New York may have to wait until fall 2002 to see the Robert Falls-Brian Dennehy Long Day's Journey Into Night, due to debut at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in February and once scheduled to travel to Jujamcyn house on Broadway for a spring bow.
Producer David Richenthal told Playbill On-Line Nov. 29 that he and Falls decided not to put any undue pressure on the production by sticking to an immediate Broadway transfer. Richenthal didn't rule out a spring start in NYC, however, saying that he would take a look at the Goodman production and then make his next move accordingly. He also mentioned Broadway theatre availability as a possibly ruling factor in his coming decision. The show will start at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago Feb. 22, 2002, for an opening there March 4 and a run through April 6.
Dennehy remains the only announced star. Richenthal is currently in final negotiations with the actors to fill out the remainder of the tormented Tyrone family. He said a joint announcement by him and the Goodman will be coming soon, mentioning no names but scratching Robert Sean Leonard (recently mentioned as a possible son) as a possibility.
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O’Neill’s crowning achievement (following such classics as The Iceman Cometh, Mourning Becomes Electra, Ah, Wilderness! and Anna Christie), Long Day’s Journey turns the playwright’s autobiography into a never-ending cycle of family pain, retribution and forgiveness. James Tyrone was once an actor with great promise but became a hack by playing the same popular role over and over again instead of expanding his repertoire. He’s far from poor but his stinginess has impacted hiB@ ,Ýéhe tubercula±Pn who might have to go to a less than-topnotch sanitorium, to hiring a less-than-stellar doctor years before to tend to his pregnant wife — a decision that led to her continuing morphine addiction. Add to that another son who’s a ne’er-do well alcoholic, and you have the makings of a piteous, yet horrifically typical, day in the life of an American family — one that has set the tone for nearly every dysfunctional family drama that came after it.
