“Hold on to Me Darling” was the best new play of 2016 when it opened at the Atlantic Theater. Eight years later, Kenneth Lonergan’s comedy about a country singer is the best contemporary play now on the boards in New York City. A most entertaining revival opened Wednesday at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Adam Driver takes over for Timothy Olyphant, who originated the role of Strings McCrane, a major star who wants to give it all up to return to his country roots. Olyphant brought a leisurely charm to his Strings; Driver delivers a real feral power, and considering the nearly three-hour runtime on “Hold on to Me,” the show’s narrative drive runs even faster and sharper. Don’t let that running time discourage you, though. Lonergan’s play is great fun and right on target regarding how it punctures American’s fixation on celebrities. It also makes a good case for outlawing testosterone, a male ingredient that evolution should have retired sometime after the Pleistocene.
As eccentric characters in the theater go, Strings McCrane is right up there with Blanche du Bois and Sheridan Whiteside — and just as irresistible. Strings is a country star who has crossed over to the movies, where he has made it big playing comic book heroes. He’s pampered, insulated, obscenely rich, self-obsessed and hounded by the paparazzi. That’s when his beloved mama passes away back home in Tennessee.
When we first meet Strings, he’s in the process of smashing another priceless guitar because, dammit, his life is just so hard and thankless. No problem. His loyal assistant, Jimmy (Keith Nobbs, the epitome of being obsequious), has a spare top-of-the-line guitar ready to go.
Jimmy, as written by Lonergan and played by Nobbs, could be a whole other play. He’s the Uriah Heep of the modern-day entertainment world, and anyone who has worked or covered the biz knows this guy. He’s the shadow who knows more about the star’s life and resume than the star himself. He might be homosexual, but the creepy thing is that he’s probably not. Lust would at least explain his groveling devotion.
To calm Strings’ many frustrations, Jimmy orders up a hotel masseuse, and so enters Nancy (Heather Burns), who is destined to run through the categories of one-night stand, girlfriend, fiancée, wife and ex-wife faster than Strings’ country twang allows him to finish one of his endless Shaggy Dog sentences.
Without giving away too much of the story, let’s just say Strings’ family and relatives are played by a superb ensemble that includes C. J. Wilson, Adelaide Clemens and Frank Wood. What their life in the star’s shadow requires of them looms large and comically horrifying in every scene they share with Strings. In so many 90-minute plays, they are reduced to mere types who show us a single facet of the lead character’s personality. Here, Lonergan’s supporting characters glitter brighter than the marquee at the Grand Ole Opry.
“Hold on to Me Darling” doesn’t ramble so much as it takes its time, and director Neil Pepe keeps all the comic moments percolating, one on top of the other. The minor miracle at the end is that after laughing at Strings’ many indulgences, Lonergan gives us a glimpse beyond the spoiled country boy. Suddenly, it’s almost sad in a Johnny Cash sort of way.
Wood doesn’t overplay his cameo at the end. Given just 10 or 15 minutes on stage, most actors kick up enough of a storm to blow their respective character off the stage. Check out “McNeal” with Robert Downey Jr. at Lincoln Center to see a whole cast begging for a Tony nomination for best featured actor or actress. Wood doesn’t go down that road. He’s the essence of a long-lost relative, as guilty as he is wounded.
