Were Critics Kind to On Golden Pond in D.C.?

The production of On Golden Pond at the Kennedy Center, starring James Earl Jones and Leslie Uggams who stepped into the show a week before performances began as a replacement for Diahann Carroll, already has producer Jeffrey Finn attached to guide it to the New York stage. Did critics think the production sinks or swims?

Here is a sampling of what they had to say:

Paul Harris of Variety: "With his famous voice often at full pitch, Jones offers an especially commanding presence as the gruff and forgetful codger who lumbers around the lakeside cottage seeking opportunities to complain. But his impish and caring sides are meticulously and delightfully revealed by the arrival of a young fishing companion. Uggams is a more-than-capable match as the family's stern but loving matriarch. She makes it seem as if we are eavesdropping on a 40-year-plus relationship, while watching this remarkably together woman cope so stoically with her husband's decline. Leonard Foglia's sensitive direction allows the play's many key moments to sparkle and the action to flow smoothly around Ray Klausen's rustic cabin set."

Peter Marks of The Washington Post: "Truth to tell, the play's a trifle; nothing of much import occurs during the two hours and 20 minutes it consumes each evening in the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater. The story is so wan it all but crumbles like a dietetic wafer… But here's the thing that should wake you up: It's a nifty star vehicle for Jones, who gets to spend the better part of the night exercising whatever mean bone he has in his body. He is a treat as the irascible Norman Thayer Jr., an English professor emeritus whose view of the world is that he's right and it's wrong… Uggams rode to a last-minute rescue, offering a winningly sunny turn as the indefatigable spouse. Hers is a gracious performance; she's an unfussy straight woman for Jones, who is unleashed on the play like a fading holy terror."

Howard Kissel of The New York Daily News: "Hearing Norman's wisecracks uttered by one of the most sonorous, recognizable voices of our times gives them a force beyond their often predictable humor. Stars are so much a part of our lives they seem like family. That also gives Jones's Norman weight. Perhaps that's why the issue of race--the characters were written as old line WASPS--is never an issue. You would never know Uggams had taken over the role at short notice--she seems utterly assured. Linda Powell might be a little edgier as Chelsea. Peter Francis James and Alexander Mitchell are both graceful as her beau and his son. Craig Bockhorn plays an old boyfriend of Chelsea's ably. The play has been beautifully directed by Leonard Foglia. I would not be surprised if it were to move Northward."

J. Wynn Rousuck of The Baltimore Sun: "The African-American casting works because these are three fine actors who credibly convey their characters' deep and intricate familial relationship. But in and of itself, casting African-Americans as the family of Professor Norman Thayer adds no new insights to Thompson's script or characters. The casting may help diversify theater audiences, and that is indisputably a good thing. It may even be enough to propel this sentimental chestnut to New York, where Jones' star billing alone is almost a guaranteed draw. And Jones does a highly commendable job as curmudgeonly, fatalistic Henry. Henry's wife calls him a 'tough old buzzard,' and that's the way Jones plays him. His Henry is an opinionated, octogenarian bully who lords it over everyone and relishes spewing bigotry… Ray Klausen's set design features a picture-postcard backdrop, atmospherically lighted by designer Brian Nason. The combination makes the Thayers' rustic vacation property look like the cover of a slick travel brochure. In a way, this trip to Golden Pond is like a mini-vacation. It's a pleasant enough trip, but one that is ultimately more diverting than enlightening."