Grand Horizons
| Grand Horizons | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Bess Wohl |
| Characters | Nancy Bill Martha Carla Ben Tommy Jess Bryan |
| Date premiered | July 17, 2019 |
| Place premiered | Williamstown Theatre Festival |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Comedy |
Grand Horizons is a comedic stage play written by American playwright Bess Wohl. The play debuted in 2019 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and later on Broadway at the Hayes Theatre the same year, with an ensemble cast featuring Priscilla Lopez, Michael Urie, Jane Alexander and James Cromwell.[1]
Synopsis
[edit]After fifty years of marriage, Bill and Nancy calmly announce their divorce at the Grand Horizons retirement community—stunning their adult sons, Brian and Ben. As the family descends into chaos, Ben’s pregnant wife Jess and Brian’s hookup Tommy are swept into the fray. With secrets unearthed and emotions unleashed, this sharp comedy turns a quiet retirement into a full-blown family reckoning.[2]
Production history
[edit]Grand Horizons was co-comissioned by the Williamstown Theatre Festival and Second Stage Theatre, billed as a pre-Broadway tryout. The play premiered on the mainstage at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in July 2019, directed by Leigh Silverman and starring Jamey Sheridan and JoBeth Williams as Bill and Nancy respectively. The cast also featured Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Brian, Ashley Park as Jess, Priscilla Lopez as Carla, Thomas Sadoski as Ben and Maulik Pancholy as Tommy. Costumes and scenic design were by Clint Ramos, along with lighting by Jen Schriever and sound by Palmer Heffernan.[1]
The production opened on Broadway at the Hayes Theatre on December 19, 2019, with James Cromwell and Jane Alexander replacing Sheridan and Williams as Bill and Nancy, Michael Urie as Brian, Ben McKenzie as Ben, while Park, Lopez and Pancholy reprised their roles on Broadway. The design team remained the same, with the addition of Linda Cho as costume designer and Bryce Cutler as projections designer. The production garnered generally positive reviews, with the New York Times calling it "perfectly structured"[3] and Variety writing that it "has a dark, cruel depth more appropriate to our own time and our own ineffable anxiety about old age and loneliness."[4]
At the 74th Tony Awards in 2021, the production was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play, and Jane Alexander received a nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play, along with two Drama League nominations for the production and Michael Urie's performance. Clint Ramos won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play.[2]
The show has been produced at numerous regional theatres in the United States since its debut, such as Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati,[5] San Jose Stage Company,[6] Alley Repertory Theatre[7] and Gloucester Stage Company.[8]
Cast and characters
[edit]| Character | Williamstown 2019[1] | Broadway 2019[2] |
|---|---|---|
| Bill | Jamey Sheridan | James Cromwell |
| Nancy | JoBeth Williams | Jane Alexander |
| Brian | Jesse Tyler Ferguson | Michael Urie |
| Ben | Thomas Sadoski | Ben McKenzie |
| Carla | Priscilla Lopez | |
| Jess | Ashley Park | |
| Tommy | Maulik Pancholy | |
Accolades
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 |
Tony Awards | Best Play | Bess Wohl | Nominated | [2] |
| Best Featured Actress in a Play | Jane Alexander | Nominated | |||
| Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Play | Bess Wohl | Nominated | ||
| Distinguished Performance | Michael Urie | Nominated | |||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play | Clint Ramos | Won |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Grand Horizons". Williamstown Theatre Festival. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Grand Horizons – Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ Torre, Roma (January 23, 2020). "'Grand Horizons' Review: Broadway's Generation-Gap Comedy Shares a Modicum of Warmth". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ "'Grand Horizons' Review: Broadway's Generation-Gap Comedy Shares a Modicum of Warmth". Variety. February 21, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ "Grand Horizons". Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ "Grand Horizons". San Jose Stage. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ "Grand Horizons". Alley Repertory Theater. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ "Grand Horizons". Gloucester Stage Company. Retrieved August 1, 2025.