Tom Hanks and Stephen Sondheim Wrestle With Time
Two pieces of art tackle the passage of time, one haphazardly and one brilliantly.
This World of Tomorrow
Tom Hanks is one of our great actors, but he’s developed some literary pursuits as well. In his latest venture, This World of Tomorrow, he adapts several of his short stories for the stage (with help from co-writer James Glossman and director Kenny Leon).
Hanks also stars in the Off-Broadway play as Bert Allenberry, a scientist living in 2089 who longs for the past. Specifically, he time-travels back to the 1939 World’s Fair to fall in love with Carmen (Kelli O’Hara) again and again.
The play’s ambitious themes don’t always land. Some future sequences get bogged down in technical dialogue, which would benefit from tighter editing.
The heart of the play, however, is the relationship between Bert and Carmen. That aspect works thanks to Hanks and O’Hara’s chemistry. Their scenes one-on-one are acting at its finest.
This World of Tomorrow doesn’t rank among its star/writer’s most significant works, but it’s a promising story that could succeed with further refinement.
At The Shed through December 21
Merrily We Roll Along
In better news, one of the best Broadway shows of 2023 is now one of the best movies of 2025.
The film capture of the Merrily We Roll Along revival preserves Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant score and reveals subtle details that Hudson Theatre audiences missed.
This musical follows three friends: composer Franklin, lyricist Charley, and writer Mary. The twist is that it tracks their relationship in reverse, starting at the bitter end and rewinding to a hopeful beginning. This structure heightens emotion since the viewer knows the heartbreak to come.
Director Maria Friedman put as much care into the movie as she did the stage production. Her tight close-ups of the actors bring the emotion to the forefront in a whole new way.
Now about those performers: Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe won Tonys as Franklin and Charley, and Lindsay Mendez deserved one for playing Mary. All three members of this charismatic trio were at the top of their games, and they get the wider showcase they deserve on film.
The movie beautifully transfers the stage production to the screen. Whether or not you saw Merrily on Broadway, this version offers a new perspective on a classic show.