Matthew Broderick Forgets Lines, Play Premiere Delayed

Matthew Broderick‘s Broadway career has been less than stellar following the massive success of The Producers. His reteaming with Nathan Lane in The Odd Couple failed to find the same spark, and his performance in The Philanthropist earlier this year suffered harsh criticism (and not just for those sideburns). Following a distastrous preview last Monday, his new play The Starry Messenger might be dead on arrival. Attendees report that Broderick frequently forgot his lines—asking for assistance ten times in the first act alone.

“He kept apologizing under his breath after he forgot a line,” said NY Daily News source, “and everyone in the audience started to feel awkward.” In an apparent response, the play’s producers have set its official premiere for Nov. 23rd, a week later than original planned. Even if he gets his act together, will Broderick’s bad buzz prove impossible to overcome?

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