And with the scale of that triumph, “The Normal Heart” lives on, both as a planned film (to be directed by “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy) and, more immediately, a re-mounting of the Broadway production at Arena Stage, where the Tony-winning Wolfe, former head of New York’s Public Theater, is making his D.C.
But the unlikely events that followed - across-the-board sparkling reviews three Tony Awards, including one for outstanding revival and the extension of the limited run - bathed this passionate, sobering play in the surprising aura of a commercial hit. Not exactly reassuring preparation for the nation’s most visible theatrical platform. Wolfe to compress a normal four- or five-week rehearsal schedule into an unheard-of 12 days.
Originally envisioned in the more modest format of a reading, which would allow the actors to bring their scripts onstage, the revival underwent a last-minute upgrade to a fully staged production, requiring director George C. Larry Kramer’s much-admired, alarm-bell-ringing 1985 drama about the spread of AIDS through the gay community had already been revived many times - and off-Broadway as recently as 2004 - when a plan was hurriedly hatched last year to give it a Broadway debut.Ī theater, the Golden, had suddenly become available, and a powerhouse cast that included Joe Mantello, Jim Parsons and Ellen Barkin had been assembled. If there was a road map for breakout theatrical success, “The Normal Heart” misplaced its copy.
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