"You're bang-on, lady, and in more ways than one. Neither the play nor Scott Ellis's yuks-forward revival starring Bobby Cannavale, Neil Patrick Harris, and James Corden really has much to do with the subject of its title. Reza herself knew as much: Though the new Broadway artwork does away with them, there's a contemptuous little pair of air quotes in the show's name as written."
"Either way, those quotation marks are the first signs of a cynicism that pervades Reza's project, now expanding to enshroud this whole production. As always, and especially with revivals, there's the play in a vacuum and then there's the performance in its context, and the context here is that Art is a story about three middle-aged men, largely white and wealthy, that's returning to Broadway"
Yasmina Reza's Art centers on a white painting that ignites discord among three friends. The Broadway revival, directed by Scott Ellis and starring Bobby Cannavale, Neil Patrick Harris, and James Corden, emphasizes humor over art. Reza originally punctuated the title with air quotes, signaling cynicism about both the painting and the play's premise. The production's context—three middle-aged, largely white and wealthy men—draws criticism amid a season leaning back toward male-heavy programming. The play's focus on friendship tests and privileged dilemmas renders appeals for empathy toward wealthy characters less convincing in a moment of heightened cultural sensitivity.
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