Populated with delightful characters, brimming with witty lines, 'Ballyhoo' downplays darker elements. Even though Uhry's script forges.

The Last Night of Ballyhoo
Written by	Alfred Uhry
Characters	Sunny Freitag Adolph Freitag Lala Levy Boo Levy Peachy Weil Joe Farkas Reba Freitag
Date premiered	July 20, 1996
Place premiered	Olympic Arts Festival Atlanta, Georgia
Original language	English
Genre	Comedy/Drama
Setting	Atlanta, Georgia December 1939

The Last Night of Ballyhoo is a play by Alfred Uhry that premiered in 1996 in Atlanta. The play is a comedy/drama, which is set in Atlanta, Georgia, in December 1939.

Plot[edit]

The play is set in the upper classGerman-Jewish community living in Atlanta, Georgia in December 1939. Hitler has recently conquered Poland, Gone with the Wind is about to premiere, and Adolph Freitag (owner of the Dixie Bedding Company), his sister Boo, and sister-in-law Reba, along with nieces Lala and Sunny – a Jewish family so highly assimilated they have a Christmas tree in the front parlor – are looking forward to Ballyhoo, a lavish cotillion ball sponsored by their restrictive country club. Adolph's employee Joe Farkas is an attractive eligible bachelor and an Eastern Europe Jew, familiar with prejudice but unable to fathom its existence within his own religious community. His presence prompts college student Sunny to examine intra-ethnic bias, her Jewish identity (or lack thereof), and the beliefs with which she has been raised.

Characters[edit]

Boo Levy – Lala's mother, Sunny's aunt, and Adolph's sister. Her husband is dead, and she struggles with wanting her daughter to be socially successful. Boo is the main character driving the play's inter-Jewish racism. Described in cast of characters as 'Adolf's sister, a few years older.'^[1]

Sunny Freitag – A junior at a well-to-do liberal arts college (Wellesley College), Sunny is interested in the works of Eugene V. Debs and Upton Sinclair. She struggles with her Jewish identity, but faces this through her relationship with Joe. It is unknown whether the end scene is a dream or a reality. Described in cast of characters as 'Reba's daughter, 20s.'^[1]

Adolph Freitag – Adores Sunny, but has little tolerance for Lala. Adolph is a kind soul, who understands the good impact Joe has on the family. Described in cast of characters as 'a businessman, late 40s.'^[1]

Lala Levy – Obsessed with 'Gone With The Wind.' Somewhat childish and awkward, Lala finally finds a husband in Peachy. Lala fights with her mother over their Jewish identity and her social status. Described in cast of characters as 'Boo's daughter, 20s.'^[1]

Reba Freitag – Sister-in-law to Adolph and Boo. Reba is somewhat simple, but is more shrewd than others give her credit. Like the other characters, Reba is oblivious to what it means to be Jewish. Described in cast of characters as 'Adolf's sister-in-law, middle 40s.'^[1]

Joe Farkas – Works for Adolph Freitag, and finds an intellectual match in Sunny. Challenges the family to reassess their ideas of identity and family. Described in cast of characters as 'Adolf's business assistant, 20s.'^[1]

Peachy Weil – Finds a match in Lala. Known for his obnoxious behavior and outspokenness. Described in cast of characters as 'a visitor from Lake Charles, 20s.'^[1]

Background[edit]

Originally a series of vignettes, each featuring a different member family of the city's exclusive Standard Club, Ballyhoo was inspired by the playwright's childhood memories. In revising the play, Uhry opted to focus solely on the Freitags and expanded their storyline into two acts. Ballyhoo was commissioned by the Olympic Arts Festival for the 1996 Summer Olympics and was staged at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre that year.^[2][3][4] The Atlanta cast included Terry Beaver as Adolph, Dana Ivey as Boo, Stephen Mailer as Joe, Jessalyn Gilsig as Sunny, Mary Bacon as Lala, Valerie J. Curtin as Aunt Reba, and Stephen Largay as Peachy Weil. (T. Beaver, D. Ivey, and S. Largay were the only cast members to transfer to Broadway.)^[5]

Production[edit]

The play opened on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre on February 27, 1997 and closed on June 28, 1998 after 556 performances.^[6] Directed by Ron Lagomarsino, the original cast included Terry Beaver as Adolph, Dana Ivey as Boo, Paul Rudd as Joe, Arija Bareikis as Sunny, Jessica Hecht as Lala, Celia Weston as Aunt Reba, and Stephen Largay as Peachy Weil.^[5][6]

