Broadway Revival Of ‘Days Of Wine And Roses’ Paints A Tale Of Heartache & Hangovers

The gripping new Broadway rendition of Blake Edwards‘ 1962 film Days of Wine and Roses wastes no time delving into the destructive impact of alcoholism on the marriage of characters Kirsten and Joe Clay.

Directed by Michael Greif, the production is infused with heartache and hangovers and is well worth the discomfort it causes in one’s seat.

After twenty-one years in the making, this rendition of the classic tale stars Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick. The songbook, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, are composed of haunting minor keys and an overtone of darkness that is rarely seen in Broadway’s traditional spectacles. The script and songs feature a significant amount of operatic-style singing and speaking that establishes a melancholic tone.

The story follows Joe (Brian D’Arcy James), a Korean War veteran turned PR dynamo, who exudes mid-century machismo and meets Kirsten (Kelli O’Hara) at a work event. In the beginning, Joe is aboard a booze cruise and sets his sights on the innocent and beautiful executive assistant. At dinner, he introduces her to the twin powers of male attention and Brandy Alexanders, which taste reminiscent of the chocolate bars that used to be her vice. She succumbs to temptation, sip by sip, and begins to feel infinitely better. But, as expected, things take a turn for the worse. Their love story quickly transforms into a web of codependency and torment.

Stories about addiction tend to follow a predictable trajectory with only two possible outcomes. While such dramas typically follow a familiar path, with a broken soul making one too many wrong turns, Kirsten and Joe bring a fresh perspective to the battle against the bottle. The dialogue is raw and cutting despite the sentimental clichés. Greif’s production soars above the level of simplistic “problem pieces” typically found in after-school specials and the story concludes in a jumble of fragments and cracks.

Days Of Wine And Roses is now playing at the Studio 54 Theater in New York City. Get tickets here!