Heidi Holland, the heroine of Wendy Wasserstein’s hit “The Heidi Chronicles,” firmly believes that “all people deserv꧂e to fulfill their potential.” The whole po♎int of the play, which premiered on Broadway in 1989, is that this is easier said than done, especially for a woman.
Yet Heidi believes it’s possible. You suspect that so does the talented Elisabeth Moss, who stars as pugnacious Peggy Olson on “Mad Men” and now headlines this Broadway revival. But the role is tough, and Moss is still working on her own potential as an 🐈actress.
In the play, Heidi’s trial is to juggle a career, friends, possibly children 🎐and of 💛course those gosh-darned men — in this case, her gay confidante and her former flame.
For Moss, who works most effectively in small brushstrokes, the c൲hallenge is carrying a show that dema🔴nds a leading lady who can, well, lead. Heidi is conflicted but has drive: It’s no coincidence that notable past Heidis like Joan Allen and Mary McDonnell went on to portray presidents, senators and CIA directors. Here, Moss’ low-key approach verges on passivity, which doesn’t make the character especially interesting.
As if this weren’t enough, the show follows Heidi for close t𝐆o a quarter-century, from quirky high school student in 1965 all the way up to accomplished art historian in 1989. Through it all, Moss’ body language hardly varies, and her default expression involves a soft, slightly sheepish smile.
Faring better are the men in Heidi’s life.
🤡The first is Peter Patrone (Bryce Pinkham, late of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”), whom our heroine meets at an awkward teen dance.
“I want to know you all my life,” he tells her. “If we can’t marry, letꦆ’♑s be great friends.”
Despite this flamboyant declaration, it takes Heidiඣ years to figure out what the audience realizes immediately — that the witty and caring Peter is gay.
The second is Heidi’s on-again, off-aga✱in lover, Scoop Rosenbaum (Jason Biggs), an arrogant jerk who, unlike so many women, has no problem balancing professional ambition and family life.
Both Pinkham and Biggs are very good at ꦜsuggesting how these men change over the years,ཧ and Biggs (the spineless fiancé of “Orange Is the New Black”) even seems to fill out as his character gets older and more successful.
The irreplaceable Tracee Chimo (“Bad Jews”) also shines in four supporting roles🧜, including a steely talk-show host and a lesbian who questions her friends’ feminist commitment: “Either you shave your legs or you don’t.”
Still, it’s ironic that, in a show about a woman’s p꧅ath to self-empowerment, it’s 💦the male characters who stay with you.
Pam MacKinnon’s production sands off whatever edge there wa𒈔s to the play — and Wasserstein wasn’t an edgy writer. And while the nostalgic element was there even in the ’80s, it’s pushed even further now, as we listen to “We Got the Beat” and watch projections of newspaper headlines about Geraldine Ferraro.
It’s all very nice, but was feminism 🎶ever suppose🌊d to be nice?