It’s opening night… will it flop or will it go?

Thanks to Max Bialystock (by way of Mel Brooks), the Broadway first night is a legend: judgement is famously as harsh as it is instant. And the first night party, that instantly dissolves as news of unfavourable reviews start arriving, is part of that legend. Happily, however, there was no such swift emptying of the room at last night’s opening night party for the Broadway transfer of the National’s The History Boys.

Critics don’t usually go to first night parties, either in the West End or on Broadway: in London, because we’re usually writing anyway fresh from curtain down when the party is actually happening (whereas on Broadway, the review will already long be written before the opening night, since critics there are invited to see the show ahead of time in what are called ‘critics previews’), but also because it’s not part of a critic’s job description to mingle socially with those he (or she) is in judgement over. There’s no joy, moreover, in being spectre at the feast should the review you’re going to write, or have written, be unfavourable, and it’s a double hypocrisy to be biting the hand that literally feeds you at the party.

But just occasionally I am delighted to celebrate a show I already know to be a success. Having championed the National’s production of Jerry Springer – the Opera, I joined the celebrations when it transferred to the West End. Ditto, for the Menier’s production of Fully Committed when that show moved to the Arts. And last night, I joined the first night Broadway celebrations for The History Boys.

Partly, it was sheer curiosity: Tavern on the Green, in Central Park at West 67th Street, is one of the most popular of all venues for Broadway parties, and I wanted to see inside! But also I knew that I would know lots of people there – and the British contingent was in force. Besides director Nick Hytner and the rest of the company, Broadway Brits including Cameron Mackintosh, Stephen Daldry and Jonathan Pryce (currently starring here in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) joined them to party.

And whereas time was that someone would rush out to buy the first editions of the next day’s papers as they hit the streets, I also wanted to see for myself the Blackberry effect, where the reviews arrive electronically. Happily last night, they were overwhelmingly favourable; and the partygoers were clearly going to party on long after I departed.