Born Yesterday, a witty crowd-pleaser in 1946, made a four-star audience favorite out of Judy Holliday, earning her a Tony Award. The current production of Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday proves again that this comedy is a classic, and the new production at the Cort Theater was long overdue.
The role of Billie Dawn is a gem, and Nina Ariana (Venus in Fur) polishes it to a high shine. Billie, blonde, bubbly and blissfully dumb, is smart enough to know when to take and when to give. Maybe she has to count on her fingers and toes to count cards, and she may have to search her memory to recall her real first name
Emma! However, she knows she can get whatever she wants, and if she doesn't get it, well, she doesn't give.
Billie came out of the chorus line and into the possession of successful junk dealer Harry Brock (Jim Belushi), who left school in New Jersey to buy junk and never looked back except to boast of his financial success and order others around.
Neither Brock nor Billie is what you might call, refined. Brock bellows, "Billie!" She yells, "Wha?" He arrives in Washington D.C. with Billie and an entourage in tow, planning to involve himself with some shady political shenanigans that will make him richer. To deal with the Washington brass, however, Brock needs the ditzy Billie to be classier and talk good, so he pays reporter, Paul Verrall (Robert Sean Leonard), to, "Show 'er the ropes, sort of. Explain 'er what goes on and all like that. In your spare time."
Here is where the Pygmalion twist squeezes too tightly for Brock's needs. Under Paul's guidance, Billie realizes she's not so dumb, after all. She reads a mountain of books and eventually discovers what's really doing with Brock's shady dealings. She realizes that Brock is pretty dumb himself, and she falls in love with Paul, leaving her crass, rich sugar daddy alone, a dying cigar in his mouth. Belushi's Brock reveals the nuances of this brash bully who, beneath his selfish braggadocio, really loves Billie and turns to puppy dog mush when she cries. Ariana is a carefree and sexy Betty Boop doll with a face that reflects everything that is going on in her head and happening around her. Her comedic timing is exact, and every move is flawlessly funny and unexpectedly sharp.
As Paul, Leonard is an understated and believable reporter, blandly tactful in his disdain for Brock and subtle in his attraction to Billie. Michael McGrath is quick on his feet as Eddie. Brock's cousin and minion. Frank Woods as Brock's lawyer, Ed Devery, emanates bottled-up frustration with every sip of Scotch.
The dialogue is delicious, funny and real, and director Doug Hughes keeps the back-and-forth as snappy and rapid as a '40's comedy. John Lee Beatty designed an applause-worthy set of a plush, gilded hotel room Donald Trump would appreciate. Catherine Zuber's costumes feel custom-designed for these characters, and Ariana wear her outfits with flair and confidence.
Hopefully theatergoers will not be put off by what seems like a possibly dated production. How dated are greedy millionaires, lobbying and government corruption? Born Yesterday is as up-to-date as the oil companies' latest profits and as entertaining as almost anything you will see on Broadway.