Replacements later in the run included Peter Michael Goetz as Adolph,^[7]Kelly Bishop (in circa May 1998)^[8] and Carole Shelley (as of August 26, 1997) as Boo,^[9]Mark Feuerstein and Christopher Gartin as Joe,^[7]Kimberly Williams as Sunny (as of August 26, 1997),^[9] and Cynthia Nixon (as of August 26, 1997) ^[9] and Ilana Levine as Lala.^[7][10]

Critical reception[edit]

Ben Brantley of the New York Times observed, 'Much of the gently barbed, idiosyncratic Southern humor recalls a vintage episode of the television sitcom Designing Women . . . Mr. Uhry's one previous play, Driving Miss Daisy . . . was a modest masterpiece of obliquely rendered sentimentality and social commentary. Here the author employs much more direct and conventional means that work more blatantly to elicit laughs and tears. Ballyhoo isn't a clumsy work; on its own terms, it's a model of old-fashioned tailoring. And Mr. Uhry has a fascinating and incendiary subject in the self-hatred implicit in the social stratifications among Southern Jews, particularly given that the play is set on the eve of World War II. But the context in which he couches it can feel very treacly . . . There's no doubting that Ballyhoo is a sincere, good-hearted work, but it almost never feels spontaneous. Despite its provocative subject, its form is the theatrical equivalent of comfort food, something for those who like their nostalgia repackaged in the guise of something new.'^[5]

Awards and nominations[edit]

• 1997 Tony Award for Best Play (winner)
• 1997 Tony Award, Best Featured Actor in a Play, Terry Beaver (nominee)
• 1997 Tony Award, Best Featured Actress in a Play, Dana Ivey (nominee)
• 1997Tony Award, Best Featured Actress in a Play, Celia Weston (nominee)
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Broadway Play (winner)
• 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play (nominee)
• 1997 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Dana Ivey (winner)
• 1997 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Celia Weston (nominee)
• 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Drama – finalist^[11]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefg'The Last Night of Ballyhoo'. google.com. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
2. ^Glaser, Blair. 'Plays Commissioned for Olympics Are Going the Distance' Playbill, April 25, 1997
3. ^Mardenfeld, Sandra. 'Uhry Prepares Ballyhoo for Atlanta's Olympic Arts Fest' Playbill, June 6, 1996
4. ^'Hippodrome Theatre -'. thehipp.org. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
5. ^ ^abc'- Review – Theater – New York Times'. nytimes.com. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
6. ^ ^ab'The Last Night of Ballyhoo' Broadway'Archived 2012-06-19 at the Wayback Machine playbillvault.com, accessed November 8, 2015
7. ^ ^abc'Current Cast of 'The Last Night of Ballyhoo'^{[permanent dead link]} playbillvault.com, accessed November 8, 2015
8. ^Smith, Starla. 'PLAYBILL BACKSTAGE by Starla Smith: 'Last Night of Ballyhoo' Playbill, May 5, 1998
9. ^ ^abcLefkowitz, David and Nassour, Ellis. 'Carole Shelley, Cynthia Nixon Join Ballyhoo Aug. 26' Playbill, August 26, 1997
10. ^'Replacements' ibdb.com, accessed November 8, 2015
11. ^'Drama' pulitzer.org, accessed November 8, 2015

External links[edit]

• The Last Night of Ballyhoo at the Internet Broadway Database
• The Last Night of Ballyhoo at the Internet Broadway Database

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Last_Night_of_Ballyhoo&oldid=918259030'

The following analysis uses the 'Rigdon' model to unpack details and meaning in the script. I chose this model because I'm familiar with the way it can spark new discoveries.

The Last Night ofBallyhoo

Script Analysis

1. Where does the play take place?

TheLast Night of Ballyhoo byAlfred Uhry takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, in December of 1939. The stagedirections are simple yet direct. “Lights up on Adolph Freitag’s house onHabersham Road. It is mid- December 1939. We see a portion of the living room,a hall with stairs leading to the bedroom floor, and a portion of the diningbeyond ht hall. The house is vaguely Spanish – stucco with a tile roof, Moorisharchways, wrought-iron railings, etc. The furnishings are many and heavy. LalaLevy is decorating a Christmas tree in a corner of the living room, asurrounded by cardboard boxes of ornaments. There are a few strings ofChristmas tree lights strung across the furniture. Lala is an unsure, awkwardyoung woman. There is a slightly desperate air about her. Reba Freitag, Lala’saunt, is on the sofa, knitting a sweater. Reba is in her middle forties, apretty, vague woman, not quite in synch with everybody else.”

