Male actors taking off their clothes onstage is nothing new, but 2013 brought us some choice specimens. Hey, it’s art!
David Harewood, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
As the director of the CIA’s counterterrorism center on “Homeland,” David Harewood spent his time in boring, boxy suits.
Fortunately for us, he was shirtless as Oberon in Julie Taymor’s staging of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The barrel-chested Harewood is just massive, dense — reminiscent of 1950s stars like Burt Lancaster and Victor Mature, whose effortless masculinity had nothing to do with the gym. But then, playing kings requires men, not boys.
Jonny Orsini, “The Nance”
Nathan Lane’s character understandably fell for the sweet young hick played by Jonny Orsini in the burlesque-themed “The Nance.” The young actor has an easygoing personality, and a body to match. In a year when quite a few guys shed all for onstage baths — Cory Michael Smith in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” Alan Cumming in “Macbeth” — Orsini’s sudsy session was the easiest on the eye.
Sebastian Stan, “The Picnic”
When it came to abs and pecs, nobody came close to Sebastian Stan in “Picnic.” The action took place on a hot Labor Day weekend, so Stan’s hunky drifter, Hal Carter, had to take off his shirt a lot while he sweated out doing menial tasks for the local ladies. Nobody complained.
Benjamin Walker, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”
Benjamin Walker’s Brick may have some hangups in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” but they didn’t stop him from ambling around shirtless. Sometimes he was in loose pajama bottoms, sometimes he had a towel around his waist. Too bad this didn’t help Scarlett Johansson’s Maggie get any in the sack.
For her revival of “Pippin,” director Diane Paulus mixed up musical-theater actors and circus performers. Of course the latter had to take off their shirts to better execute their feats of hotness — sorry, athleticism. You don’t want loose fabric getting in the way when you’re hanging upside down.