THE LEGEND JANE FONDA ON BROADWAY

Samantha Mathis

Colin Hanks With Girlfriend

Jane Fonda And Moises Kaufman At Opening Party

Dolly Parton And Jane Fonda Backstage

Hollywood icon Jane Fonda's return to Broadway has divided New York City's theatre critics, who have described her performance as a terminally ill academic in 33 VARIATIONS as both "elegant" and "strained". The famed actress, at age 71, took to the stage for the first time in 46 years last night, to star alongside Samantha Mathis and Colin Hanks in the Moises Kaufman play.Stars attending the show, included Renee Zellweger, Dolly Parton, Geoffrey Rush and Rosie O’Donnell, gave the actress a standing ovation, but the celebrity turnout wasn’t enough to fully win over the hard reviewers. A critic for the New York Times put aside what is branded as a "clunky" opening to applaud Fonda for her "elegantly restrained" performance, while a Washington Post writer added, "Fonda’s agelessness owes something to both the longevity of her fame and the intensity of her struggle against physical decline… On this occasion, she not only manages to transcend time, but also the material." But a reviewer for Backstage.com is more hesitant: "Her voice is occasionally strained, and she lacks the passion to make us care… Despite (co-star Zach) Grenier’s robust performance and solid work from Samantha Mathis, Colin Hanks, Don Amendolia, Susan Kellermann, and Erik Steele, these Variations are on themes that are all-too-familiar." Fonda made her Broadway debut in 1960 play There Was a Little Girl, earning her a Tony Award nomination for best featured actress, and her last stint came in 1963 drama Strange Interlude. We at Times Square Gossip think seeing a legend like Jane Fonda on Broadway, is worth the trip all in itself . 33 Variations is scheduled to run until May 24th.
Photos By: Walter McBride/Retna