Broadway - How Excited Are You? : “The Imaginary Invalid”

by Chris Peterson

I have a confession to make before we get into this one: I am not a Molière person.

I understand his importance. But if you give me a list of classic playwrights I’m hoping Broadway decides to revive, Molière is probably somewhere near the bottom.

And yet, I am suddenly interested in The Imaginary Invalid.

Because have you seen this cast?

Roundabout Theatre Company is bringing Molière’s comedy back to Broadway this fall in a new adaptation by Bill Irwin, who will also star as Argan. The production begins performances September 25 at the Todd Haimes Theatre, officially opens October 22, and is currently scheduled to run through November 22.

For those who successfully erased Molière from their memories after theatre history class, The Imaginary Invalid centers on Argan, a wealthy hypochondriac who is so obsessed with doctors, illnesses, and medical bills that he decides the most economical solution is to marry his daughter to a doctor.

His daughter, understandably, has other plans.

It's exactly the kind of broad, ridiculous premise that could either feel painfully dated or be incredibly funny depending on who's doing it. This group makes me think we're getting the latter.

Irwin alone makes the production interesting. He has built an extraordinary career around finding humor in characters who exist just slightly outside the rhythm of everyone else around them. And this isn't simply Irwin starring in someone else's adaptation. He's adapting Molière himself.

Then there's Rachel Bloom as Toinette. Bloom, best known for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, will actually be making her Broadway debut here.

And the casting gets better.

Brooks Ashmanskas is playing Dr. Diafoirus and Purgon. Dylan Baker is Beralde. Crystal A. Dickinson is Beline. Daniel Croix Henderson, Ava Lalezarzadeh, and Hiram Delgado round out the strong ensemble.

That's a lot of people I trust with something I normally wouldn't be racing to see.

And maybe that's part of what has me excited about this Broadway season in general.

Am I suddenly going to become president of the Molière fan club? Probably not.

But Bill Irwin, Rachel Bloom, Brooks Ashmanskas, and Dylan Baker doing The Imaginary Invalid? Yeah. You've got me.