What I liked
I didn’t know the story of Jimmy Stewart’ crisis of confidence following his WWII service. Brian portrayed that crisis with realistic emotion and anxiety. When Jimmy felt uncomfortable, I felt uncomfortable with him. I was especially moved by his description of Jimmy’s wartime service—flying a badly damaged plane back from a bombing run, swallowing his fear (acting) in order to keep his fellow crew members from panicking, awaiting the return of a squadron with a pit in his stomach and the knowledge that some would not return. A masterful performance that revealed a lot to me about Jimmy’s personality and character.
What I didn't like
It might be impossible for Brian not to get into the projected backgrounds because of his height, the placement of the projector and the small size of the stage. But it distracted a bit when the top of his head was more brightly lit than the rest of him as he caught the bottom part of the projection while performing downstage.
My overall impression
It must be challenging to do a one-person show in front of such an intimate audience that is right in front of you with no separation of stage level or orchestra pit. Brian made us into the people he was speaking to—the Life magazine photographer, Henry Fonda, Louis Mayer, even the people whose voices we hear. An excellent performance. I will admit that I expected more comedy, perhaps through anecdotes. There were laughs, to be sure, but this was more an exploration of a well-known person’s inner doubts and fears. Not funny but poignant. I can only imagine the level of research Brian put into this role in order to capture the real Jimmy Stewart—the shy, unsure, self-doubting one, as opposed to the characters we’ve seen onscreen so often.