The majority of the action takes place in AdolphFreitag’s house, at The Standard Club, and aboard the Crescent Limited.

2. When does the play take place?

Theplay takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, in December of 1939. The first scenebegins on December 15, 1939, the evening of the Atanta premiere of Gone With the Wind. The play spans a fewweeks time. The playwright chosethis time period because it is the dawn of World War II in Europe. The playdeals with a family struggling with their Jewish identity, as many Jews areabout to be slaughtered across the sea. This unique parallel gives more weightand significance to the story.

Character Analysis

RELATIONSHIPS

Boo	Adolph	Lala	Sunny	Peachy	Daisy	Joe	Reba
Boo	Self	Sister	Mother	Aunt	Knows his Aunt	Mother	Works for her brother	Sister-in law
Adolph	Brother	Self	Uncle	Uncle	X	Uncle	Employer	Brother-in law
Lala	Daughter	Niece	Self	Cousin	Acquaintance	Sister	Works for uncle	Aunt
Sunny	Niece	Niece	Cousin	Self	X	Cousin	Works for uncle	Daughter
Peachy	X	X	Friend	X	Self	X	Looks down	X
Daisy	Daughter	Niece	Sister	Cousin	X	Self	Works for Uncle	Niece
Joe	Works for Brother	Employee	Works for her Uncle	Works for her Uncle	Dating Sunny’s cousin	Works for her Uncle	Self	Wants to date her daughter
Reba	Sister-in Law	Sister-in Law	Aunt	Mother	X	Aunt	Works for Brother-in law	Self

Character’s Roles

Sunny(Protagonist) :A student at Wellesley collage with an A-minus average.She comes home to Atlanta, Georgiawhere her family lives. Six years ago her father passed away and she and hermother Reba had to move in with her Uncle Adolf. Sunny is a smart, southerngirl who is Jewish. Jewish to her just means the label, nothing reallyreligious at all. Sunny's role in life is to go to college, and learn about newideas. She is the first to go to college in her family. She is the protagonistbecause she opens her mind to a new identity after meeting and being challengedby Joe.

BooLevy (Antagonist): Sheis Lala’s mother. She is very controlling of the family and wants to make sureher whole house and family is running 100% smoothly. She wants, what she thinksis the best for he daughter and puts a lot of pressure on Lala to be her ideaof a perfect women by being socially successful. She finds it very importantthat her daughter marry. She is uncomfortable with Judaism, and also displaysracism in the play. She is the antagonist because she represents all of thelimited ideas of that time period in Atlanta. She’s rude to Joe, and refuses toaccept him as an equal. It’s her kind of attitude that prevents Joe and Sunnyfrom connecting easily.

JoeFarkas: Brought upin Brooklyn, New York, Joe is comfortable with his Jewish identity. He has justmoved to Atlanta to work for Adolph Freitag. He is a salesman for the DixieBedding Corporation. In a brief meeting with Sunny Freitag, he develops acrush. He pursues Sunny, much to the dismay of her Aunt Boo. The tensionbetween Sunny and Joe lies within how they identify with being Jewish.

LalaLevy: Lala is Boo’s daughter. She is obsessedwith Gone with the Wind, and dreamsof becoming a writer one day. Her mother, Boo, pressures her to get married toa fine, wealthy southerner. She dropped out of college after one semesterbecause she wasn’t accepted into the “right” sorority.

PeachyWeil : A witty, sarcastic character thatcomes from a very wealthy family. Peachy is the kind of person that tells ithow it is, which makes him a bit rude. He has a crush on Lala and ends upmarrying her. He plays golf and is a prankster. Peachy's role in life is tomarry a nice girl, cause trouble, and be funny and witty. He doesn't have to domuch because of his rich family.

AdolphFreitag: Boo'sbrother, Reba's brother, Sunny and Lala's Uncle, Joe's employer. He runs theDixie Bedding Corp, is reasonably well off, and supports his extended familythat lives with him. He sees himself as the father of the family, responsiblefor everyone who lives in his house. He pays for everything. He is technicallyJewish, but doesn’t practice the religion.

Reba Freitag: Reba is the mother of Sunny. After husband died many years ago,she and her daughter, Sunny, moved in with her brother-in-law, Adolph. Shesupports all of Lala’s ideas, and is happy with where are daughter, Sunny, isin her life. Reba is alittle oblivious to many parts of her life, like the significance of beingJewish. She is happy with Sunny’s progress in school and does not pressure hertoo much.

What do they say about each other?