BROADWAY SNAP-SHOT
by Russell Bouthiller

Dateline: March 14, 2007

PRELUDE TO A KISS

Have you ever been in a relationship or marriage where you suddenly felt that the person you thought you knew was really a complete stranger? Well, that's what happens in Craig Lucas's play, PRELUDE TO A KISS, currently revived at the Roundabout Theatre Company's American Airlines Theatre under the direction of Daniel Sullivan.

PRELUDE TO A KISS stars Alan Tudyk and Annie Parisse as two, floundering young singles, Peter and Rita, who quickly fall in love and rush down the aisle. At their wedding, they encounter an Old Man, played by John Mahoney, who factors into their marriage in a most fantastic way. After kissing the bride, the Old Man and Rita swap souls, leaving Peter to muddle through this perplexing change.

First launched at Circle Rep in 1990, then to Broadway and later to the silver screen, PRELUDE TO A KISS was conceived when the AIDS virus ravaged much of the gay community with no hope in sight for an effective treatment. Lucas's play was believed to pose the question, how does one love a partner one can no longer recognize? Does the love of the partner's more spiritual essence prevail or does another emotion take over?

A compelling notion, indeed, and one that does not need the threat of viral contagion to connect with an audience. That Lucas chose to address the topic with touches of whimsy instead of a heavy hand gives the play a more timeless quality. Its lightheartedness allows this weighty concept to be more readily absorbed. After all, the fear of losing something precious is one we all share.

Alan Tudyk brings a homespun vulnerability to Peter, a young man searching for a strong emotional connection. Good looking enough to catch the eye of a pretty girl with a wholesome nature that would please any future mother-in-law—in this case, the mother-in-law is Mrs. Boyle, deliciously played by Robin Bartlett—Tudyk affectionately grabs the audience and puts them in his corner.

Annie Parisse is certainly blessed with feminine allure. Yet, when Rita swaps souls with the opposite sex, Parisse strikes the right note as a man stuck inside a woman's body. Never too broad, she plays it subtly enough to make this completely implausible situation convincing.

John Mahoney proves an absolute treasure as the Old Man who mysteriously hovers around the story up until that spiritual switch. As Rita, he exudes a warmth and wisdom that invites our suspension of disbelief. And, James Rebhorn as Mr. Boyle nicely rounds out the family portrait.

Under Daniel Sullivan's astute direction, Lucas's play is a neatly balanced work that offers gravity and levity in equal portions. Handsome, stylish set designs by Santo Loquasto lure us into an imaginative climate and Donald Holder's lighting designs set the right temperature. PRELUDE TO A KISS, another fine Roundabout revival.