‘Coriolanus’ Theater Review: Jonathan Cake Plays Shakespeare’s Ultimate Mama’s Boy - TheWrap

T.S. Eliot may have preferred “Coriolanus” to “Hamlet,” but Daniel Sullivan’s uneven new production at the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park offers a muddled case for its virtues.

The troubles start with Jonathan Cake (“Desperate Housewives”), who brings a buff boyishness to the title role of a high-born Roman soldier whose contempt for the common man is not unjustified given their apparent willingness to run from a fight (leaving him to defeat an entire city single-handedly).

Exiled by the Roman populace and scheming politicians because of his obstinate (if justified) pride, he then conspires with Rome’s enemies to seek vengeance on his homeland. But too often, Cake overplays Coriolanus as a petulant man-child who pumps his fist and whines like a spoiled little boy who’d rather break all the toys than let anyone else play with them.

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As his mother, Volumnia, Kate Burton is on surer ground — as ruthless in her ambition for her son as she can be heartless in considering any paths to greatness beyond military glory. Coriolanus may be a mama’s boy, but it seems unlikely that this savvy, steel-willed woman would have raised this rigid little brat.

Teagle F. Bougere also makes an impression as Menenius, a high-born Roman senator and ally of Coriolanus who is also beloved by the rabble.

But for a show that makes much of class distinctions, and how the elite can be out of touch with the needs of the masses, Kaye Voyce’s modern-day costumes are uniformly drab no matter how high-born the character is. It’s a curious visual leveling — one that contributes to confusion among audience members less familiar with the story. If everyone is living like a refugee in Beowulf Boritt’s postapocalyptic set — with corrugated-metal fortresses, a burned-out car in the corner and litter scattered downstage — then why do these class differences matter so much?

It almost makes you long for a Shakespearean production set in ancient times.

Broadway's 12 Top-Grossing Non-Musical Plays of All Time, From 'War Horse' to 'Harry Potter' (Photos)

Broadway isn't just for musicals. Here are the all-time top-grossing straight plays on the Great White Way, according to grosses compiled by the Broadway League up to June 2, 2019. (These figures aren't adjusted for inflation, so recent hits at current sky-high ticket prices have a definite advantage.)
12. "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" (2000-02)

Total gross: $29,310,727

Charles Busch's play about an Upper West Side matron's mid-life crisis played for nearly two years in a production starring Linda Lavin, Michelle Lee and Tony Roberts.
11. "Network" (2018-)

Total gross: $30,234,206* (as of June 2, 2019)

Bryan Cranston starred as crazy TV newcaster Howard Beale in this hit stage adaptation of the classic 1976 movie.
10. "700 Sundays" (2004-05; 2013-14)

Total gross: $32,029,177

Billy Crystal's autobiographical one-man show found favor in two separate runs on Broadway nearly a decade apart.
9. "August: Osage County" (2007-09)

Total gross: $32,835,606

Tracy Letts' Pulitzer-winning drama became a huge hit on stage without any big stars -- and then a 2013 movie starring with Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.
8. "Proof" (2000-03)

Total gross: $32,896,994

David Auburn's drama about a woman with a troubled legacy of both mental illness and genius-level math skills earned multiple Tony Awards, including for star Mary-Louise Parker.
7. "The Play That Goes Wrong" (2017-19)

Total gross: $34,341,708

This farce about an amateur theater company's mishap-prone production of a mystery play is another London import that found popularity on this side of the Atlantic.
6. "God of Carnage" (2009-10)

Total gross: $37,345,584

Yasmina Reza's barnstorming dramedy about two dueling couples earned the Tony for Best Drama -- as well as nominations for James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis.
5. "It's Only a Play" (2014-15)

Total gross: $37,500,966

Terrence McNally's backstage comedy was a huge hit thanks to the Broadway reteaming of Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, stars of the Tony-winning musical "The Producers" a decade before.
4. "To Kill a Mockingbird" (2018 - )

Total gross: $46,597,980* (as of June 2, 2019)

Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of the beloved Harper Lee novel may have been snubbed by Tony nominators for Best Play, but it has been drawing crowds since opening in December 2018.
3. "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" (2014-16)

Total gross: $68,321,435

Another London import, Simon Stephens' adaptation of Mark Haddon's YA novel follows an autistic boy on a quest for the killer of his neighbor's dog.
2. "War Horse" (2011-13)

Total gross: $74,975,253

Michael Morpurgo's YA novel about a British boy's search for his horse in World War I inspired both this epic play, complete with life-size puppets, and Steven Spielberg's 2011 film.
1. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two" (2018 - )

Total gross: $124,990,844* (as of June 2, 2019)

The stage sequel to J.K. Rowling's saga about the now-grown boy wizard has extra advantages -- since it's a two-night (and two-ticket) epic that plays in a musical-sized auditorium to diehard Potterheads.

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You don’t need an orchestra — or songs — to draw audiences

Broadway isn't just for musicals. Here are the all-time top-grossing straight plays on the Great White Way, according to grosses compiled by the Broadway League up to June 2, 2019. (These figures aren't adjusted for inflation, so recent hits at current sky-high ticket prices have a definite advantage.)

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