The Motherf**ker With The Hat

Is playing at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre at 236 West 45th Street. It opened on April 11, 2011 and will run until July 17, 2011. The Play has been extended three more weeks than orginally intended.

The title scared people away. Critics would not even print the tite. There was talk that the box office was so slow that the show would not make it to the end of the week let alone make to opening night. Chris Rock has reputation as a comic that uses the F word alot in his comedy act. This might have scared the people away But boy were they fooled. Chris is the one who uses the F word the least.

The play is about Jackie (Bobby Canavale) and his love Veronica (Elizabeth Rodriquez). Jackie has been in jail and is trying to straighten out his life. He finds a hat in the apartment he shares with Veronica. She claims it's his or his friends hat he says it's not. They argue, Veronica curses up a storm. Jackie leaves in a huff. He is a recovering alcoholic and goes to his sponsers apartment Ralph (Chris Rock) for help. Ralph wife Victoria (Annabella Sciorra) is hostile toward her husband while Jackie is there.

The only other person Jackie can turn to is his cousin Julio (Yul Vazquez). Sometimes you wonder if Ralph or Julio are really helping Jackie or hindering him.

Lies, decit, phony friendships and marriage on the rocks come to light.

This play is worth seeing, yes there is alot of the F word being used, sometimes too much. But given the characters it's accepted. We are not talking Harvard graduates here but every day people.

Bobby Cannavale is powerful in the role of the guy who has been wronged and doesn't know what to do.

Elizabeth Rodriguez is excellent in the part of the defensive girl friend.

The best is the scenic design. As much as I regretted being in the last row in the balcony I got to enjoy the mechanics of the set changing. Wow see what you miss being in the orchestra seats. The set goes under the stage and rotates around. There is three different sets. Todd Rosenthal did the set design. He won a Tony for August Oscage County.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor