Danny DeVito stars in the new Broadway production “I Need That” alongside his daughter Lucy DeVito.
It is being performed at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s American Airlines Theatre on Broadway in New York; this limited engagement runs through December 30, 2023.
Joining Danny and Lucy is Ray Anthony Thomas. The play was directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel from a screenplay by Theresa Rebeck. It is a deeply human comedy about life’s ups and downs.
In this show, Danny DeVito plays Sam, a hapless widower that doesn’t get out much. Actually, he doesn’t get out at all, opting instead for the safety of his house in the company of his things—his many, many things.
When a notice from the government arrives alerting Sam that he must clean up his property or face eviction, Sam is forced to reckon with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever distinguish between the two.
Danny DeVito is hilarious with his insults as Sam, a complex character who has lost contact with the outside world ever since his wife Ginny passed away three years prior.
Lucy DeVito is fabulous as his single daughter Amelia (who is reminiscent of Sara Gilbert in “Rosanne” and “The Conners”), while Ray Anthony Thomas is a revelation in the role of Foster, Sam’s longtime friend of three decades, and they both are trying to convince Sam to clean up his mess, in an effort to get his life back together.
“You can’t just throw out everything,” Sam snaps back at them in a bold and abrupt fashion.
While the screenplay by Theresa Rebeck may be mediocre at best (with loopholes and inconsistencies in the plot), the actors excel and make the most out of it given the material that they have.
Danny DeVito captures the conscience of Sam in an acting performance that is cerebral, and it runs the gamut. He is both hysterical and poignant, in a controlled manner.
The Verdict
Overall, “I Need That” is a raw, authentic, and sentimental new show on Broadway. Danny DeVito is transformative and Tony-worthy as Sam, especially since he will make a lasting impression on the audience way after the show is over.
Danny DeVito gives it his all, and the same holds true for Ray Anthony Thomas and Lucy DeVito, who are able to sustain the crowd’s attention for the entire 100 minute duration. “I Need That” is worth checking out, and it garners four out of five stars.
