Customer Reviews

The Philadelphia Story: A Comedy in Three Acts

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Philip Barry's "The Philadelphia Story" opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in March 1939 and ran an entire year for 417 performances. Katharine Hepburn played the lead Tracy Lord and Shirley Booth (TV's Hazel) played photographer Liz Imbrie. It was one of Barry's biggest successes. It was revived again on Broadway in 1980 for 60 performances with Blythe Danner as Tracy Lord, Edward Hermann as Mike Connor and a young Cynthia Nixon (TV's "Sex & the City") as younger sister Dinah.

The play has a climactic plot structure and is telescoped within a day period at the rural estate of the Lord family outside Philadelphia. Father Seth is separated from his wife Margaret; and an unflattering article is about to be published by "Destiny," a sensational tabloid. Brother Sandy brings this news home just as preparations are being made for Tracy's second marriage. Her ex-husband Dexter Haven, originally played by Joseph Cotton, has returned to the neighborhood for the event. Tracy's new beau is the very sensible George Kittredge. To ward off the story on their father, Sandy has made a deal that his father's article won't be published if he provides the magazine with another scoop. He invites two reporters to the house "undercover" to write about high society and get "The Philadelphia Story" regarding his sister's wedding. Precocious sibling Dinah meanwhile keeps trying to stick her nose into everything and enjoys saying the just the perfectly wrong thing whenever possible. Tracy Lord is a glib character, written by Barry for Hepburn. Her witty urbane intelligence, word play and flare make her an interesting lead character. As the story develops, Tracy has a bit too much to drink the night before and goes (offstage) for a nude midnight romp in the pool with Mike Connor, the reporter sent to cover the story. All parties mistakenly assume that Tracy has been unfaithful; so George calls off the wedding in the third act. This leaves Tracy with a decision, as the wedding orchestra tunes nearby. Meanwhile photographer Liz Imbrie has secretly had a crush on Mike the reporter. This leaves Tracy to make a last minute choice to run down the aisle with first husband Dexter.

The show is a bubbly comedy and plays well. Issues about the wealthy class vs. working people, inner desires vs. external expectations, and reliable security vs. sparkling romance all come into play. This show will still work 67 years after its original opening is well worth revival. Enjoy!

I am not a huge Barry fan, but this one is worth the read and still worth producing. As a side note: I saw Kevin Spacey perform the role of Dexter at the Old Vic in London and he did a smashing job! As we all know the casting of Tracy Lord is what's key to the plays success, and since one can't help but visualize Katharine Hepburn every time you read or see the play, it is a great challenge for any actress to make the role her own.