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Frost/Nixon

Presented by Playhouse on the Square at Playhouse on the Square

March 19-April 3, 2010

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British talk-show host David Frost has become a lowbrow laughing-stock. Richard M. Nixon has just resigned the United States presidency in total disgrace over Vietnam and the Watergate scandal. Determined to resurrect his career, Frost risks everything on a series of in-depth interviews in order to extract an apology from Nixon. The cagey Nixon, however, is equally bent on redeeming himself in his nation's eyes. In the television age, image is king, and both men are desperate to outtalk and upstage each other as the cameras roll. The result is the interview that sealed a president's legacy. This Tony Award-winning play was hailed as "a thoroughly modern Shakespearean tragedy." -CurtainUp.

• At-a-
  Glance

  • Venue Info

    Playhouse on the Square

    66 South Cooper
    Memphis, TN 38104

    Full map and directions

  • Admission Info

    Tickets: Adults - $30 Students/Seniors - $20 Children - $10 Opening Weekend - $20 Preview - $15

    Info Phone: 901-726-4656

    Email

    Buy Tickets

  • Dates & Times

    Dates:
    March 19-April 3, 2010

    Times:
    8:00pm - Thursdays - Saturday
    2:00pm - Sunday

  • Accessibility Info

    Currently, no accessibility information is available for this event.

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  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: Frost/Nixon
      "Frost Nixon and The Missing Man"
      Comment posted by: George Conroy - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver from Memphis, TN, Mar 20, 2010
      

      Frost/Nixon opened Thursday night at Playhouse on The Square. Outstanding performances were the reign of the night, particularly Bill Andrews’ portrayal of former president Richard Nixon and... Expand

      Frost/Nixon opened Thursday night at Playhouse on The Square. Outstanding performances were the reign of the night, particularly Bill Andrews’ portrayal of former president Richard Nixon and Michael Ingersoll who brought the role of David Frost to life. Mr. Andrews had the role down perfectly. He had Nixon’s voice, his mannerisms, his gait, his slouch, and especially his facial expressions. Nixon’s unforgettable face was brought back to life, too. Playhouse’s Director of Marketing Andrew Martin told me, “all of the actors do their own makeup for the show. Rebecca Powell, the costume designer consults and also makes decisions about hairstyles, but the makeup is left up to the individual actors, so there is no outside makeup.” Multi-talented actors, indeed! Mr. Ingeresoll makes David Frost an entertaining character, but Richard Nixon is the one who compels attention in Frost/Nixon. Frost/Nixon is intriguing because of the skillful ways it touches upon timeless themes of ambition, reputation, responsibility and politics in an era that was becoming increasingly dominated by the mass media. At an hour and a half without intermission, the play spends half its time depicting the intricate negotiations before the British talk-show host's widely seen 1977 TV interviews with the disgraced former president. Bill Andrews was able to play Nixon without falling into cartoonish caricature. He manages the portrayal more of an aging bull than a raging bull. Mr. Andrews takes command as Nixon. At Thursday's opening, he shared a standing ovation with Mr. Ingersoll and the supporting cast. It's a tricky role -- pun intended -- because Andrews is creating “Tricky Dick,” Nixon’s notorious nickname because of the Watergate scandal that forced his resignation three years before the play's events. Mr. Andrews finds humanity inside a complicated and oft-caricatured man. Projecting his intense physicality into the hunched and awkward personality of the stiff-necked Nixon, Andrews locates the soul beneath the many quirks and forced jovialities. He even manages to earn sympathy for the man so many in the audience had hated. Mr. Ingersoll portrays Frost with charm and humor, smoothly evoking the blithe superficiality of a kind of lightweight journalist who worked against all odds and setbacks to earn the greatest interview of his career. Bryan Robinson, narrating as crusading journalist James Reston, and S.A. Weakley as ABC editor Bob Zelnick, are among the American advisers who argue with Frost about what questions to ask, including the question that finally wrenches a long-awaited apology from Nixon's guilty heart. Memphis favorite Michael Detroit portrays the famed theatrical agent and impresario Swifty Lazar. Memphis theatre goers who have raved at Mr. Detroit’s previous Playhouse performances including John Adams in “1776,” “Jesus in “Godspell,” and so many others, aren’t likely to recognize him as “Swifty.” But anyone who remembers Swifty will recognize Mr. Detroit’s portrayal as among his usual outstanding. A large TV screen establishes the 1970’s setting and provides close-ups. The riveting final third of the show/interviews covers the point at which Nixon, who has thus far succeeded in transforming Frost’s interviews into self-promotion and sentimentality, finally begins to show cracks in his supremely controlled façade. In the end Frost leads him to admit his foibles for the first time and acknowledge his regret for his actions. Frost has brought Nixon a long way from the President who boasted, “If the president does it, it’s not illegal,” to the shadow of his former self, a nearly broken man. Collapse

