American Buffalo

The reviews of the opening of David Mamet's American Buffalo at the Belasco have been unenthusiastic. The critics almost unanimously describe poorly cast stars—John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer, and Haley Joel Osment—going through the motions with wooden dialogue. ("Ssssssssst. That whooshing noise coming from the Belasco Theater is the sound of the air being let out of David Mamet's dialogue," wrote Ben Brantlee in The New York Times.)

But signs that the play might lay an egg were already in evidence last Friday afternoon at Café Une Deux Trois, where a press lunch with the cast had been scheduled. Instead of excited actors ready to begin the new Broadway run of a perfectly timed critique of inflated valuation, a near empty restaurant, and a sheepish hostess greeted the Daily Transom.  read more »

You guys, Haley Joel Osment is 20 years old! 20! We'll always see him as the creepy kid who saw dead people in The Sixth Sense. God, we're old. Anyway, Mr. Osment is all grown up and making his Broadway debut in the revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo, according to BroadwayWorld. At least he still has those rosey baby-faced cheeks! He joins John Lequizamo and Cedric the Entertainer was junk shop workers who scheme to steal a rich man's coin collection. The show opens Nov. 17 at the Belasco Theatre.

We told you about the revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo co-starring John Leguizamo and Cedric the Entertainer, and now we can report about its new home: the Belasco Theatre. American Buffalo takes over the stage from another Mamet play, Speed-the-Plow. That Jeremy Piven-starring production will move to the Barrymore Theater where Godspell was supposed to be performed. The Godspell production was postponed because of a financial fallout from an investor.

Directed by Robert Falls, previews of American Buffalo will begin Oct. 31 at the Belasco with an official opening scheduled for Nov. 17. Tickets will go on sale Sept. 4 through Telecharge by calling (212) 239-6200 or by visiting www.telecharge.com.

This Halloween, Mamet is returning to Broadway (again) with a revival of American Buffalo. Directed by Robert Falls, previews will begin Oct. 31 with a premiere set for Nov. 17. Latin "Sexaholic" John Leguizamo and "Original King of Comedy" Cedric the Entertainer will lead the cast about "the bungled heist of an old nickel by three lowlifes based in a Chicago pawnshop." According to press notes, the play suggests how the language and practice of American business and power politics are insidious forces in our society.

Playbill reports:

David Mamet's 1976 Obie Award-winning play, American Buffalo, originally opened at Chicago's Goodman Theater.

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It's the battle of the Broadway revivals! David Mamet's American Buffalo and the Lerner and Loewe musical Brigadoon will both open during 2009. Buffalo producers are courting Sexoholic and Summer of Sam star John Leguizamo, according to the New York Times. No casting is set for Brigadoon, the hit Broadway show about two Americans wandering into a Scottish village that comes alive every 100 years, according to Playbill. But the play, written by the team who brought us scores for My Fair Lady, Gigi and Camelot, will be directed by Tony winner Rob Ashford and will include a new book by another Tony winner, John Guare. We're putting the 1954 movie version of Brigadoon, starring the "incomparable" Gene Kelly and "sensational" Cyd Charisse belting out those classics "Almost Like Being In Love," "There But For You Go I" and "Come to Me, Bend to Me," into our Netflix queue right now.