We round up the reviews for Amy Herzog’s play, starring Rachel McAdams who is making her Broadway debut.
The Guardian: **** “The role of Mary Jane – chronically dressed down, subliminally and perpetually stressed, projecting cracked cheer for the sake of her beloved child – is a perfect fit for McAdams, who first shot to stardom in the mid-2000s with leading roles in Mean Girls, The Notebook and Wedding Crashers, before settling into a more sustainable, steady career playing women with palpable heart and mettle, most recently in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”
WSJ.com: “The actress gives an exquisite performance as the single parent of a severely disabled son in Amy Herzog’s delicate play.”
The New York Times: “Amy Herzog’s heartbreaker arrives on Broadway with Rachel McAdams as the alarmingly upbeat mother of a fearfully sick child.”
Time Out: ***** ” In her New York stage debut, McAdams sometimes feels a bit light for the space (especially vocally), but that quality works for a character who is striving to maintain a happy face; she is often affecting. And the rest of the company—including original cast members Pourfar and Wehle, reproducing their priceless performances—gives her just what Mary Jane needs: strong support.”
Variety: ““Mary Jane” stays with viewers long after they leave the theater. It raises worthy questions concerning motherhood, sacrifice, community and lack thereof. It’s a story about how much one person — in this case, one woman — should be expected to endure before bowing under the pressure.”
New York Theatre Guide: “In less assured hands, the play could be a downer or familiar movie-of-the-week material. It transcends both traps. Mary Jane is clear-eyed, compassionate, and leavened with humor. Herzog (4000 Miles, 2023’s Broadway adaptation of A Doll’s House) is known for her fine-tuned, lived-in dialogue. Director Anne Kauffman’s cast breathe life into the script beautifully.”
The Hollywood Reporter: “McAdams takes cues from these women, modulating the pitch of her performance to keep in tune, and only occasionally falls into the dramatic traps of Hollywood stars taking the stage. Overall, it’s a searching and poignant turn, finding and offering us different versions of Mary Jane.”
Talkin’ Broadway: “Don’t cry for Mary Jane. Not in front of her, anyway. She hasn’t the time for your pity or to feel sorry for herself, as she single-mindedly pours everything she’s got into the care of her critically ill two-year-son, born 25 weeks into her pregnancy and in need of constant attention. That is the gist of Amy Herzog’s harrowing play, Mary Jane, at The Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, anchored by a pitch-perfect performance as the title character by Rachel McAdams, making an auspicious Broadway debut.”
USA Today: “Herzog thoughtfully poses big questions about faith and uncertainty and leaves the audience with much to chew on after the ambiguous final moments. The play is beautifully directed by Anne Kauffman (“The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”), with an outstanding ensemble all playing dual roles.”
New York Post: “The depth that McAdams gives Mary Jane, in the most natural way, is her positivity. In the film “The Notebook,” in the TV series “Slings & Arrows” and even as the Plastic villain in the movie “Mean Girls,” the actress has always had a je ne sais quoi that goes beyond openness and vulnerability. She emanates a light from within.
And when it shines, not on a romance or teen comedy, but a relatable mother’s helplessness, we’re shattered.”
Theatrely.com: “Herzog weaves each of these strings into her narrative delicately, carefully piling them on without causing suffocation. And it’s Mary Jane’s dedication to an unseen peaceful future, filtered through McAdams’ touching performance, that stops it from becoming unbearable. Like the character, Mary Jane reaches the depths of dread, but with the most human of touches.”
The Wrap: “Stoic is not an easy look to convey to an audience, and McAdams’ performance doesn’t really take shape until Mary Jane sets up residence in the hospital. Ultimately, McAdams gets her big theatrical moment, but much of the play’s power comes from Herzog’s scheme to withhold that moment. We expect Mary Jane to break down, explode, get pissed off long before she does. What sets her off is unexpected. It’s worth the wait.”
Theater Mania.com: “McAdams, in her Broadway debut, does a commendable job in an extremely difficult role. She performs Mary Jane’s long arc, especially her mind and body’s gradual wearing down, with minute attention to detail. However, I can’t help feeling that a different performer could have been stronger and rawer. The supporting cast is, without exception, exceptional. Sanitago is tender and sincere, Wehle sturdy and wise, Pourfar overwhelmed and stalwart, and Matthis intimate and distant. It is no coincidence that the cast is all women, and that the two professional caregivers are played by a Black actor. As Mary Jane highlights, care almost always falls on the shoulders of women, particularly women of color.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/shows/2023-24-season/mary-jane/