The first scene featuring Israeli actress Shira Haas in "Opening Night" ends with a fatal car accident. Despite curious reactions to the performance, some members of Tuesday's audience failed to stifle awkward laughter and left during the intermission. It was said that the tragic accident in the beginning was the least significant event in the new West End show.
The play, written and directed by the Belgian creator Ivo van Hove, known for his unconventional productions, is based on a 1977 film of the same name by John Cassavetes, one of the pioneers of American cinema. The plot revolves around the preparations for the Broadway premiere of a play, "The Second Woman," starring Myrtle Gordon, a successful actress struggling with aging.
The situation worsens further following a chance encounter outside the theater with an obsessive fan, Nancy, a 17-year-old girl who receives an autograph from her and then is run over by a bus.
In the play, Myrtle is deeply shaken by the incident, abuses her drinking, and begins to hallucinate about Nancy while the production falls apart. All this unfolds while a documentary crew supposedly films the preparations, which is displayed on the large screen on stage.
Nancy continues to haunt Myrtle, who loses touch with reality. Her presence in the musical is secondary yet profoundly significant. Shira Haas, the star of "Shtisel" and "Unorthodox," received an excellent opportunity to try a different professional angle. For the star of "Shtisel" and "The Rebel", who experienced a rather incredible jump in her status thanks to series that were successfully screened on Netflix, this is an excellent opportunity to try a different professional experience from a multitude of angles: her character, for example, represents explosive and exciting youth, something that she didn't really have on her resume. Besides, after so many Israelis portraying corpses in Hollywood, being a restless spirit is definitely an upgrade.
Haas handles the task assigned to her well and elevates it. She may not be Barbara Streisand, but every appearance of Nancy elevates the show from a bizarre level to something with energy and spirit. Her chemistry with Sheridan Smith is much better than that between Smith and most of her colleagues on stage. In terms of Haas's international work portfolio, there is no doubt that this is a positive development and certainly preferable to the options awaiting her in the Israeli theater.
However, "Opening Night" provides more moments of splendid cringe than material for thought on subjects like women's aging under the spotlight. The enjoyable melodies composed by Rufus Wainwright accompany the production but create the intrusive thought that they're meant to mock the self-importance of theater.
The audacity of "Opening Night" is instructive about the complex state of theater, with 2024 being the year of cinema and television stars in the West End. They are not inclined to take risks which justifies the support for this production which tries to do something new. Sometimes it creates an unforgettable show and sometimes it ends in a car accident.