Short Take On Returning To Broadway and "Pass Over"

All photos by Joan Marcus

I had mixed emotions when I returned to my first Broadway show since the pandemic shutdown in March of last year. It was literally 18 months to the day when I last walked down the aisle but this time the experience was different.

I had to show my double vax card to enter the theater and was masked throughout the show. The vibe was clearly different too as if everyone as being on their very best behavior. No cell phones ringing. No coughing. People filed in and out respectfully. It was actually quite lovely.

The show itself was unusual for Broadway: one a black playwright — the first of many this season — and dealing with racial issues that takes the idea of a classic theatrical play — “Waiting for Godot” — and running with it in different directions and for different purposes.

There was much to admire in the show — especially Jon Michael Hill’s performance — but it was not an altogether satisfying experience, especially the muddled ending. I always felt outside the emotional experience of the characters, mostly due to the often stylized approach of the production.

Then I discovered what a great play it is.

That’s when I saw the next day the Spike Lee’s filming of the play when it was first produced at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago — now available on Netflix. That production is more real, emotional, and engaging. Something happened to the play as it traveled to Broadway, becoming more stylized and surreal;, hitting the “Godot” themes ands bits with a mallet, and creating an ending that was bizarre, artificial and oddly staged. (Nothing takes you out of the moment like watching an actor remove their microphone battery pack before they strip nude.)

In Chicago, there was much more specificity, from the location of the action, to the relationship between the two men, to the intriguing mystery of Mister, to the shocking end that sends shivers down your back. It’s a powerful play and production that has simply lost its way on its way to Broadway. Please see the Netflix version.

###