Q: Why would the wildly popular, highest-paid actor on TV take the time to appear on Broadway in what is essentially an hour-and- a half monologue which has every chance of offending a wide percentage of the population? A: Because when he’s Jim Parsons, he can.
Parsons has an effortless delivery of even the most outrageous material. He’s likable and funny spouting lines that would make the audience think twice if said by a lesser comic genius.
God decides to take on the persona of Jim Parsons, “lovable TV personality,” and assures us that the actor has no idea what’s going on. He then proceeds to recount the days of creation and to set us straight about the real Ten Commandments. He wants to give them “directly to the Jews,” and confides that this is the reason he’s on Broadway.
In An Act of God, the title is aided in his task by two angels, the tried-and-true Gabriel (Tim Kazurinsky) and the upstart Michael (Christopher Fitzgerald). Michael takes questions from the audience and hounds God by demanding to know, among other things, whether or not the Almighty answers prayers, and why the Holocaust was allowed to happen. God counters by shrugging everything off with “I work in mysterious ways.” When Michael persists, the thunder is brought in no uncertain terms. There is a deeply cathartic moment when He admits He knows there’s something seriously wrong with Him. However, discussion of Jesus and the crucifixion goes on too long and becomes so uncomfortable, the audience is taken out of the moment.
Subjects range through masturbation, “Who Shot J.R.,” circumcision (it was either that or give all eighteen year old women breast implants to show that they’re Jewish), and quite a long riff on the original “Adam and Steve” (everything was okay until the snake let them know they were sinful). Parsons stops the action for latecomers, then assures them they’re lucky he’s not Patti LuPone. His quip about Caitlin Jenner takes a satisfying turn and begs the question as to whether the show will be updated periodically to keep current. (The audience roared at God’s threat to Kanye, promising that if the rapper keeps bragging at awards shows about his God-given gifts, they will become God-taken.)
David Zinn has nailed the costume design, putting Parsons in a lightly glitzed robe, red sneakers, and the collar of a plaid shirt. Scenic designer Scott Pask has created a stairway to the pearly gates that’s both opulent and a little silly. The light changes, especially the bright pink shades, by Hugh Vanstone, greatly enhance the ever-shifting tone of the evening. And all praise to director Joe Mantello, who is every bit a match for his star when it comes to seamlessly making the evening flow.
If you haven’t seen Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper on his hit series “The Big Bang Theory,” put this show on your list of satisfying binge watching. Is he worth the $1,000,000 an episode, plus over one percent of the show’s earnings? Hell yes, and then some.
People you should not bring to see An Act of God: your cousin, Sister Mary Pat; your Uncle Dave, who vowed never to speak to you again after you bought a German car; your neighbor, Dr. Darrow, who teaches evolution at the university. And any other faint hearts who are easily offended by even the idea that God is not infallible. But for anyone else who loves to see a great comic actor working on all cylinders in a spectacular work of theater, this play is absolute heaven.
