Born Yesterday

[foxy]

Saw this last night and really enjoyed it. James Belushi and Robert Sean Leonard were good but Nina Arianda was amazing. I'd never heard of her before. This is her Broadway debut. She's done a number of films which I haven't seen. If anyone is knows the 1950 movie with Judy Holliday you know she had some big shoes to fill and Nina completely took over the show. It's worth seeing just for her performance. Despite it's age the play holds up really well I thought.

[skynyc]

Hi gents...

I can completely concur with foxy...this is a must see. So far, Nina Arianda is the only competition for the Tony against Frances McDormand, although I haven't seen Edie Falco on House of Blue Leaves yet. I saw Arianda last year in Venus in Fur and she blew me away...and many agreed, she won a a Theater World Award, an Outer Critics Circle and the Lortel. Here she completely makes the iconic role of Billie Dawn her own. And while I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Judy Holliday in the role (thank heaven she also made the movie), Ms. Arianda brings a mixture of Gracie Allen and Jean Harlow to the role which is mesmerizing and riotous. (And the fact that she is the sexiest Billie EVER doesn't hurt...her legs go from here to Albuquerque. You can practically see Robert Sean Leonards pants rise and fall with every move of Ms. Arianda.)

And I have never been a big fan of Belushi, but he is terrific here.

Set and costume design will be major Tony contenders.

This is a ton of fun. It's on TDF now, and there are discounts on Broadway Box and Playbill.com. Don't miss the opportunity to see Ms. Arianda now; a major star in the making, I don't think I am too far off by comparing her to Meryl Streep.