A once-in-a-'Blue Moon' Broadway breakup
Briefly

A once-in-a-'Blue Moon' Broadway breakup
"As a musical comedy fan who thinks in song lyrics and hums show tunes in the shower, I ate up the basic premise: Lorenz Hart, the lyric-writing half of the 20th century songwriting team Rodgers and Hart, is sitting in Sardi's nursing way too many drinks as that legendary showbusiness watering hole hosts the opening night party for Oklahoma!, the first musical by composer Richard Rodgers and his new partner, Oscar Hammerstein II."
"That the film brings together Linklater and his longtime collaborator Ethan Hawke as Hart, who penned the lyrics for hits including "Manhattan" and "My Funny Valentine," seemed like icing on an already-rich cake. And the reality turns out to be a treat for Broadway buffs that could well convert folks who aren't already fans. The tension starts building at the St. James Theater on March 31, 1943, a historic night for Broadway."
"At Sardi's, he's greeted by Eddie the bartender (Bobby Cannavale) with a line from Casablanca, which the two treat as a routine that seems well-practiced, until it leads to a request for a drink that clearly breaks the pattern. "Larry, you told me under no circumstances," Eddie responds. "I'm just gonna look at it take the measure of its amber heft in my hand," says Hart, who then starts talking about anything and everything bad movie writing, the price of flowers"
Blue Moon follows Lorenz Hart, the lyricist half of Rodgers and Hart, as he navigates jealousy, alcoholism, and nostalgia on the night Oklahoma! opens. Hart retreats to Sardi's to avoid congratulating collaborators and spends the evening trading witty banter with bartender Eddie while nursing too many drinks. The film juxtaposes barroom routines with the mounting tension at the St. James Theater, using period detail, musical references, and comic episodes to evoke Broadway social rituals. The result emphasizes Hart's fragile genius, bittersweet humor, and the bittersweet mood surrounding a pivotal moment in American musical theater.
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