By Patrick Christiano
Ben Andron’s clever new comedy White’s Lies starring Broadway diva and Tony winner Betty Buckley opened at New World Stages on Thursday May 6th. TheaterLife.com was on the isle opening night and at the festive after party at the Time Hotel.
Tuc Watkins (“Desperate Housewives” and “One Life to Live”) portrays a divorce attorney Joe White, a compulsive lothario, keeping his feelings at bay with a lifetime of one night stands and a knack for turning tricks with a bevy of beautiful broads. When Joe learns his mother’s dying wish is to have a grandchild, a series of outrageous events spiral out of control once Barbara (Andrea Grano), a jilted ex-girl friend,unexpectedly turns up at his office convinced that his gift for deception would make him the perfect lawyer to represent her in a pending divorce.
Director Bob Cline skillfully puts the talented top notch ensemble, which also features Peter Scolari (from TV’s “Newhart), Rena Strober, Jimmy Ray Bennett and Christy Carlson Romano through their paces with panache and wit. He deftly turns the polished production (scenic design by Robert Andrew Kovach and costumes by Michael Bevins) into an delightfully nimble bumpy ride by adroitly mining the shallow tale for every imaginable laugh and then some!
Photography: Barry Gordin
White’s Lies is now playing at New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street. For tickets call 212-239-6200 or online at Telecharge.com
