The Parisian Woman: Serving up nothing burgers

Fun Fact: Playwright Beau Willimon is the creator of the hugely successful Netflix original series House of Cards. He also wrote the play Farragut North which inspired George Clooney's film The Ides of March.

Target Audience: The Parisian Woman, currently playing at The Hudson will draw Uma Thurman and Beau Willimon fans. And anyone who can stand more politics on stage.

Best Bit: Derek McLane's sophisticated set design is the essence of this production and Blair Brown's performance as political powerhouse Jeanette, reveals her theatrical tools.

Morning After Effect: Intrigued by Beau Willimon's need to tell this story on stage given the success garnered by House of Cards. The Parisian Woman shares too many similarities to the famed TV show.

Verdict: If only the female characters in this play all joined forces...

The Hudson Theatre is one of my favorite theatres in New York and I have been lucky enough to see 1984 and Sunday in the Park with George at this location. The Hudson theatre recently underwent major restorations, making it the newest theatre on Broadway. After a series of short runs in the late 1940s and giving rise to Ethel Barrymore it was sold to NBC-TV where the The Tonight Show along with other programs were recorded. In 1960 the Hudson reverted to a Broadway theatre and survived a few close calls for demolition, thankfully the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission landmarked both its exterior and interior in 1987. It is truly a splendid treat to watch a production at this location.

As I settled into this familiar place I was looking forward to seeing an original play written by Beau Willimon. Willimon is better known for his politically inspired Netflix original House of Cards starring Robin Wright and Kevin Spacey. The Parisian Woman also takes place in Washington D.C and looks at the life of a power-hungry couple willing to do whatever it takes to rise to the top, while the plot may be similar to his hit TV show, playwright Willimon has utilized The Parisian Woman to explore the female shenanigans in D.C, namely socialite-wife Chloe, played by Uma Thurman.

Thurman makes her Broadway debut playing the frustrated housewife who seems to go above and beyond with sneaky tactics to keep her tax attorney husband in the running for a position of power in the Fourth Circuit. Yet she often refers to herself as lost - making these schemes nothing more than a game. Thurman is of course glamourous with every breath but seemed uncomfortable and stiff, and frankly boring. There seems to be little to no character development, no consequences for bad behavior and one wonders if this is Willimon's commentary on the current state of affairs. Or are we left to wonder if Chloe had a stab at politics would she make a difference?

Well, that's where Phillipa Soo's character Rebecca comes in, she is meant to be lady liberty holding the torch for the next generation. It feels incredibly contrived and we never understand why Chloe can't make a difference or contribution and rather places the pressure on Rebecca to do so. Chloe announces that her generation has not done enough, that they have just stood by, and that she does, with no rise to action. Soo, despite her one-dimensional character (whose greatest challenge is to leave her boyfriend), manages to deliver a believable performance of a young woman finding her place in this world detached from her mother. The Parisian Woman is a big shift of gears for Soo as she recently played leading lady Eliza in the world-renowned musical Hamilton, where she won a Lucille Lortel Award and earned a Tony Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Hamilton tells the story of history, and inevitably has made history. The Parisian Woman will not have the same effect.

Blair Brown plays Soo's mother Jeanette and delivers a stand out performance given her many years of experience. This mother-daughter relationship has been written to highlight the generational divide, the democratic versus republican mindset and the male versus female stigma in D.C. If only Willimon would explore this story in more depth. He does not, however, and we end up with three intelligent and influential woman playing silly games.

The charming Josh Lucas (Tom) has a cool calm on stage and may be recognized for his various roles in TV. Sadly, his character needed a few more layers for the audience to care about his journey to the top and why the need? Marton Csokas (Peter) has a bit more of an arc and yet his delivery seemed quite absurd. Both Lucas and Csokas are making their Broadway debuts alongside Thurman. Unfortunately, these three talented actors are in the clutches of a weak script.

Thankfully, I couldn't help but get lost in the details of the set, admiring the décor. Derek McLane's set design represents the opulence of these social climbers in Washington D.C. Chloe and Tom's home felt cozy yet cold and McLane lures you into the wealth and success of these people which feels both appealing and unnecessarily materialistic and greedy.

Broadway has had some remarkably powerful productions in the past year of these Trump-times, some adding commentary to the current political chaos and others offering comedic relief. Willimon has had an incredible impact with House of Cards and will no doubt draw audiences, unfortunately with this production he has made politics feel like a group of old people having a boring meaningless conversation and then looking up at the young person saying "good luck out there, go change the world".

View our show pages for more information about The Parisian Woman, Hudson Theatre.