In 1973 Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter "Little" Edie Beale, relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, made headlines when it was revealed that they were living in a dilapidated East Hampton mansion with over 40 cats. The two subsequently became the subject of a 1975 documentary, which is the basis for a new off-Broadway musical (book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie) called "Grey Gardens," the name of the mansion.
After a brief 1973 prologue to set up the story, the musical flashes back to 1941, a time when Grey Gardens, now seen in its entire splendor, was the place to be for the cultural elite of the day. It was where Edith (wonderfully played by Christine Ebersole) threw lavish parties and warbled away on the piano with the aid of her accompanist (Bob Stillman) although Edie (Sara Gettelfinger) would later state that the guests were secretly laughing at her mother's musical attempts. On this particular day, despite her denials to the contrary, Edith seems intent on stealing the spotlight at a party where Edie is to announce her engagement to Joseph Kennedy Jr. (Matt Cavenaugh). It is here we begin to see the intense love-hate relationship between mother and daughter. Edith's comments to Joe, coupled with the Bouvier's colorful and scandalous family history (including how Edie got the nickname "Body Beautiful Beale") serves to end the engagement and, maybe, Edie's last chance at happiness.
Act 2 takes place in 1973 where, in a run-down Grey Gardens, Edie (now played by Ebersole) takes care of the bedridden Edith (now played by Mary Louise Wilson). Seeking refuge in fantasy, and seemingly unwilling to differentiate between what's true and what isn't, the two reminisce in broken sentences about their pasts, with remarks which often contradict events previously shown.
While none of the characters are particularly sympathetic, the way the story is presented makes it fascinating to watch. Running through the entire show is an air of desperation and sadness. A song where Edie and Joe sing about their love is particularly poignant in light of what happened to both later on. Most of the 1941 scenes project similar feelings, with Edith desperate to keep her daughter close by so she won't be alone, and Edie trying to escape the mausoleum Grey Gardens is starting to become. This oppressiveness is all the more visible in 1973, especially when Edie walks through the house and we see the memories from her past come alive to torment her. When she does finally face what her life has become, her realization is devastating to behold.
Michael Greif's direction works well to bring out the multilayers of the relationship between Edith and Edie, though some of the 1973 scenes could have been trimmed a bit. Having some of the actors reappear as new characters in Act 2 also could have been dropped. Especially deserving of mention are Allen Moyer's sets and Peter Kaczorowski's lighting, which helped set the mood and period in both acts.
Ebersole gives two powerhouse performances in the two different eras—each time portraying a woman desperate to remake her world and never succeeding. Wilson and Gettelfinger play off Ebersole nicely, with each adding layers of complexity to their own characters along the way. Stillman lends some enjoyable comic relief to the proceedings, as does Ryan Hilliard (filling in for John McMartin the night this reviewer saw the show) as Edith's father who also points out some bitter truths which the daughter is unwilling to face. Cavenaugh works well in the mostly shallow role of Kennedy. Also in the cast are Sarah Hyland and Audrey Twitchell.
A combination of fact and fiction, "Grey Gardens" is an interesting tale indeed and one that deserves a life elsewhere once it finishes this initial run.
Grey Gardens
Playwrights Horizons
416 West 42nd Street
Tickets: $65.00
Reservations: 212-279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com
Information: www.playwrightshorizons.org
Running Time: Approximately two hours, 40 minutes
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication THE STAGE.