Curtains rose last night, January 26, on the opening night of the first-ever Broadway staging of “Wit.” The limited engagement premiere, starring Cynthia Nixon, plays at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre through March 11.

Nixon portrays university professor Dr. Vivian Bearing, who is undergoing an experimental treatment for Stage IV, metastatic ovarian cancer. Throughout the course of the play, she reflects on her life and diagnosis, the importance of intellectualism, and the need for human compassion.

Lynne Meadow directs this Manhattan Theatre Club production of Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama. Although this three-month run marks the one-act play’s first time on the Main Stem, “Wit” is still a familiar piece, having had extensive runs and revivals on non-legit stages since its 1995 premiere.

“Wit” began previews January 5 at the 650-seat Friedman. The production has drawn more than 11,000 attendees in the three weeks since then, averaging audiences between 78 and 91 percent capacity.

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Regular ticket prices for the production range from $57 up to $116, but the average paid admission has been well below $50 each week, according to the Broadway League. As a result, the drama has earned a three-week total of $512,678 — or just about 34 percent of “Wit’s” nearly $1.5 million potential for the same time period.

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is located at 261 West 47th Street in New York, NY. More details about the production are available on Manhattan Theatre Club’s official Web site.

Opening Night: “Wit”

Publication Critic Review
Variety Marilyn Stasio “…registers the power of its emotions and features a sensitive performance from Cynthia Nixon…”
New York Times Ben Brantley “[Nixon gives] a performance that is large and lucid and delicate at the same time.”
TheaterMania Dan Bacalzo “Cynthia Nixon proves less than completely convincing in the lead role.”
Hollywood Reporter David Rooney “Nixon’s brittle intensity and cool intelligence make her an ideal match for the uncompromising Vivian…”
The Wall Street Journal Terry Teachout “Unfortunately, Ms. Nixon’s acting is part of what’s wrong with the production…”
New York Daily News Joe Dziemianowicz “[Nixon] gives a commanding performance, one in which hard, sharp edges subtly soften.”
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