THE IMAGINARY INVALID With A Starry Cast Hits Broadway — Review

As a New Yorker headline rightly reminded us just this week, Bill Irwin is “The OG Clown.” The legendary performer is also a perfect fit to portray self-pitying hypochondriac Monsieur Argan in Molière's farcical comedy The Imaginary Invalid, now receiving an enjoyable revival under the auspices of Roundabout Theatre Company. But if you’re looking for evidence of Irwin’s masterful physical talent, his ability to mime, contort and twist his body into pretzels, you’ll find sadly little of it in director Brandon J. Dirden’s straightforward staging. 

Upon reading Roundabout’s announcement of an Invalid revival earlier this year, I assumed that a clown-forward interpretation was this production’s impetus. After all, we’ve hardly lacked for Invalids of late. A delightfully befuddled Mark Linn-Baker led an enjoyable revival from Red Bull Theater last summer, around the same time that Molière in the Park took a crack at it. I also fondly recall an all-male version performed at Bard Summerscape back in 2012, led by Peter Dinklage as Argan’s strong-willed maidservant Toinette. In Dinklage’s hands, plucky Toinette was practically bouncing off the walls as she maneuvered to pair off Argan’s daughter, Angelique, with the man she truly loved.

That tempestuous central battle should be the energetic center of any Invalid, but in this new adaptation (written by Irwin himself), the battle between Argan and Toinette feels oddly subdued. That is partly due to Irwin’s scene partner, Crazy Ex Girlfriend’s Rachel Bloom, who chooses to lean into a droll wryness. Bloom does well when playing the role of fatigued commentator on the action—her rueful asides to the audience land strongly. But there should also be a deeper bond with Argan, and that isn’t felt. Bloom ultimately just feels a bit low energy.

So too does Irwin, who is oddly muted (at least by his standards) as Argan. One could argue that the role is to blame. As written, Argan spends much of the play seated, and confused, and one step behind. He reacts a lot. But couldn’t this production have found some device or method to crack the text open and give its central clown an opportunity to let loose? Since Irwin did the adapting himself, I suppose this is how we wanted it. Who knows why.

Dirden’s production actually opens with one daring gesture, a wittily choreographed opening dance inspired by the traditions of commedia dell’arte. As a masked Irwin conjures a set from all sides, seemingly willing the play to begin, he is beset upon by other bodies. Irwin’s fellow performers finally pull red streamers out from inside the man, like his intestines are being ripped from his body. It’s a delightful image. But this sequence is a one-off, and everything that follows is fairly expected.

Thankfully, the remaining members of this superb theatrical ensemble are ready to step in and provide the clownery. Outside of Irwin and Bloom, everyone else on stage is operating at a far higher intensity of buffoonery, and all are a delight. The ever-reliable Brooks Ashmanskas provides foppery to spare, while Crystal A. Dickinson is hilariously ridiculous as Argan’s calculating wife Beline. And Hiram Delgado has tremendous fun as Angelique’s repulsive suitor Thomas.

And somehow Daniel Croix Henderson and Ava Lalezarzadeh, as young lovers Cleante and Angelique, manage to nearly walk away with the production. The roles are typically the play’s dullest, but this sprightly pair are so enjoyable lively, so full of pep and step, they shine brighter than anyone else on stage. A compliment to Irwin, I suppose, that he is happily letting someone else steal the show.

The Imaginary Invalid is now in performance at the Todd Haimes Theatre in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit here.