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Brighton Beach Memoirs is a play by Neil Simon
Neil Simon

Marvin Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is one of the most reliable hitmakers in Broadway history, as well as one of the most performed playwrights in the world....
. It was made into a movie that was released in 1986.

Set in Brooklyn, New York's Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach

File:Brightonbeachbrooklyn.JPGFile:BrightonCOOPs.JPGFile:Brighton1415.jpgFile:BrightonSchool1438.jpgFile:Brighton15thStreet.jpgBrighton Beach is a community on Coney Island in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City....
 in 1937, the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age comedy is the first play in what is known as Simon's "Eugene Trilogy
Eugene Trilogy

The Eugene Trilogy refers to three plays written by Neil Simon: the first being Brighton Beach Memoirs, the second is Biloxi Blues, and the third being Broadway Bound....
." The small cast consists of Eugene, his brother Stanley and their parents Kate and Jack, as well as Kate's sister Blanche, and her two daughters, Nora and Laurie.






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Encyclopedia


Brighton Beach Memoirs is a play by Neil Simon
Neil Simon

Marvin Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is one of the most reliable hitmakers in Broadway history, as well as one of the most performed playwrights in the world....
. It was made into a movie that was released in 1986.

Set in Brooklyn, New York's Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach

File:Brightonbeachbrooklyn.JPGFile:BrightonCOOPs.JPGFile:Brighton1415.jpgFile:BrightonSchool1438.jpgFile:Brighton15thStreet.jpgBrighton Beach is a community on Coney Island in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City....
 in 1937, the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age comedy is the first play in what is known as Simon's "Eugene Trilogy
Eugene Trilogy

The Eugene Trilogy refers to three plays written by Neil Simon: the first being Brighton Beach Memoirs, the second is Biloxi Blues, and the third being Broadway Bound....
." The small cast consists of Eugene, his brother Stanley and their parents Kate and Jack, as well as Kate's sister Blanche, and her two daughters, Nora and Laurie. His protagonist is Eugene Morris Jerome, a Polish
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
-Jewish teenager who experiences puberty
Puberty

Puberty refers to the process of physical changes by which a child's body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. Puberty is initiated by hormone signals from the brain to the gonads ....
, sexual awakening, and a search for identity as he tries to deal with his family, including his older brother Stanley, whom he idolizes and his cousin Nora whom he develops intimate feelings towards. Kate and Blanche also develop through the play, as Blanche finally decides to support herself following a fight with Kate.

After seven previews
Preview (theatre)

Previews are a set of public performances of a theatre presentation that precede its official opening. The purpose of previews is to allow the theatre director and crew to identify problems and opportunities for improvement that weren't found during rehearsals and to make adjustments before critics are invited to attend....
, the Broadway
Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City....
 production, directed by Gene Saks
Gene Saks

Gene Saks is an United States Tony Award-winning stage director and film director.Born in New York City, Saks studied at Cornell University and trained at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research....
, opened on March 27, 1983 at the Alvin Theatre (renamed after Simon three months later), where it ran for nearly two years before transferring to the 46th Street Theatre to complete its 1299-performance run. The opening night cast included Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick

Matthew Broderick is an United States award-winning film and stage actor who is best known for his roles as the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Nick in Godzilla and David Lightman in WarGames....
, Elizabeth Franz
Elizabeth Franz

Elizabeth Franz is an United States actress of Broadway theatre and television.Franz was born Betty Jean Frankovich in Akron, Ohio to a factory worker father....
, Peter Michael Goetz
Peter Michael Goetz

Peter Michael Goetz is an United States actor.Goetz was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Esther L. and Irving A. Goetz, a construction engineer....
, Željko Ivanek
Željko Ivanek

?eljko Ivanek is an United States-Slovenian actor....
, and Joyce Van Patten
Joyce Van Patten

Joyce Benignia Van Patten is an United States stage, film and television actor....
. Jon Cryer
Jon Cryer

Jonathan Niven "Jon" Cryer is an United States actor, screenwriter and film producer. He is the son of actress/singer Gretchen Cryer. He made his motion picture debut by starring in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair, but gained greater fame by starring as "Duckie" in the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink....
, Fisher Stevens
Fisher Stevens

Fisher Stevens is an United States actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of Chuck Fishman on Early Edition, Eugene "The Plague" Belford in Hackers , and Ben Jabituya/Jahrvi in Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2....
, Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Sean Leonard

Robert Sean Leonard is an American actor known for his role as James Wilson on the TV series House ....
, and Jonathan Silverman
Jonathan Silverman

Jonathan E. Silverman is an United States actor....
 successively played Eugene following Broderick's departure. Replacements in other roles included David Margulies
David Margulies

David Joseph Margulies is an United States actor.Margulies was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Runya , a nurse and museum worker, and Harry David Margulies, a lawyer....
, Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette

Anita Gillette is a Tony Award-nominated United States actress, most notable for her work on Broadway theatre and as a celebrity guest on various game shows....
, Dick Latessa
Dick Latessa

Richard Robert "Dick" Latessa is an United States actor.Latessa made his Broadway theatre debut in The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N in 1968....
, and Elizabeth Perkins
Elizabeth Perkins

Elizabeth Perkins is an Emmy- and Golden Globe award-nominated United States film, television and theater actress....
.

Simon and Saks reteamed for the 1986 film version, which starred Silverman, Margulies, Blythe Danner
Blythe Danner

Blythe Katharine Danner is an United States Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor. She is the mother of actress Gwyneth Paltrow....
, Judith Ivey
Judith Ivey

Judith Lee Ivey is an United States actress and Theatre director....
, Bob Dishy
Bob Dishy

Bob Dishy is an actor known for his deadpan humor. He is currently married to former The Electric Company actress Judy Graubart.In New York, he appeared on Broadway theatre in:...
, and Fyvush Finkel
Fyvush Finkel

Philip ?Fyvush? Finkel is an United States actor best known as a star of Yiddish theater and for his role as lawyer Douglas Wambaugh on the television series Picket Fences, for which he earned an Emmy Award in 1994....
.

A revival of the show is set to premiere in Fall 2009, David Cromer is set to direct.

Awards and nominations

  • Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play
    Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

    This is a list of winners and nomination of the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress. The award was first presented in 1947....
     (Broderick, winner; Ivanek, nominee)
  • Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
    Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

    This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. The award has been presented since 1949....
     (Franz, nominee)
  • Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
    Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play

    The Tony Award for Best Direction has been given since 1947. In 1960, the award was split into two categories: Dramatic and Musical. In 1976 the Dramatic category was renamed to Play....
     (winner)
  • Theatre World Award
    Theatre World Award

    The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an United States honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway theatre or off-Broadway....
     (Broderick, winner)
  • Drama Desk Award
    Drama Desk Award

    The Drama Desk Award, created in 1955, is an award which recognizes theatres produced on Broadway theatre, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and for legitimate not-for-profit theaters....
     for Outstanding New Play (nominee)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play (Broderick, nominee)
  • New York Drama Critics' Circle
    New York Drama Critics' Circle

    The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of eighteen drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area....
     Award for Best Play (winner)


External links