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| photo by Joan Marcus |
I first found out about The Ferryman when my mom and I were visiting New York City in January of this year. As we were walking to our hotel, we walked past the marquee and studied it briefly.
"What's The Ferryman?" "I dunno... new play I guess?" "Huh, I guess we should look into it." "Yeah."
The next day I was waiting in a rush line for another show and chatting with the girl sitting behind me in line. She had just seen The Ferryman and told me it was a must-see! She told me it was a long show but the acting was superb and there was a real baby in the cast! Okay, an actual infant chills on stage every night and doesn't cry or make a fuss? I had to see this. I was sold.
Fast forward to February 23rd, and my dad and I had scored $40 rush tickets for my family. This marked the first week of the new cast members starting in the production, as much of the original cast departed the Sunday prior. Though I do tend to consider myself a bit of an Original Broadway Cast snob, the new cast is starring Brian d'Arcy James, of whom I'm a huge fan.
As the audience began taking their seats, the show was starting to set the mood. Two actors came out onstage and began to wait, reading their newspaper and occasionally glancing offstage. We don't have to wait long to discover what they're waiting or, but to avoid spoilers I'll just tell you that it is established pretty early on that we don't like these guys. The show then quickly turns more upbeat as we start to meet the central family of the play, the Carneys. As morning dawns on the Carneys, we discover that today is the day of the big family harvest, with an elaborate goose dinner to follow later that night. What happens in between the festivities is what brings so much mystery and suspense to what would otherwise be a lighthearted family comedy. Secrets are revealed, dark pasts are unearthed, and the foundation of the family is shaken to its core.
The performances in The Ferryman are absolutely astounding, and the range of character development you see in this 35 person ensemble cast is almost overwhelming. In such a talented group of actors, there are a handful of performances I can't stop thinking about. Brian d'Arcy James as patriarch Quinn Carney balances with perfect precision the see-saw of being a loving and funny father, versus a troubled man trying desperately to keep his dark past where it belongs. Holley Fain as Catilin Carney, Quinn's sister-in-law, is heartbreaking in her efforts to constantly keep the peace in the family as the chaos builds up throughout the play. The moment when she finally breaks down is so powerful. I am probably the most impressed with Fionnula Flanagan as Aunt Maggie Faraway. She spends most of her time sitting silently and still on the stage, but when she finally does move to speak, you could hear a pin drop. From her wheelchair, she commands the stage. Shuler Hensley as Tom Kettle gave a heart-wrenching performance reminiscent of Lenny in Of Mice and Men, and Jack DiFalco as Shane Corcoran was hauntingly superb in Acts 2 and 3.
Special shout-outs go to the live animals and infant who took the stage. Four babies rotate in the role during the eight-show week. I don't know which of the four we saw, but that baby was absolutely precious and generated a lot of "awwwww!" moments from the audience. He quietly sat on various actors' laps, looking around the stage and out at the audience. I only heard him make one tiny little sound the entire show, granted he wasn't on stage for near long enough. Two live animals, a goose and a rabbit, steal the show. The rabbit, whose name I have learned is Pierce Berloni, was absolutely adorable and though didn't do much other than sit there and look cute, he has clearly left a lasting impression. The goose, Peggy Berloni, made sure that her time in the spotlight was worth it. After being rushed onstage in the arms of Shuler Hensley, she spent her five minutes of fame squawking loud enough to interrupt the actors trying to say their lines. I'm still not sure what was said in that scene, as the audience was cracking up at this rather vocal goose. You can follow Pierce & Peggy on instagram at @a_star_is_hatched, and I've found Peggy on Twitter @BerloniPeggy.
The only negative critique I have about this show is that at times, the thick Irish accents are difficult to understand. I would love to go back to see the show again to pick up any plot points I may have missed or found confusing. Other than that, this was an absolutely stunning piece of theatre that I quite literally cannot stop thinking about. It blew all expectations out of the water and I recommend that anyone wanting to immerse themselves in a truly gripping story buy tickets to The Ferryman immediately. If you need more convincing than the review I just wrote, let me tell you that the last three minutes of the show will take your breath away.
The Ferryman is currently running at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City. It began performances on October 2nd, 2018 and is currently scheduled to run until July 7th, 2019. You can get tickets at Telecharge.com, on the TodayTix app, and frequently at the TKTS discount booths at Times Square, Lincoln Center, or South Street Seaport. Additionally, the show sells a limited amount of $40 general rush tickets for same-day performances.
Run Time: 3hr 15min, incl one 15min intermission & one 5min break
The Ferryman rating: R (language & violence)
Hillary's Score: 9/10
Check out my other show reviews here!
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