Modern Family's Jess Tyler Ferguson returns to Broadway in the role of a lifetime!
Starring five-time Emmy Award nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson and directed by Tony nominee Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect, Avenue Q), FULLY COMMITTED is the "hilarious and touching" (Time Out New York) comedy that takes a sharp skewer to the backside of the restaurant biz.
You think you're having a bad day at work? Meet Sam. He covers the red-hot reservation line at one of New York's most exclusive restaurants, juggling desperate diners, scheming socialites, name-dropping wannabes, celebrity divas, panicked waiters and a fame-hungry chef. And in this side-splitting tour-de-force, Ferguson plays all 40 characters!
Digs once targeted at Naomi Campbell are now meant for Gwyneth Paltrow and the current menu parodies the trend toward high-end foraging favorites...Some of the jokes could be sharper and even as the script skewers the horrifying patrons, it is often strangely polite...Ferguson is an actor of such irrepressible amiability...Under Jason Moore's direction, a few of the actorly shifts could occur more quickly and not all the personae have a gestural specificity to match the vocal one. But moving back and forth among 40 distinct characters still represents a tour de force, which Ferguson wears lightly, even humbly, though with obvious enjoyment.
The heart of 'Fully Committed' lies in Sam, who is willing to endure an overwhelming job where he is routinely humiliated and mistreated in order to pursue his acting ambitions. But for the most part, it is an empty, overextended actor showcase. By the end, it has become a whirling blur of silly voices and high-strung personalities. Under the direction of Jason Moore ('Avenue Q'), Ferguson throws himself into it head first. And if it was being staged at a smaller space, it may very well have been captivating. But on the Lyceum Theatre stage, it looks naked. The overly elaborate set (full of pipes, file cabinets and chairs that ascend to the heavens) also takes attention away from Ferguson's performance.
1999 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2016 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Play | Jesse Tyler Ferguson |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Set Design for a Play | Derek McLane |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Solo Performance | Jesse Tyler Ferguson |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jesse Tyler Ferguson |
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