The Royal Family - Broadway's Laughter Club

By Author: Al Terry
Total Articles: 787
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Broadway has its share of avant-garde plays, commercial hits, critical successes, and musicals. Few of those have managed to match the volume of laughter that The Royal Family elicits. Written by the versatile George S. Kaufman and extremely talented Edna Ferber, the play is a parody based on the legendary Barrymore family actors.

John Barrymore was parodied by the character Tony Cavendish. Ethel Barrymore's avatar was the snobbish Julie Cavendish.

Plot

Set in a duplex apartment in New York City, the play centers on the Cavendishes- a clan of theatre actors. Fanny Cavendish is the doughty matriarch of the family. A woman who never gives up, she is obsessed about her family continuing the tradition of theatre actors. Her son, Tony Cavendish, has chosen Hollywood over the stage. He is a heavy drinker and womanizer. Julie Cavendish, Fanny's daughter, is a leading lady of the stage, but might be wooed away from acting by a former lover. Fanny's granddaughter is quitting the stage to be with her man.

The resoluteness of Fanny's will is highlighted in this dialogue to her granddaughter, "Your mother and ...
... I both got married but we didn't drop more important things to do it".

Reception

The Royal Family premiered on Broadway at the Selwyn Theatre, on 28 December 1927. It ran for ten months with 345 performances.
The big screen adaption of the play hit the theatres in 1930, and was called The Royal Family of Broadway. It was directed by George Cukor and Cyril Gardner, and released by Paramount Pictures.

A revival of this parody, in the 1975-76 season of Broadway, was a season highlight. The play went on to win the first ever Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play in 1975. Ellis Rabb, the director of the play, won the Tony Award for best director in 1976. It was the revival that etched this comedy in the minds of the audience.

Trivia

When the play premiered in 1927, Ethel Barrymore was offended by her stage avatar Julie Cavendish, and commented about it in the press. John Barrymore, on the other hand, was amused by the play.

The Royal Family opened one day after the revolutionary Show Boat, Broadway's first musical play, which was also written by Edna Ferber. This play was based on a novel by the same author. An interesting bit of trivia: Edna Ferber acted in a 1940 production of the comedy, staged by Cheryl Crawford.

The West End version of the play in 1934 featured Laurence Olivier, one of the most revered actors of the twentieth century, as Tony Cavendish.

Eight decades and countless productions later, The Royal Family continues to enthrall theatre audiences worldwide. The fortitude of this play is symbolic of its lead character, Fanny Cavendish. Recently, a London production of the play featured British acting heavyweights such as Dame Judi Dench, Julia McKenzie, Toby Stephens, Harriet Walter, and Peter Bowles.

Booking the tickets

If you are curious about theatre, then you could watch this play by purchasing tickets from an authorized online ticket broker. Book tickets from the comfort of your home, and get them delivered at your doorstep. The advantages include discounted ticket rates and the best seats in the house. It will definitely be an evening well spent.
Al writes many articles about Broadway entertainment such as The Royal Family Broadway and resources. His articles include resources for Broadway and New York City including The Royal Family Broadway information.