True romantic dramedy “Left on Tenth” at the James Earl Jones Theater on Broadway

Adapted for the stage from her bestselling 2022 memoir of the same name, Left on the tenthby novelist and screenwriter Delia Ephron (You have mail), recounts her late love story and second chance at life in her 70s, after struggling with the loss of her sister Nora and husband Jerry to cancer, and reconnects via email with Peter – a recently widowed Jungian San Francisco Bay Area psychiatrists and an old college date back 54 years – after reading her 2016 commentary about it in the New York TimesFour months later, he was diagnosed with AML, an aggressive form of leukemia. Starring Julianna Margulies as Delia and Peter Gallagher as Peter (best known for their film roles) and directed by five-time Tony winner Susan Stroman, the new work, now in a limited Broadway engagement at the James Earl Jones Theater, brings the vertigo together a romantic comedy with the adversity of a drama as she rediscovers the beauty and comfort of love while facing the unpredictable challenges of illness and the prospect of her own death.

The story begins long before the curtain call with the audio of Delia's call to Verizon on hold, with repeated requests to stay on the line and the expected wait (audio by Jill BC Du Boff); It then begins with a sitcom-like scene where an exasperated Delia rushes in to collect her cell phone and tries in vain to speak to a representative and get the company to restore her internet service, which was accidentally cut off after she left it had disconnected her late husband's landline.

It's a fun introduction to her backstory, which is then conveyed through sections of direct address to the audience, recitations of letters and emails to and from Peter revealing their growing bond, reenactments of conversations and meetings with him and her closest friends , and scenes in her doctor's office and hospital during her painful fight for survival, with the excellent Peter Francis James and Kate MacCluggage portraying the wide range of supporting characters with rapid changes and distinctive looks, personalities, behaviors and accents (in costumes by Jeff Mahshie). and wigs by Michael Buonincontro).

Unfortunately, what I find lacking in the rest of the series in general is the humor or tension of the opening, which instead relies on a schmaltzy characterization of Delia's newfound love, an incredibly perfect man in every way – smart, successful, sensitive, supportive and devastatingly handsome – who stands by her side, saves her life and whose only fault is wearing a backpack and over-spicing his food with red pepper flakes. The one-note lead performances lack a range of believable emotions and often falter, save for Margulies' emotional breakdown in her hospital bed after receiving an experimental bone marrow transplant that caused her excruciating pain and begging Peter to let her die allow. We already know this isn't the case since she wrote the memoir and wrote the play, so that's no surprise.

Significantly, he brings her an oversized card for Valentine's Day, which he pins to the wall of her room; It's a prop that captures the overall tone of the production, although too much of it is done in the dour manner of a Hallmark card. A natural-looking performance that elicited audible reactions from the audience at the performance I attended came from Delia's adorable dogs, Honey and Charlie (played by Nessa Rose and Charlie), who stole the show every time they took the stage (with William Berloni in the role). your trainer).

The title Left on the tenth refers to Delia's house on One Way Street in Greenwich Village, where she was left alone by the death of Jerry. The large library/office is the focus of the set (by Beowulf Boritt), with rolling furniture and projections across the back wall (by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew) marking the changing times and places, then opened and rotated to reveal themselves change to their hospital room and other locations, all defined by appropriate lighting (by Ken Billington and Itohan Edoloyi).

Left on the tenth offers an uplifting account of Ephron's difficult battle with cancer, dealing with the death of those closest to her, and the unexpected happiness she finds in her final years with her perfect man and her unwavering relationships with good friends. In my opinion, it requires a greater depth of emotion and a more expressive range of feelings, but if you make your romance films low in drama and high in romance, you will most likely enjoy their autobiographical journey to a happily ever after. And no one could resist the dogs!

Running time: Approximately one hour and 40 minutes, without an intermission.

Left on the tenth plays through Sunday, February 2, 2025, at the James Earl Jones Theater, 138 West 48^Th Street, NYC. Tickets (priced between $74 and $291, including fees) are available here on-line.