Jean Smart's Broadway return, in Call Me Izzy, opened at Studio 54 June 12, and the reviews are in! The solo show marks the Broadway debut of playwright Jamie Wax, with the limited run set to continue through August 17. See what critics are saying below.

Smart, currently of HBO Max's Hacks, is starring in the title role, a woman in rural Louisiana who's trapped in an abusive marriage who finds possible escape through writing poetry. The performance is Smart's first Broadway outing in 25 years, having last been on the boards with a Tony-nominated performance opposite Nathan Lane in a 2000 revival of The Man Who Came to Dinner. Sarna Lapine is directing.

Get your own copy of the official opening night Playbill at The Playbill Store.

Rounding out the company is standby Johanna Day.

The production features scenic design by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams, lighting design by Donald Holder, costume design by Tom Broecker, sound design by Beth Lake, wig design by Richard Martin, and original music by T Bone Burnett. Casting is by Caparelliotis Castings' David Caparelliotis and Joseph Gery. Howard Tilkin serves as production stage manager, with Elizabeth Allen as assistant stage manager. Olivia Wilusz is assistant director.

Smart earned her most recent three Emmy Awards playing fictional, Joan Rivers–like comedian Deborah Vance on the HBO Max series Hacks, which tracks the comic's attempt to revive her career through a contentious relationship with a young writer. A 2021 Emmy win for the performance made her only the second actor in history (after Betty White) to win an Emmy in the comedy lead, supporting, and guest categories; as well as putting her on a short list of actors who have won all five major TV awards (Emmy, Golden Globe, the SAG, Critics' Choice, and Television Critics Association) in one TV season. The series' fourth season, which sees Deborah navigating hosting a late-night series on network TV, is currently streaming.

Wax is a comic, solo performer, playwright, journalist, and actor, whose writing credits include the musicals Evangeline and Passages (both written with composer Paul Taranto). The playwright has been developing Call Me Izzy with Smart for several years.

Robert Ahrens is producing with P3 Productions' Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin. Though performing at Studio 54, the play is not a Roundabout Theatre Company production.

Visit CallMeIzzyPlay.com.

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Photos: Jean Smart in Call Me Izzy

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