‘Frankie And Johnny In The Clair De Lune’ Broadway Review: Audra McDonald, Michael Shannon And New Hope

The two-act, post-coital fencing match, with its scattered triumphs and set-backs, remains as poignant as ever, moving, sad, funny and, at a moment or two, the very definition of romantic, not least when Debussy arrives on the radio and give the play its title.

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” of course, plays only in our heads, or mine anyway. And with lesser talent than Arbus, McDonald and Shannon, Frankie and Johnny could become drowned out by that song that’s not even mentioned. It’s not a stretch to imagine McNally’s play relegated to some heap of outdated artifacts, a depiction of romance from well before anyone had ever heard of Aziz Ansari.