Inside the Grand Opening Night of ‘Other Desert Cities’ on Broadway
The revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities opened to a glittering audience at the Hudson Theatre on Wednesday, a night that combined theatrical prestige with a star‑studded after‑party. Directed by John Benjamin Hickey, the production features Julia Louis‑Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Lily Rabe and Joe Keery as the chaotic Wyeth family of Palm Springs. Before the curtain rose, the theatre’s gilded lobby was filled with friends and family of the cast and creative team, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Bradley Whitford, Ina Garten, J.J. Abrams, Michael Kors, Lance LePere and photographer Annie Leibovitz, all gathered to see the 2011 Pulitzer‑finalist play revived for a new audience.
Louis‑Dreyfus, making her Broadway debut, spoke about the story’s twists before the show. “What you think is true…is not quite what you thought at all. And I think that’s fascinating. It’s true of life,” she said, referring to the play’s winding plot and its shocking conclusion. She portrays Polly Wyeth, a vodka‑loving, Goyard‑carrying Republican matriarch who is more reminiscent of a Bush era figure than a contemporary firebrand. Polly is married to Lyman, played by Harris, an ex‑action star turned right‑wing political operative. Their adult children, Brooke (Rabe) and Trip (Keery), return to the family’s starkly beige Palm Springs home for Christmas 2004. The reunion also includes Silda, Polly’s newly sober sister, delivered with sharp edge by Janney. Brooke arrives with a bombshell memoir that promises to expose the family’s hidden secrets, setting the stage for a tense holiday gathering.
Rabe, dressed in a crimson Wiederhoeft gown, described the play’s family betrayals as a situation where “everyone is right and everyone is wrong.” Fresh from her performance in A Winter’s Tale at the Delacorte, she noted that the Shakespeare production “really did break everything open,” providing a clean slate for the new role. When asked about personal reading favorites, the cast offered a range of memoirs: Louis‑Dreyfus cited Isabel Allende’s Paula, Janney mentioned Lena Dunham’s Famesick, Keery is eyeing Cameron Crowe’s The Uncool, and Rabe named Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking.
The audience’s excitement was palpable as they filled the house. When the curtain lifted on the Wyeths’ desert residence, applause delayed Louis‑Dreyfus’s opening line by several beats. The two‑hour performance lived up to the buzz, with Louis‑Dreyfus delivering Polly’s cutting barbs in a gray‑streaked lob that balanced humor and hurt. The ensemble’s chemistry made the political backdrop of 2004 feel relevant, even as contemporary issues have shifted.
After the final bow, the cast and guests moved a few blocks east to Cipriani 42nd Street for an after‑party that rivaled any Broadway celebration. White‑jacketed waiters weaved through the crowd as Andy Cohen, Brad Goreski and other industry figures mingled beneath marble columns and painted rafters. A faux‑metallic palm centerpiece echoed the desert setting of the play. Around 10 p.m., Louis‑Dreyfus appeared in a black, ruffle‑hemmed Christian Siriano gown as Beyoncé’s “Cuff It” played, the lyric “Have you ever had fun like this?” resonating with a relieved and jubilant cast.
The night marked a triumphant return for Baitz’s work, uniting a talented ensemble, a glittering guest list and a celebration that lingered long after the final curtain.