A rare Tennessee Williams play with a joyful ending, The Rose Tattoo has made a return to Broadway in a stirring and passionate production that will leave you with only one question. Why are there so many plastic flamingos? And while that's a question that no one will be able to answer anytime soon, one thing is clear. This revival allows for Marisa Tomei to shine, leaving you wanting for little else.
As a widowed dressmaker slowly finding her way towards allowing love to come into her life again, Tomei gives a masterclass of a performance. Her ability to show such a range of emotions from fear to love to anger over the course of two and a half hours is absolutely stunning. And when she finally is able to allow herself to love again, the happy ending is all you could have asked for.
With minimal set design that attempts to invoke the area around New Orleans, while giving more of a Florida feel (see the pink flamingos mentioned above), and costumes that are tastefully designed to evoke the outfits of the post World War II era.
Though the production does falter in some aspects, it is truly a chance to see Tomei give a beautifully crafted performance. And, for fans of Tennessee Williams, it is a rare chance to see one of his plays that is not often revived.