Tony Winning Revival of Arthur Miller’s ‘A View From the Bridge’ Comes to the Ahmanson

Nicole Surratt

The revival originally premiered in April 2014 at the Young Vic in London, and sold out its initial run. It is directed by Ivo van Hove, who has a long history of presenting classic plays in new lights, staging works of playwrights such as Ibsen, Miller, and Williams in a way that some call avant garde. In Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge,” Eddie Carbone harbors an inappropriate attachment to his niece Catherine. She falls in love with an immigrant that they’re housing, and Eddie becomes dangerously jealous. A lawyer, Alfieri, serves as a Greek chorus in a story that has the structure of a classical tragedy. It is a unique production with no intermission on a very minimal, relatively bare stage. Even the actors have bare feet. The choice of staging, with scenic and lighting design by van Hove’s theatrical partner Jan Versweyveld, juxtaposes the naturalism and period setting of Miller’s text.

The production transferred to the West End in February ’15 for another sold out run, winning three Olivier awards. Van Hove said in an article with the L.A. Times, “It showed that it was possible to make adventurous work in commercial circumstance.” The revival then made it to Broadway in October 2015 for a limited run at which time New York Times described that, “At the end of its uninterrupted two hours, you are wrung out, scooped out and so exhausted that you’re wide awake. You also feel ridiculously blessed to have been a witness to the terrible events you just saw.” The production went on to win Best Revival of a Play and Best Direction Tony Awards for 2016.

The cast of Center Theatre Group’s Young Vic Production includes Danny Binstock, Catherine Combs, Alex Esola, Andrus Nichols, Howard W. Overshown, Dave Register, Thomas Jay Ryan and Frederick Weller. There are tickets for on-stage seating available for a more intimate experience.

Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge” begins previews Sept. 7, opening Sept. 14 and running through Oct. 16 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets can be found here.