Broadway revival of 'Other Desert Cities' stars Janney, Harris and Louis-Dreyfus
Photo: CBS NewsHow the sides differ Left sources stress the cast interview; right sources find humor without bite; alternative sources split on the play's quality.
Alternative and independent outlets lead with critical verdicts on the Broadway return of Jon Robin Baitz's play "Other Desert Cities." Variety calls it a resounding family drama, while The Hollywood Reporter says it fails to feel relevant again. Sources agree the revival of Baitz's 2011 work has returned to New York, starring Allison Janney, Ed Harris, Lily Rabe, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Joe Keery, with Louis-Dreyfus and Keery making Broadway debuts. The story follows writer Brooke, who visits her well-to-do family in Palm Springs for Christmas, where tensions over grief, memory and politics surface.
Left-leaning CBS coverage centers on correspondent Tracy Smith's conversation with the cast about dramatizing grief and the challenges of live theater. The right-leaning New York Post finds the play full of laughs but without bite, describing a Republican family set against a leftist aunt. The main difference is evaluation: Variety praises the production, The Hollywood Reporter says it no longer feels timely, and the Post sees comedy without edge, while CBS offers no verdict.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
CBS leads with a conversation between correspondent Tracy Smith and the cast on grief and live theater. It features the actors' perspectives and offers no critical verdict on the play.
- The Hollywood Reporter‘Other Desert Cities’ Theater Review: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris and Allison Janney Fail to Make a Once-Timely Play Relevant Again
Variety leads with praise for the play as a resounding family drama, while The Hollywood Reporter leads with its failure to feel timely. Both center critics' judgments of the production.
The New York Post leads with a plot summary of Brooke's Christmas visit to a Republican family in Palm Springs. It then judges the play as funny but lacking bite.