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Broadway Revival of 'A Few Good Men' Kicks Off
Confirmed
In Short: Lincoln Center Theater presents the first Broadway revival of Aaron Sorkin's military courtroom drama, starring Bradley Whitford and Tom Blyth.
Lincoln Center Theater is presenting the first Broadway revival of Aaron Sorkin's 'A Few Good Men,' a military courtroom drama that gained widespread recognition through its 1992 film adaptation starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore.
The revival, directed by Tony Award winner Michael Arden, features Bradley Whitford as LtCol Nathan Jessep, delivering a powerful performance that includes the iconic line, 'You can’t handle the truth!'
Tom Blyth, making his Broadway debut, plays LTJG Daniel Kaffee, the affable Navy lawyer assigned to the case.
The play, which originally premiered in 1989, explores themes of obedience, justice, and the complexities of military law.
Blyth's portrayal of Kaffee is described as charming rather than commanding, offering a fresh take on the character.
The revival begins previews on October 8 and officially opens on October 29 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Aaron Sorkin wrote the play after his sister, a military lawyer, shared a case she was working on at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
Whitford, who starred in the original Broadway run and the film adaptation, recalls meeting Sorkin when the playwright was just 25 years old.
While the revival includes the famous line 'You can’t handle the truth!' it is delivered in a way that avoids cheap applause or cinematic nostalgia.
The play's themes of military obedience and justice remain relevant, making it a staple in community and regional theaters.
The revival reunites Sorkin with his 'West Wing' star, Whitford, for the first time on Broadway since the original run.
Background
A Few Good Men is a 1992 American legal drama film, produced and directed by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin, who adapted his 1989 play. It stars an ensemble cast including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, J.
What's confirmed
- Rodriguez delivers a caffeinated, propulsive performance as both a thorn in the side of and an intuitive ally to LTJG Daniel Kaffee (Tom Blyth), the affable Navy lawyer assigned to the case.
- The limited engagement stars Tom Blyth in his Broadway debut alongside Krysta Rodriguez and Bradley Whitford.
What's still developing
- But what most theatergoers will remember is Bradley Whitford as LtCol Nathan Jessep bellowing that famous line: “You can’t handle the truth!” Packed with enough exposition to sink a hostile vessel in Guantanamo Bay, Sorkin’s plot centers on a private’s suspicious death on a U.S.
- Tom Blyth and Lavel Schley in 'A Few Good Men' (Photo: Emilio Madrid) It’s been nearly four decades since Aaron Sorkin broke out with the Broadway hit A Few Good Men, a courtroom drama that anticipated the arrival of TV shows like Law & Order with its ripped-from-the-headlines plotting as well as JAG with its focus on the military justice system.
- (In another bit of foreshadowing of major news events in the early 21st century, the base is located on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.) Can you handle the truth?
- But who ordered the “code red” that gave the go-ahead to the bullying that goes terribly wrong.
- When it arrives on stage – it being “You can’t handle the truth!,” one of the most famous bits of dialogue in movie history – the phrase feels both very, very familiar and ever so slightly tossed off, maybe even rushed, as if this Broadway revival of Aaron Sorkin ‘s A Few Good Men doesn’t want cheap applause or an audience even momentarily distracted by cinematic nostalgia.
- Most people remember A Few Good Men as a 1992 Rob Reiner film also starring Tom Cruise and Demi Moore, but the story actually started as groundbreaking 1989 play from screenwriter Aaron Sorkin ( The Social Network ).
- It’s initial run lasted for nearly 500 shows at the Music Box Theatre, with Whitford on deck as a replacement for two characters.
- Tickets and information: lct.org Melissa Rose Bernardo has been covering theater for more than 20 years, reviewing for Entertainment Weekly and contributing to such outlets as Broadway.com, Playbill, and the gone (but not forgotten) InTheater and TheaterWeek magazines.
- Neither Blyth’s performance nor Michael Arden’s lackadaisical direction, however, are enough to answer the age-old question: Why this play now?
- New York Stage Review ( Melissa Rose Bernardo, Frank Scheck ) *This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
- That perhaps explains the Broadway revival of A Few Good Men, Aaron Sorkin’s 1989 courtroom drama about a cocky military attorney defending two young marines who followed an illegal order with fatal results.
- The evolution of his character is captivating, and Whitford is thrilling to watch.