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  Gallery

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    Currently, additional images/videos have not been submitted for this event.

• Member
  Reviews

  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: Frost/Nixon
      "Frost Nixon and The Missing Man"
      Comment posted by: George Conroy - ArtsMemphis Rants & Raver from Memphis, TN, Mar 20, 2010
      

      Frost/Nixon opened Thursday night at Playhouse on The Square. Outstanding performances were the reign of the night, particularly Bill Andrews’ portrayal of former president Richard Nixon and... Expand

      Frost/Nixon opened Thursday night at Playhouse on The Square. Outstanding performances were the reign of the night, particularly Bill Andrews’ portrayal of former president Richard Nixon and Michael Ingersoll who brought the role of David Frost to life. Mr. Andrews had the role down perfectly. He had Nixon’s voice, his mannerisms, his gait, his slouch, and especially his facial expressions. Nixon’s unforgettable face was brought back to life, too. Playhouse’s Director of Marketing Andrew Martin told me, “all of the actors do their own makeup for the show. Rebecca Powell, the costume designer consults and also makes decisions about hairstyles, but the makeup is left up to the individual actors, so there is no outside makeup.” Multi-talented actors, indeed! Mr. Ingeresoll makes David Frost an entertaining character, but Richard Nixon is the one who compels attention in Frost/Nixon. Frost/Nixon is intriguing because of the skillful ways it touches upon timeless themes of ambition, reputation, responsibility and politics in an era that was becoming increasingly dominated by the mass media. At an hour and a half without intermission, the play spends half its time depicting the intricate negotiations before the British talk-show host's widely seen 1977 TV interviews with the disgraced former president. Bill Andrews was able to play Nixon without falling into cartoonish caricature. He manages the portrayal more of an aging bull than a raging bull. Mr. Andrews takes command as Nixon. At Thursday's opening, he shared a standing ovation with Mr. Ingersoll and the supporting cast. It's a tricky role -- pun intended -- because Andrews is creating “Tricky Dick,” Nixon’s notorious nickname because of the Watergate scandal that forced his resignation three years before the play's events. Mr. Andrews finds humanity inside a complicated and oft-caricatured man. Projecting his intense physicality into the hunched and awkward personality of the stiff-necked Nixon, Andrews locates the soul beneath the many quirks and forced jovialities. He even manages to earn sympathy for the man so many in the audience had hated. Mr. Ingersoll portrays Frost with charm and humor, smoothly evoking the blithe superficiality of a kind of lightweight journalist who worked against all odds and setbacks to earn the greatest interview of his career. Bryan Robinson, narrating as crusading journalist James Reston, and S.A. Weakley as ABC editor Bob Zelnick, are among the American advisers who argue with Frost about what questions to ask, including the question that finally wrenches a long-awaited apology from Nixon's guilty heart. Memphis favorite Michael Detroit portrays the famed theatrical agent and impresario Swifty Lazar. Memphis theatre goers who have raved at Mr. Detroit’s previous Playhouse performances including John Adams in “1776,” “Jesus in “Godspell,” and so many others, aren’t likely to recognize him as “Swifty.” But anyone who remembers Swifty will recognize Mr. Detroit’s portrayal as among his usual outstanding. A large TV screen establishes the 1970’s setting and provides close-ups. The riveting final third of the show/interviews covers the point at which Nixon, who has thus far succeeded in transforming Frost’s interviews into self-promotion and sentimentality, finally begins to show cracks in his supremely controlled façade. In the end Frost leads him to admit his foibles for the first time and acknowledge his regret for his actions. Frost has brought Nixon a long way from the President who boasted, “If the president does it, it’s not illegal,” to the shadow of his former self, a nearly broken man. Collapse

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• What's
  Nearby

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