Tom Hanks Embraces Nostalgia in Time-Travel Stage Romance
Hollywood icon Tom Hanks has made his highly anticipated return to the New York stage in The World of Tomorrow, a time-travel romance that perfectly aligns with the actor's well-documented affection for bygone eras. The production, currently running at The Shed in New York, sees Hanks playing a scientist who becomes enamoured with a woman from the 1930s, brought to life by the exceptional Broadway star Kelli O'Hara.
A Journey to 1939 New York
The play follows Hanks' character Bert, a scientist in a near-future where time travel exists but comes with significant limitations. The technology is prohibitively expensive, accessible only to the wealthy few, and can only transport people to specific locations during precise historical moments. Bert repeatedly visits the 1939 New York World's Fair, where he encounters Carmen, played by O'Hara, a local woman enjoying a day out with her young niece.
What begins as fascination with the past - the newspapers, the lower prices, the period language - quickly evolves into something deeper as Bert finds himself drawn back primarily to see Carmen. However, the production doesn't shy away from the darker realities lurking beneath the nostalgic surface. As Bert's Black colleague M-Dash, portrayed powerfully by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, pointedly reminds him, the 'good old days' weren't good for everyone, with most service jobs performed by Black workers and the ominous shadow of approaching war.
Standout Performances and Technical Excellence
Kelli O'Hara delivers a career-highlight performance as Carmen, particularly shining in a piercing second-act monologue that elevates the entire production. While the first half struggles to fully justify Bert's repeated, costly journeys, the chemistry between Hanks and O'Hara becomes increasingly compelling as the story progresses.
Director Kenny Leon, fresh from his Tony-winning success, demonstrates masterful control over the production's visual elements. The stage features sleek, rectangular pillars that transform between various video-screen backgrounds, seamlessly transporting audiences from futuristic conference rooms to authentic 1930s Bronx apartments. Despite one minor technical hiccup with a stubborn prop - which Hanks himself helped resolve - the production maintains a cinematic quality throughout.
The play does suffer from some pacing issues, particularly in scenes involving Carmen's niece, played by 32-year-old Kayli Carter in a casting choice that proves somewhat distracting. At over two hours, the production could benefit from tighter editing, excising some extraneous diner and home scenes.
Hanks in His Element
For Hanks, this marks his first New York stage appearance since Nora Ephron's 80s-set newsroom drama Lucky Guy. He appears completely at home in this nostalgic territory, delivering his lines with the expected precision while avoiding the autopilot performance that sometimes plagues actors sticking to familiar character types. Based on his own short story and co-written with James Glossman, the production feels like a natural extension of Hanks' well-documented love for historical periods.
While the time-travel premise feels familiar, The World of Tomorrow brings enough originality and heart to distinguish itself. The production's commercial appeal suggests a potential future transfer to Hollywood, where the script could be further refined. For now, theatre audiences have the pleasure of witnessing Hanks and O'Hara's captivating chemistry in a production that, like its protagonist, finds compelling reasons to revisit the past.
