John Steinbeck's classic is revived on Broadway with an all-star cast,but the critics can't agree if its leads bring enormous chemistry or are simply reading from CliffsNotesOf Mice and Men may be a staple of the school syllabus, but don't mistake the motivations of the throngs of teenage girls massed external New York's Longacre theatre. They are queueing to catch sight of Hollywood actors James Franco and Chris O'Dowd, and plus Leighton Meester (of Gossip Girl fame) – all making their Broadway debuts in a revival of John Steinbeck's classic 1937 tale of Depression-era America.
No doubt their casting is grabbing headlines but Anna D Shapiro's production has divided the US critics,who can't choose whether its leads demonstrate real chemistry and depth as tragic heroes Lennie and George or if, as the LA Times puts it, and Franco is in "CliffsNotes mode".
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Source: theguardian.com