Going to a play is hit or miss. I can usually tell within 10 minutes if I am going to like it, or if I am going to want to flee the theater at intermission. If I like a show, after 5 minutes I am hooked. I like the characters I have been introduced to, and I want to learn more about them. If I don't like the show I am pretty much going to get an expensive nap in an awkward position. With Superior Donuts, not only was it love at first scene, but I also craved Dunkin Donuts for about a week.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?Superior Donuts is a dark comedy...maybe even a dramedy...that revolves around Arthur Przybyszewski (played by the always phenomenal Michael McKean) a divorcee, ex hippie (he dodged the draft) and proprietor of Superior Donuts, a run down donut shop in Chicago's uptown neighborhood. Arthur is someone who is used to being on his own, and he claims to be happy that way. Enter Franco Wicks (played by newbie Jon Michael Hill, who gets my vote for a Tony nom) an ambitious, fast talking, aspiring writer (...and college dropout) who is in need of a job and has some ideas on how to make Superior Donuts, more reflective of its name.
Without getting too sappy, and giving too much of this great play away, Superior Donuts is about the power of friendship and what happens when two people from vastly different backgrounds, realize they aren't that different after all.
WILL I LIKE THIS SHOW?
I think anyone with a heart and sense of humor will thoroughly enjoy this play. Honestly -- and maybe this makes me a dork (something that I do not deny) -- when this play was over, I just was overwhelmingly happy, and not because visions of chocolate frosted donuts were dancing in my head. I was just really enchanted by the storytelling. Playwright Tracy Letts (who also wrote the amazing August: Osage County) really has an knack for creating characters that you can relate to, even though their circumstance may be completely unique....you feel like you could be watching the lives of real people.
It also doesn't hurt that the cast is amazing. Aside from Michael McKean, and Jon Michael Hill, as the lead roles, Yasen Peyankov as Max Tarasov, and Kate Buddeke as Officer Randy Osteen make up a stellar supporting team.
This show is like a good donut...enjoyable, sweet, and leaves you wanting another one.
IS THIS SHOW APPROPRIATE FOR KIDS?Honestly, no. It's not intended for children. There's a bit of foul language and violence. I would recommend it for 13+
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS SHOW?This site gives all the info you will need - https://www.broadwaysbestshows.com/shows/superiordonuts/index
WHERE IS THIS SHOW PLAYING...AND WHAT IS THE THEATER LIKE?You can find Superior Donuts at the Music Box theater in the the heart of the theater district. I sat in the mezzanine and had no issues. It's on the smaller side of theaters which lends itself very nicely to watching a play.
My two complaints about the the theater: 1) Disappointingly, they do not sell donuts in the lobby. 2) It's right across the street from "A Steady Rain" starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig...which gets out earlier than Superior Donuts. The night I saw it, you could hear the screams of adoring fans waiting for these two actors at the stage door. It was a little annoying.
Music Box Theater
239 W.45th Street (between Broadway and 8th)
Show Times: Tuesdays @ 7PM, Wednesday - Saturday @ 8PM, Wed & Sat @ 2PM, Sunday @ 3PM. Tickets on sale through March 2010.
ANY CHEAP TICKET OFFERS FOR THIS SHOW?Ask, and ye shall receive....
WHAT DO YOU RATE THIS SHOW? (OUT OF 5 TICKETS)
(4 tickets)
Up Next: Still Life
Photo attributed to: D. Sharon Pruitt
Still Life is a play that focuses on a photographer who has lost her way and the man who helps her find it. Along the way it preaches lessons like, "don't take life for granted", "don't dwell on the past" and "no one likes a cokehead D-bag" It's an enjoyable play that should hold your interest, just don't expect anything mind blowing. It's a lot of stuff you have seen before, done by a pretty good cast that are fun to watch. Sarah Paulson (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) is Carrie Ann, the photog that just can't pull the trigger, and Frederick Weller (In Plain Sight) is Jeffrey, the (cute) trend-analyst who lends a hand. Particularly notable is Matt Rauch as Terry who brings douchebaggery (yes, that is a word) to the next level.
(2.5 TICKETS) 
