The Royal Family follows the Cavendishes, a famous family of stage stars, as they go about the drama of the day: choosing scripts, dashing off to a performance and stealing kisses with handsome beaus. But what’s this business about the younger Miss Cavendish wanting to quit the stage for domestic bliss? Never, darling!
Meet the Cavendishes, the ultimate theatrical family in 1920s Manhattan. Matriarch Fanny is an ailing grande dame who longs to return to the stage. Her middle-aged daughter, Julie, reigns as the biggest star on Broadway. Granddaughter Gwen is being groomed to enter the family business, though her stockbroker boyfriend can’t understand why she would want to. Also in the mix are Fanny’s ne’er-do-well son, Tony, a movie star on the run from a scorned woman and various legal scrapes; Fanny’s not-so-successful actor brother Herbert and his (mediocre) actress wife, Kitty; and others who come and go at the family’s posh East Side duplex.
""The Royal Family is suffused with the radiance of pure, inexhaustible love of an ancient craft. The passion at the play's heart is forever. You may find yourself moved to tears. Rosemary Harris and Jan Maxwell are giving the kind of performance that turn agnostics into true believers. It's something close to a miracle.""
The New York Times
Ben Brantley
""Effervescent! This comedy is graced with a terrific collection of actors. Jan Maxwell hilariously raises neurotic indecision to a fine art. Reg Rogers is wonderful. Ana Gasteyer is supremely comic. Director Doug Hughes never lets any of the actors descend into cartoons, which makes the play's ending all the more poignant.""
Associated Press
Michael Kuchwara
""The Royal Family is royal inside-theater delight. There are many pleasures in Doug Hughes' sumptuous joy of a revival. The legendary Rosemary Harris gives a thrilling and ravishing performance. Hughes clearly knows that comedy is serious business.""
Newsday
Linda Winer
""A fine showcase for two marvelous actresses, Jan Maxwell and Rosemary Harris. They are a joy to behold. Maxwell's elegant, high-cheekboned beauty and comic dexterity suit the part perfectly. it's imposible to imagine an actress who would be more likable or funnier. Harris similarly makes us laugh and breaks our heart. She is masterful. Under Doug Hughes' sprightly direction, the ensemble performs gamely.""
USA Today
Elysa Gardner
""The Royal Family is a love letter to the stage and an amusing look at the lunacies of the theater. Jan Maxwell squeezes her juicy role for all it's worth. She is a riot, while Tony Roberts is terrific.""
New York Daily News
Joe Dziemianowicz