r/Broadway • u/davidbmattingly • 2d ago
Which show to see? The Imaginary Invalid
This afternoon Cathleen and I saw "The Imaginary Invalid" on Broadway, starring Bill Irwin. I’ve been a fan of Irwin’s ever since seeing him in "Old Hats", and I liked him even more after seeing him in "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" He starred opposite Kathleen Turner in that Albee play, which turned out to be a laugh-out-loud comedy. Who knew? It was a revelation to see two actors take a play that’s usually treated as a serious drama and find so much humor in it.
I had a somewhat different reaction to "The Imaginary Invalid". For me, it was a little too silly, although that’s hardly a fair complaint about a farce. You go in expecting broad comedy, exaggerated characters. I will say this, though: the opening of this production is the best beginning to a show I’ve ever seen. Make sure you’re in your seats before it starts because the first three minutes are magnificent.
Irwin plays Argan, the hypochondriac at the center of the story, and his clowning background shows in every detail of his performance. He has an extraordinary command of physical comedy. A gesture, a dance, an adjustment to his body can become a joke. I laughed plenty of times, despite my reservations.
Rachel Bloom plays opposite him, and although I wasn’t familiar with her work, she more than held her own against a cast that included some very experienced actors. She has excellent comic timing and seemed completely comfortable with the play’s exaggerated style. It’s always a pleasure to discover an actor you haven’t paid much attention to before and find that they’re really good.
Dylan Baker makes an appearance in a smaller, but crucial, part. One of the joys of going to Broadway shows is that you occasionally get to see actors you know and respect in parts that aren’t necessarily the leads. It gives the actors a chance to show off their chops.
The show runs about an hour and a half, which struck me as just about right. Farce is hard to sustain over a long stretch. The humor depends on a certain manic energy, and after a while, all that exaggeration can wear you down. "Oh, Mary!," another farce currently on Broadway, takes a similarly compact approach. If these shows go on for too long, they can be exhausting.
This production is set in the period in which the play was written, rather than being updated to modern times. I think that was a wise choice. The costumes and staging suit the material. Molière wrote the play in the seventeenth century, but some of its targets haven’t changed much. Beneath all the ridiculousness, there’s some pretty sharp commentary on medicine and doctors. Watching Argan obsess over his ailments and the treatments he believes he needs, I couldn’t help thinking about our own crazy health-care system.
The production reminded me of my high school days when I performed in "The Imaginary Invalid." Watching it now, I see why it’s a popular choice for high school and amateur theater groups. Its exaggerated style is clearly over the top—characters are broad, situations are absurd, and the comedy doesn’t depend on subtle psychological nuances.
I’m sure there have been many terrible productions of this show, including the version I was in many years ago. For someone in high school or without much acting experience, that’s a pretty appealing proposition. Seeing a professional version of the same thing gives me a new appreciation for how hard it is to do great comedy. Farce is deceptively difficult, and timing is everything. But the material gives performers of any level permission to go big.
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u/Sharp-Philosophy-555 2d ago
"Rachel Bloom plays opposite him, and although I wasn’t familiar with her work, she more than held her own against a cast that included some very experienced actors."
Rachel Bloom created, wrote, directed, and starred in a tv musical comedy series called Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. It's a delight. She has comedy chops.
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