Originally reviewed for Gay Socialites.com.

Make no mistake, A Steady Rain is the hottest ticket in town because it features two of the hottest male movie stars on the planet. Sure, the first few minutes I found myself mostly admiring Hugh Jackman’s broad figure and striking face and Daniel Craig’s square jaw and brooding demeanor.

After that, however, the show revealed itself to be a gripping, if not particularly deep, psychological thriller. And Jackman and Craig proved themselves to be masterful stage actors, not merely slumming movie stars. We already knew from The Boy from Oz that Jackman could rule the stage, but it’s really nice to find him equally matched with Craig.

Our strapping twosome portrays two Chicago cops and lifelong friends going through a rainy summer. During this time, their respective flaws catch up to them in traumatic and tragic ways, as the more macho of the two (Jackman’s Denny) is hounded by a pimp he has harassed, and Craig’s more conscientious Joey finds himself making some bum choices in both his personal and professional life.

A Steady Rain relies on a lot of familiar formulas about hard-nosed cops, but mixes them up just enough to keep you guessing, to keep the suspense taut. All in all, a superbly acted, reasonably substantial evening of theatre.

For tickets, click here.