By Fern Siegel  (Posted 10/13/24)

It’s 1955 in Blackpool, England. The locale: a rundown seaside hotel owned by Veronica (Laura Donnelly), who lives for one dream — molding her four daughters into a singing act akin to The Andrew Sisters. The indominable Veronica wants the Webb girls up and out. Think Mama Rose and Gypsy. She’s set on them appearing at the London Palladium — at any cost.

Dreams can be powerful. They can propel you forward. But living someone else’s dreams can wreak havoc on a family — as Jez Butterworth’s newest drama, and fourth time on Broadway, attests. He’s crafted an achingly moving story of desperation and desire. That’s the backdrop to The Hills of California, a slow-burning family drama at the Broadhurst Theater that features an extraordinary ensemble cast and a bravura performance by Donnelly.

Deftly directed by Sam Mendes, the British play moves back and forth in time. It opens in 1976. Three of the daughters, dutiful Jill (Helena Wilson), sassy Ruby (Ophelia Lovibond) and angry Gloria (Leanne Best) are awaiting the arrival of a fourth sister, Joan, who lives in the U.S. Upstairs, their mother is dying. That’s a reality everyone can grasp.

What’s more tenuous is the reality of their upbringing.

The hotel is called Seaview, yet there is no view of the sea. The girls are trained to mimic the Andrew Sisters in style and dress — except it’s the era of Elvis Presley and rock ‘n’ roll. Even the rooms in the hotel are named after American states. Seaview and the Webbs are a study in failed aspirations. They resemble the family piano: It still plays, but it’s beyond repair.

The play’s title is taken from a Johnny Mercer lyric — “The hills of California are waiting for you.” But what awaits the girls as the drama builds to an intense climax is a tragic reckoning. And as each actress mines her own terrain — Lovibond, Best and Wilson play their distinct parts to perfection — they reveal how childhood disappointment and economic scarcity can scar one for life.

The set designs by Rob Howell hit the right note, aided by Natasha Chivers’ mood lighting and Ellen Kane’s choreography.

The Hills of California is a remarkable production that will stay with audiences long after they leave the theater.

Separately, a smaller play, The Counter, is now off-Broadway at the Laura Pels. Coffee-shop waitress Katie (Suzannah Flood) and Paul, her customer (Anthony Edwards), greet each other daily. He’s scruffy and downbeat. She’s moved to the small upstate New York town to escape the city and an ill-advised romantic jumble.

The catch is what lies beneath the surface.

The duo spend their moments in casual talk — until he asks her to do the unthinkable. “What if we decide to become friends. Real friends. Like we tell each other secrets,” he suggests.

And, though that kick-starts an emotional response, it doesn’t evolve into real drama. The Counter is a meditation on the lives of ordinary people and the pain that can define existence.

The tension between the two comes in waves, smoothly charted by director David Cromer, who produced exemplary productions of Our Town and Adding Machine.

Playwright Meghan Kennedy explores running away, starting over and the fear of taking chances. Grief and death are dominant motifs.

The play’s center is Flood, whose smallest move speaks volumes. She is adept at conveying meaning through motion. Edwards encapsulates the sadness of life and the resignation that accompanies inevitable truths.

That realization, which is tested by a third person (Amy Warren), is touching. Still, The Counter remains a slight show. There’s not much dramatic weight here, despite solid, credible performances. It’s a modest, but affecting work.