‘Birthday Candles’ Review: Debra Messing Stars in a Scrumptious Broadway Production
variety.comAyanna Prescod One minute you’re a teenager ready to “rebel against the universe,” then in the blink of an eye you’re a senior making peace with the life that was handed to you.
That’s the short and sweet premise of Noah Haidle’s buttery new drama, “Birthday Candles.” In the play, now having its New York premiere at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway, Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”, “Smash”) plays the protagonist Ernestine, methodically and graciously moving through the aging process and proving that the recipe to thrive is to simply survive.The ingredients of this Roundabout Theatre Company production are equally measured.
The impressive acting, practical set and tailored direction blend well to tell a story that could easily feel flat and predictable.
Vivienne Benesch’s direction readily elevates Haidle’s script, exploring the emotional and unpredictable time-lapse tale of Ernestine’s birthdays over the course of 90 years.
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