It was an unusually cold one–about 9 degrees Fahrenheit–but I managed to tear myself away from warm micro-fleece blanket on the home couch to see the Tony Award-nominated play by Peter Morgan (The Last King of Scotland, The Queen) on opening night. I have to admit, it was worth braving the cold temps.

Frost/Nixon revolves around interviews talk show host David Frost did with Richard Nixon after the President resigned following Watergate. Essentially, Frost thought the interview would bring him back into the media spotlight. Nixon’s people thought the interview would end up no more than a puff piece and cast a better view on the disgraced politician’s career.  Both men underestimated one another. The result is a revealing verbal boxing match of sorts.  

I had just seen the Ron Howard film, Frost/Nixon, so I was all about comparing the two productions. It was amazing to me that the story and the words were almost exactly the same on stage and on film. The costuming was nearly identical. And yet, both versions took on their own character.

The stage play has a very sparse set. I liked the way they created the impression of the room at the Beverly Hilton and the televised version of the fateful interviews. Footage from the 70s played between scene changes.
It’s tough to match Frank Langella’s performance in the movie. Not only could you see Nixon in him, but you could see all of Nixon’s internal debate in his pauses, his eyes and his movements. I thought Stacy Keach had the posture and mannerisms of Nixon, but I didn’t think he sounded or looked much like him . . . which, it turns out, wasn’t all that important from where I was sitting actually. (Trying to remember what Stacy Keach has been in? It’s a name a 30-something like me knows, but can’t quite place. Think the Titus, Mike Hammer or Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke.)

Frost/Nixon plays through January 25th, if you want to check it out for yourself. –AK