Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune takes one of the oldest staples of playwriting - the first date - and grills up two hours of negotiations, neuroses, desires, and regrets. Familiar territory, but the humor is relatively fresh, from F & J's convincingly frank sexual jousting to Johnny's emotional neediness that swings between endearing and borderline scary.
The night I attended, the production was briefly interrupted by a medical emergency in act one (a diabetic in the audience had to be brought to the hospital), and then later beset by ringing cell phones and watches, crackling InfraRed Listening Devices and the thud-thud of booming dance music bleeding in from a nearby club. These distractions didn't appear to throw Stanley Tucci and Edie Falco off their considerable game, but there's no question the souffle deflated, and much of the second act seemed disjointed, impeded by unanswered questions and questionable motivations. Perhaps on a quieter night, the magic holds all the way through.
