Text size:

Black 'Cat' a bad omen

By Matt Windman

1:41 PM EST, March 6, 2008

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" has an African-American cast. Anika Noni Rose (Maggie) and Terrence Howard (Brick) star.

What exactly makes "Fame" alumnus Debbie Allen qualified to direct a Broadway revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?" Her directing experience includes only a handful of musical projects. And while "Cat" is one of Tennessee Williams' most engrossing dramas, it is extremely hard to pull off.

Is this the result of nepotism? Allen is the sister of Phylicia Rashad, who plays Big Mama. The show was supposed to be directed by Kenny Leon and star Audra McDonald. Rumor has it that the producer wanted an actress with more celebrity, which effectively ruined the original creative team.

To be frank, Debbie Allen's staging is terrible. Just plain awful and amateurish. The production is just poorly executed.

Allen treats the drama like a sitcom, overemphasizing the humor at the expense of subtlety. And when we reach a monologue, Allen awkwardly puts a spotlight on the actor and dims the light on everyone else. The bedroom set is unnecessarily cluttered with countless pieces of furniture. And why is there a saxophone player in the audience?

Anika Noni Rose is 35 years old, but looks 22 and far too pure and prim to credibly play a rough and tough gal like Maggie the Cat. Clad in a hot yellow dress displaying ample cleavage, she looks more like a model than a character who grew up in desperate poverty.

Terrence Howard is horrible as Brick. We would say his acting is as wooden as the character's crutch, but here the crutch is anachronistically made of titanium. Allen has reset the play, which premiered in 1955, into the present. Again, not a bad idea, but she awkwardly messes traditional and modern designs together.

So, where does this leave pros like James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad? Their wasted talent goes down the toilet, which is where this revival belongs.

Broadhurst Theatre, 235 West 44th St, 212-239-6200, $61.50-96.50. Tues 7pm, Wed 2 & 8pm, Thurs-Fri 8pm, Sat 2 & 8pm, Sun 3pm. Thru June 15.