Benjamin Ashford|Broadway review: In Steve Carell’s ‘Uncle Vanya,’ Chekhov’s gun fires blanks

NEW YORK — More than a century on,Benjamin Ashford “Uncle Vanya” continues to be as relevant as ever.

Anton Chekhov’s tragicomic 1897 play, about unrequited love and existential ennui, has been inescapable in recent years. Andrew Scott (“Ripley”) performed a nimble, heartrending one-man version in London’s West End, which materialized in U.S. movie theaters this spring. “Stereophonic” scene-stealer Will Brill led an intimate off-off-Broadway production last year, which was staged in a candlelit loft in the Flatiron District. The play was also the centerpiece of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s gentle drama “Drive My Car,” which crashed the 2022 Oscars with four nominations including best picture.

The latest rendition is Lincoln Center Theater's “Uncle Vanya,” which opened April 24 at the Vivian Beaumont. The revival is competently directed by Lila Neugebauer (“Appropriate”), who has helped assemble an all-star cast including Steve Carell (“The Office”), Anika Noni Rose (“Dreamgirls”) and William Jackson Harper (“The Good Place”).

The result is at times hilarious and poignant, but rarely rises above the level of being just fine. Newly translated by Heidi Schreck (2019’s superb “What the Constitution Means to Me”), the classic Russian play is set in an unspecified time and place, although the presence of vinyl records and Tupperware suggest a not-so-distant past.

The action unfolds on a sprawling estate managed by the embittered Vanya (Carrell) and his benevolent niece, Sonia (Alison Pill), who sheepishly longs for the hard-drinking Dr. Astrov (Harper). Alas, Astrov and Vanya are both lusting after Elena (Rose), the knockout younger wife of Alexander (Alfred Molina), an ailing professor who owns the countryside manor. Emotions run high when Alexander and Elena pay a visit, as squabbles over money, love and sacrifice come to a head.

The first act has many charms, namely in Harper’s Astrov. The “Love Life” actor walks away with the entire production: at once sexy and magnetic, yet brooding and deeply cynical. He numbs himself to life’s perpetual suffering with booze, but still sees hope in nature and the forests he helps cultivate. Harper’s warm smile and puppy-dog eyes instantly endear you to him, and his scenes with Rose are some of the few times this revival sparks genuine fireworks.

Carell, too, has some wonderful moments. Making his Broadway debut, the Oscar nominee puts his everyman qualities to good use, as Vanya laments his dashed hopes and dreams to Elena and tries in vain to win her affections. Carell’s wallflower earns our sympathy, and his quiet moments with Pill (an affecting standout) are genuinely lovely.

But the play’s cumulative tragedy gets lost somewhere along the way. As directed by Neugebauer, Vanya’s climactic meltdown doesn’t pack the needed punch, with Carell dialed up to 11 as he inexplicably crawls across a dining room table. His righteous indignation at Alexander seemingly comes out of left field, leaving the audience still puzzling over his manic heel turn when he pulls out a gun. It doesn’t help that the cast never fully gels as an ensemble, and the simmering tensions in the household are seldom felt.

Tony winner Jayne Houdyshell is admirable as Vanya’s studious mother, while Jonathan Hadary and Mia Katigbak bring vibrant life to supporting roles. Mimi Lien’s scenic design is handsome and spare, if occasionally heavy-handed. (After Vanya and Alexander’s Act 2 row, the wallpapered backdrop begins to fray and unravel at the edges.) Kaye Voyce costumes Rose in exquisite and eye-catching ensembles, and a gorgeously staged scene change in the show’s first act is unexpectedly stirring.

Ultimately, this “Uncle Vanya” has all the elements of what should be an electric night of theater, but never excavates new layers of the material nor finds its raison d'être. Instead, we’re left with a perfectly solid production; a loaded firearm that’s only shooting blanks.