33 Variations is aplay byMoisés Kaufman, inspired byLudwig van Beethoven'sDiabelli Variations. It débuted onBroadway on March 9, 2009, starringJane Fonda.[1] Originally written in 2007, its world première was held atArena Stage inWashington, D.C.[2][3] before continuing on toLa Jolla Playhouse in 2008.[4]
The play simultaneously examines the creative process behind Beethoven'sDiabelli Variations and the journey of amusicologist, Katherine Brandt, to discover the meaning behind why Beethoven was compelled to write thirty-three distinct variations on a simple theme by a minor music publisher. The progression of herAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and her relationship with her daughter are also themes of the story, as is Beethoven's growing deafness.
The action takes place both in Beethoven's time and the present, switching back and forth between the two. However, at certain key points, characters from both time periods appear on stage to deliver lines simultaneously, emphasizing the parallels between the exploits of both sets of characters.
The original production was directed by the playwright, Moisés Kaufman, with piano by Diane Walsh.[5]
33 Variations premièred at Arena Stage in September 2007, withMary Beth Peil as Katherine,Laura Odeh as her daughter Clara, andGraeme Malcolm as Beethoven.
AWest Coast production ran in April 2008 atLa Jolla Playhouse'sMandell Weiss Theatre, withJayne Atkinson as Katherine,Zach Grenier as Beethoven, and Odeh returning as Clara.
The play premièred on Broadway at theEugene O'Neill Theatre in a limited engagement, on March 9, 2009, withJane Fonda as Katherine, in her first appearance on Broadway in forty-six years.[1] Grenier returned as Beethoven.[5] Sets byDerek McLane; costumes by Janice Pytel; lighting by David Lander; sound by André J. Pluess; projection design by Jeff Sugg; choreography by Daniel Pelzig. It closed May 21, 2009.[6][7]
33 Variations had regional premieres atCarolina Actors Studio Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 23, 2012, at theCapital Repertory Theatre in Albany, New York on September 10, 2010,[8] and at theEnsemble Theatre of Cincinnati on September 2, 2009.
In March 2019, the play was staged for a limited engagement at theComedy Theatre inMelbourne,Australia. The production featuredEllen Burstyn as Katherine,Lisa McCune as Clara,William McInnes as Beethoven,Francis Greenslade as Diabelli,Helen Morse as Gertrude,André de Vanny asSchindler, andToby Truslove as Mike[9]
It won the 2007 Edgerton New American Play Award[10] and the 2008 Harold and Mimi SteinbergAmerican Theatre Critics Association New Play Award.[11]
