Biloxi Blues

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For the article about the film based on this play, see Biloxi Blues (film).

Biloxi Blues
Written by	Neil Simon
Characters	Arnold Epstein Eugene Morris Jerome Rowena Daisy Hannigan Joseph Wykowski Don Carney Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey James Hennesey Roy Selridge
Date premiered	December 8, 1984
Place premiered	Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles
Original language	English
Series	Eugene Trilogy: Brighton Beach Memoirs Biloxi Blues Broadway Bound
Subject	A Jewish boy from Brooklyn undergoes basic Army training in the Deep South
Genre	Comedy
Setting	Biloxi, Mississippi, 1943
IBDB profile

Biloxi Blues is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon. It portrays the conflict of Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey and Arnold Epstein, one of many privates enlisted in the military stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, seen through the eyes of Eugene Jerome, one of the other soldiers. This play is the second chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy, following Brighton Beach Memoirs and preceding Broadway Bound, and is the only one in which Eugene is not the central character. The play won the Tony Award for Best Play, and Barry Miller won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Arnold Epstein.

Plot overview

The story begins 20-year-old Eugene Morris Jerome from Brooklyn, who is drafted into the United States Army during World War II and is sent to Biloxi, Mississippi, for basic training. There he meets a diverse assortment of soldiers, including the gentle intelligent Arnold Epstein, who is the play's central figure. The piece portrays Epstein's struggle for power with middle-aged, hard-drinking platoon leader Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey. In the play's most memorable scene, Epstein manages to force Toomey to perform two-hundred pushups in front of the platoon.

Production

Biloxi Blues had its world premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, California, running from December 8, 1984 to February 2, 1985.^[1]

Biloxi Blues opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre on March 28, 1985 and closed on June 28, 1986 after 524 performances and 12 previews. Directed by Gene Saks, the cast starred Barry Miller as Arnold and Matthew Broderick as Eugene. Scenic Design was by David Mitchell, costume design by Ann Roth, and lighting design by Tharon Musser. Emanuel Azenberg served as producer in association with Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.^[2]^[3]

Opening cast

Sources:Internet Broadway Database;^[2] The New York Times^[3]

William Sadler - Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey
Barry Miller - Arnold Epstein
Penelope Ann Miller - Daisy Hannigan
Randall Edwards - Rowena
Matthew Broderick - Eugene
Matt Mulhern - Joseph Wyzykowski
Alan Ruck - Don Carney
Geoffrey Sharp - James Hennesey
Brian Tarantina - Roy Selridge

Notable replacements

Matthew Broderick was succeeded by Bruce Norris, Zach Galligan, William Ragsdale, and Jonathan Silverman. Jamey Sheridan replaced William Sadler as Sgt. Toomey.

Response

Frank Rich wrote: "Besides being extremely funny, Biloxi Blues is Mr. Simon's first serious attempt to examine his conscience as an artist and a Jew."^[4]

Awards and nominations

Source: Tony Awards at BroadwayWorld^[5]

Tony Award for Best Play (winner)
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play (Barry Miller, winner)
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play (winner)
Theatre World Award (Barry Miller, winner)
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play (nominee)
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Barry Miller, winner; Bill Sadler, nominee)
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (nominee)

Film adaptation

A 1988 film adaptation was directed by Mike Nichols. The cast starred Broderick as Eugene, with Christopher Walken (Sgt. Toomey), Matt Mulhern (Wykowski), Corey Parker (Epstein), Markus Flanagan (Selridge), Casey Siemaszko (Carney) and Penelope Ann Miller (Daisy).^[6]

References

↑ "Ahmanson Production History" centertheatregroup.org (webcache), accessed April 12, 2012
↑ 2.0 2.1 "'Biloxi Blues'" Internet Broadway Database, accessed April 12, 2012
↑ 3.0 3.1 Rich, Frank. "Stage: 'Biloxi Blues,' Simon's New Comedy" The New York Times, March 29, 1985
↑ Rich, Frank. "Stage View; Once Again, Theater Was A Place For Wonder" The New York Times, December 29, 1985
↑ "Tony Awards, 1985" broadwayworld.com, accessed April 12, 2012
↑ Ebert, Roger. Biloxi Blues suntimes.com, March 25, 1988

External links

Biloxi Blues at the Internet Broadway Database

v t e Tony Award for Best Play (1976–2000)

Travesties (1976) The Shadow Box (1977) Da (1978) The Elephant Man (1979) Children of a Lesser God (1980) Amadeus (1981) The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982) Torch Song Trilogy (1983) The Real Thing (1984) Biloxi Blues (1985) I'm Not Rappaport (1986) Fences (1987) M. Butterfly (1988) The Heidi Chronicles (1989) The Grapes of Wrath (1990) Lost in Yonkers (1991) Dancing at Lughnasa (1992) Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (1993) Angels in America: Perestroika (1994) Love! Valour! Compassion! (1995) Master Class (1996) The Last Night of Ballyhoo (1997) 'Art' (1998) Side Man (1999) Copenhagen (2000)

Complete list (1948–1975) (1976–2000) (2001–2025)

v t e Neil Simon

Plays	Come Blow Your Horn (1961) Barefoot in the Park (1963) The Odd Couple (1965) The Star-Spangled Girl (1966) Plaza Suite (1968) Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969) The Gingerbread Lady (1970) The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1971) The Sunshine Boys (1972) The Good Doctor (1973) God's Favorite (1974) California Suite (1976) Chapter Two (1977) I Ought to Be in Pictures (1980) Fools (1981) The Female Odd Couple (1981) Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983) Biloxi Blues (1985) Broadway Bound (1986) Rumors (1988) Lost in Yonkers (1991) Jake's Women (1992) Laughter on the 23rd Floor (1993) London Suite (1995) Proposals (1997) The Dinner Party (2000) 45 Seconds from Broadway (2001) Rose's Dilemma (2003) Oscar and Felix: A New Look at the Odd Couple (2004)

Musicals	Little Me (1962) Sweet Charity (1966) Promises, Promises (1968) They're Playing Our Song (1979) The Goodbye Girl (1993)

Films	After the Fox (1966) Barefoot in the Park (1967) The Odd Couple (1968) The Out-of-Towners (1970) Plaza Suite (1971) Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1972) The Heartbreak Kid (1972) The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) The Sunshine Boys (1975) Murder by Death (1976) The Goodbye Girl (1977) The Cheap Detective (1978) California Suite (1978) Chapter Two (1979) Seems Like Old Times (1980) Only When I Laugh (1981) I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982) Max Dugan Returns (1983) The Lonely Guy (1984) The Slugger's Wife (1985) Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986) Biloxi Blues (1988) The Marrying Man (1991) Lost in Yonkers (1993) The Odd Couple II (1998)

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