and cruelty is so terrifying, it’s breathtaking...Hellman’s themes are timeless."
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“With Mr. Sullivan's fine vision, I really felt I was in the South…These two actresses are masters of their craft…And what a tremendous supporting cast these two marvelous actresses get the pleasure of working with. Regina's brothers, Michael McKean and Darren Goldstein are the perfect mix of evil and jocularity. Richard Thomas knows how to inhabit his deceptively revengeful character with aplomb.”
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“It is so intricately constructed, timeless, and a classic…An outstanding revival…The true beauty of the show is how Ms. Hellman’s story holds up nearly 80 years after it was first mounted…The show is flawlessly directed, designed and acted. Laura Linney as Regina is evil incarnate, and Cynthia as Birdie Huddard, Regina’s sister-in-law, is the charm that was the South…Richard Thomas is simply wonderful…One of the year’s best revivals.”
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"They and it both shine in the play’s fourth Broadway revival...Nixon is a steely Regina throughout the play, which is a fine and supportable choice. Linney is more fascinating, though, in the way she negotiates...Nixon seems more vulnerable, though, as Birdie...Whom you see first can really make a difference. What’s the solution? See them both in their two different roles."
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“Easily the most entertaining serious play I’ve seen so far this Broadway season…The night I saw it, Linney was a steely marvel as Regina, and Nixon heartbreakingly vulnerable and sincere as Birdie...Sullivan has crafted a production so rock-solid, and intelligently observed in its details, that any skilled actor would feel secure and supported…The supporting cast is every bit as potent as the leads…A ripping yarn and this production gives that full play. Highly recommended.”
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“‘The Little Foxes’ is a bit of a guilty pleasure. It’s a preachy, creaky, potboiler of a play, with starkly drawn two-dimensional characters, bald-faced moralizing, and not a single note of subtlety. But it’s just so much fun to watch…The current production plays as if director Daniel Sullivan was trying for realism, when the play benefits from more of a melodramatic tone. The production has too many soft edges, and the scenes are often under-energized.”
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“Linney’s warmth and good humor serve her in good stead as the pathetic but sympathetic Birdie…Nixon’s sharp-edged Regina is a schemer who knows what she wants and how to get it…Sullivan’s always incisive direction surrounds them with terrific support…‘The Little Foxes’ plays best as an old-fashioned—but gleefully nasty—soap opera; that it provides such luxurious roles for two talented actresses might be its signal virtue."
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"Though its pacing is the slowest of slow burns, Sullivan's iteration of it is emotionally charged, divisive, occasionally cuttingly funny...Every action taken by a character feels like it comes from who they are and that is why the characters are so engaging and terrifying...This is as much to the credit of Hellman's writing as it is to the cast and crew. Linney, Nixon, and the whole assorted company are suited brilliantly to the material, and deliver its ripe social commentary with gusto."
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“Despite three acts and two intermissions, ‘The Little Foxes’ manages to be riveting…Linney is masterful and downright scary. In contrast, Nixon as Birdie is tremulous and nervous. Even her voice quivers...Under the capable direction of Daniel Sullivan, 'The Little Foxes' is a play worth seeing with much to discuss, especially about the treatment and attitude toward women. The supporting cast, particularly the family members, is commanding, but the play is really about the two women."
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“The political climate has never been better for a restaging of 'The Little Foxes'...Hellman's play is populated by the most wretched, self-serving characters ever assembled on one stage. And the actors have a field day with it! Director Daniel Sullivan has gathered together a winning team…It is thrilling to be presented with such a lush set. Scenic designer Scott Pask gets kudos for designing a beautifully appointed front parlor…Also laudable are costumes, by Jane Greenwood."
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"Nixon is demonic as Regina. Linney is brittle as the delicate and damaged Birdie...Daniel Sullivan’s direction of 'The Little Foxes' allows the plot to develop with style and at leisure. The costumes by Jane Greenwood are excellent; the gown Regina wears is superbly elegant. Scott Pask’s scenery is sumptuous, drawing applause at curtain-up. This classic tale of rapacity and conniving is beautifully ugly."
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“An excellent production…If there is a criticism of Linney’s performance, it would be that it is almost too cold; the charm seems so obviously fake…Cynthia Nixon gives us such a multi-layered performance, you can barely keep your eyes off of her…Richard Thomas is outstanding as Regina’s husband, Horace…In fact this entire cast is very good…What is most impressive is the way director Daniel Sullivan has kept the play from becoming an overwrought melodrama.”
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“The role swapping is pure gold. After seeing Nixon play Regina with near perfection, I craved a dose of seeing Linney in the same role. As Birdie, Linney is vulnerable, and a bit lost, playing a battered wife trying to make her way in an aristocratic world she doesn’t fit in. I can’t help but wonder what she would be like playing the evil Regina…If you’re a fan of either actress or love a good play by a woman and about women, 'The Little Foxes' won’t let you down.”
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"The doubly brilliant and most becoming talents of Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon are trading off the challenges of breathing new life into the characters…The sense of dedicated ensemble performances from this director and cast of expert character actors, as well as the two afore lauded ladies, is altogether inspiring in their collective service to Hellman’s classic tragic tale, which could not be more relevant to our day’s country and beleaguered culture."
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"Daniel Sullivan‘s riveting production shows the full potential of this much-neglected play...'Little Foxes' is a very unconventional play which turns period gender roles delightfully on their heads. It would certainly be worth seeing this production twice to witness both actresses in the leading role. To see two of today’s leading actresses devour the role of a lifetime is a rare opportunity indeed."
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“Sullivan's genius is not to contort the play into a funnel for banal message-making, but to let a team of virtuosic actors loose onstage and let them battle as viciously for our sympathies as they fight one another…Flint-eyed and sharp-hearted, Nixon was at her best as a fierce, clever negotiator...Less convincing are the role's notes of full-Southern, staircase-draping melodrama…It's a fantastic play about flawed human beings.”
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