"The 39 Steps" On Broadway

Being isolated in the smog-bubble of L.A. is advantageous in terms of keeping up with film and television news (and for the opportunity to see lots of classics on the big screen), but may also be why I'm a little behind on my theater. As sophisticated New Yorkers and Londoners will no doubt already be aware (but I only just became), John Buchan's seminal spy novel The 39 Steps has been adapted into a play and is now on Broadway. Only it's not Buchan who gets the possessive; it's Alfred Hitchcock. The Hollywood Reporter explains that thusly: "The Hitch reference comes from the fact that though 'Steps' initially was a 1915 novel by John Buchan, this particular adaptation is an almost scene-for-scene spoof/interpretation of Hitchcock's 1935 movie version that starred Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll." Robert Osborne, The Reporter's reviewer, goes on to rave about the production, which apparently uses a cast of only four actors and minimal sets to great effect. I hope this is still running next time I manage to get to New York; I'm anxious to check it out! In the meantime, I and any other interested parties can satisfy our curiosity with a number of clips from the production available on the theater's website. (They also have the entire movie available for free online viewing.)