Sylvia
On Broadway at the Cort Theatre

 

Don’t we always wonder what our dogs are thinking?  If only they could tell us what’s on their mind, why they won’t eat, where does it hurt, and why they won’t stop barking?   Well A.R. Gurney had just this in mind when he created Sylvia, and it’s downright hilarious.

Greg (Matthew Broderick) & Kate (Julie White) are empty nesters and are in entirely different places in their lives.  Kate is looking for exciting new career possibilities and Greg has had it with his.  He is searching for something, and maybe he’s found it when he finds Sylvia one day in the park.  Sylvia is a stray dog that has a tag that says nothing but her name.  Convinced that Sylvia has chosen him, he brings her home. In this case the dog Sylvia is human in dog clothing played by Tony Award winner, and Broadway sweetheart Annaleigh Ashford.  The very interesting thing is that Sylvia is communicating using words and body language much like a human, and you will not be able to restrain the laughter when you see the way that Annaleigh uses her agile body to enhance the comic delivery.  When Kate returns home, (Sylvia greets her with a “hey, hey, hey” which is the translation of woof, woof, woof from dog to English) she is less than excited about this interloper and begins to run down all the reasons  why they can’t keep Sylvia.   From there it’s a romancing the dog story.  Greg loses his job and refuses to give up Sylvia.  He spends almost all of his time with her in Central Park to the growing concern of Kate who often refers to her as saliva.  Sylvia loves the park and much of the laughs take place there, like when Sylvia sniffs the ground furiously and tells Greg “I had to check my messages”.  Or when they meet Tom (one of 3 roles played by Robert Sella) and his dog Bowser. He and Sylvia seem to be hitting it off but they suspect Sylvia may be in heat.  When Greg asks her, the response is “Nah!  No Way!  I just feel like F%&*ing”. The show is filled with laughs and also tender moments including the one when Sylvia sings the only song, “Every Time We Say Goodbye” when being left home alone.  Kate and Greg join in and the trio finishes the number together.

Everything changes when Kate gets news of her grant to go and teach in England. Fred is equally excited until he finds out that Sylvia cannot go due to quarantine laws.  This leads to marriage counseling where Greg is forced to make a choice between his wife of over 20 years or Sylvia, his faithful frisky companion.  I should note that Robert Sella makes a spectacular androgynous/drag appearance as Leslie, the Counselor here.

The set (David Rockwell) moves from a lovely, grassy Central Park scene complete with skyline elements to the apartment that drops onto the set and cleverly leaves a view of the park from the large living room window. 

Annaleigh is remarkable in this role and shows off her versatility in bringing this unique character to life. Broderick and White are a perfect compliment to Ashford’s antics. Sylvia does drop the ‘F’ bomb on several occasions, so keep in mind this may not be suitable for all ages.  While at times risqué, I found no evidence of any unwholesome relationship between man and dog that some have sited.  Whether you are a dog lover or not, I think you will find this one tail-waggingly funny. 

For tickets and more information visit http://sylviabroadway.com/ and check for available discounts here.  -ThisbroadSway 11/4/15