Erica Meets Downton Abby’s Matthew Crawley AKA Dan Stevens And Jessica Chastain Plus Reviews Broadway’s The Heiress! Autographs! British Sexiness!

When The Lovely Erica was in New York she made sure to check out one of the hottest plays on Broadway, The Heiress. Starring The Help’s Jessica Chastain and Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens The Heiress is a hot ticket in town! And what’s a Fangirl to do, just go to a play? Ah, heck no! You have to meet the cast! It’s a Broadway tradition!

Check out her review and recap meeting the stars after the jump!

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The Heiress is really an actor’s plays in some ways since the drama in the show isn’t in the plot, but about the characters. You’re best off not really knowing the story, but just enjoying the performances of Jessica Chastain, David Strathairn and Dan Stevens.

The cast is very strong with Jessica anchoring the play with sympathetic awkwardness for the title character, Catherine Sloper. Unrecognizable in her wig, Jessica manages to win over the audience with her quiet strength for the optimistic Catherine.

She is ably supported by the charming Dan Stevens who inspires a gasp right before the audience gives him his entrance applause. Obviously there are Downton Abbey fans in the audience who are pleased to see him. Now I’ve seen Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, Jude Law and Jonny Lee Miller on stage (in the same week – ah good times!) and none of the elicited this gasp of pleasure which is a nightly occurance as cast member Virginia Kull describes:

Thankfully everyone seems good natured about this as Jessica and Dan are both friendly and as nice as can be at the stage door afterwards. Jessica is out first and greets the crowd with a smile.

She’s chatty and asking if anyone has seen the trailer for her next film, Zero Dark Thirty.

Dan is out next and the crowd sort of surges forward. He’s charming and friendly and takes a lot of pictures for people who say they need one since their “friend will kill them if they don’t.” Uh huh. Just fess up that you want a picture with him!

It’s also funny to see how many folks reach out to touch his shoulder, his arm and all those other little signs of flirting.

He humors us all and is kind enough to sign my Playbill as well as my Downton Abbey poster. So very engaging! And, yes, to quote Tony Stark: “I want one!”

The Heiress runs through February 10th.