33 Variations
is a play by Moisés Kaufman, inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven's eponymous work. It débuted on Broadway on March 9, 2009, starring Jane Fonda. [1] Originally written in 2007, its world première was held at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. [2] [3]
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33 VARIATIONS TICKETS
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Plot
The play simultaneously examines the creative process behind Beethoven's
Diabelli Variations
and the journey of a
musicologist, Katherine Brandt, to discover the meaning behind why Beethoven was compelled to write thirty-three distinct variations on a simple theme by a nobody music publisher. The action takes place both in Beethoven's time and the present, switching back and forth between the two. However, at certain key points, characters from both time periods appear on stage to deliver lines simultaneously, emphasizing the parallels between the exploits of both sets of characters.
Production history
All productions of this show have been directed by the playwright, Moisés Kaufman, with piano by Diane Walsh.
[4]
33 Variations
premièred at Arena Stage in September 2007, with
Mary Beth Peil as Katherine,
Laura Odeh as her daughter Clara, and
Graeme Malcolm as Beethoven.
A
West Coast production ran in April 2008 at
La Jolla Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre, with
Jayne Atkinson as Katherine,
Zach Grenier as Beethoven, and Odeh returning as Clara.
The play premièred on Broadway at the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre in a limited engagement, on March 9, 2009, with Fonda as Katherine, in her first appearance on Broadway in forty-six years.
Grenier returned as Beethoven.
Sets by
Derek McLane; costumes by Janice Pytel; lighting by David Lander; sound by André J. Pluess; projection design by Jeff Sugg; choreography by Daniel Pelzig. It closed May 21, 2009.
[5] [6]
Awards and nominations
2009 Tony Awards:
- Best Play (nominated)
- Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, Jane Fonda (nominated)
- Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play, Zach Grenier (nominated)
- Best Scenic Design of a Play, Derek McLane (WINNER
)
- Best Lighting Design of a Play, David Lander (nominated)
It won the 2007 Edgerton New American Play Award
[7] and the 2008 Harold and Mimi Steinberg American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award.
[8]
See Also
References
- http://www.playbill.com/news/article/123984.html
- http://broadwayworld.com/article/33_Variations_An_Ode_to_Joy_20070907
- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14265733
- "Who's who", from ''33 Variations'' official website, undated. Accessed May 19, 2009.
- Home Page, from ''33 Variations'' official website, undated. Accessed May 19, 2009.
- Walter McBride, "Photo Coverage: 33 Variations Star Jane Fonda's Caricature Unveiled at Sardi's" ''Broadway World'' (broadwayworld.com), May 13, 2009. Accessed May 19, 2009.
- "New Plays in Production - 2007 Edgerton New American Play Award Recipients", Theatre Communications Group, undated. Accessed May 19, 2009
- Press release, "U.S. Theater Critics Honor Moises Kaufman's ''33 Variations''", American Theatre Critics Association, March 29, (2008?). Accessed May 19, 2009.