On April 1st this year, the presentation of Lucky Guy was debuted on Broadway, written by Nora Ephron and directed by Geroge C. Wolfe. This is exciting news pertaining to life around Saint Anselm as Lucky Guy tells the story of Michael McAlary, a famed journalist and columnist who grew up in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Although Lucky Guy depicts McAlary’s life as a journalist in New York City in the 1980s, McAlary’s roots are not forgotten around here as the 1975 Goffstown High School graduate is remembered nationally for his achievements in journalism.
McAlary is portrayed by two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. The famous actor makes his debut on Broadway from the big screen in Ephron’s play. Hanks was a close friend of Ephron before she passed away in 2012, and Lucky Guy was her last work before her passing. When the play opened earlier this year, McAlary’s brother Kevin McAlary was quoted saying how Hanks playing Michael “is going to be almost surreal.” It is only appropriate that such a “beloved actor,” from recognizable films such as Forrest Gump, The Polar Express, and Saving Private Ryan is highly suitable for such as beloved man as McAlary himself.
McAlary was born December 15, 1957, and even from his start here in Goffstown, a former classmate, Kerry Steckowych, remembers him as “voracious reader, a great writer and conversationalist” and as “a really bright young man-” qualities that were apparent in his profession as a journalist.
McAlary got his start in Goffstown when he was 16 years old, doing some freelance writing for the local Goffstown News. McAlary’s brother told Shawne K. Wickham of the Union Leader that he was covering a story on the Volvo tennis tournament, and happened to get picked up by one of the event organizers who set him up to do an interview with Rod Laver, a noted tennis player, and from there he got his start. These characteristics of McAlary shaped him to have the success he did. He eventually became a sportswriter in Boston, then worked for the New York Post, New York Newsday, and then the New York Daily News for 12 years.
Lucky Guy covers most of McAlary’s time working in New York, depicting all the struggles and successes he had from his time there. In the play, a large part is devoted to McAlary’s recovery from a car crash while in New York. McAlary, despite suffering some tribulations, also crafted a story that exposed the New York police torture on Aber Louima in 1997, a story that won him the Pulitzer Prize, and happened to be a big part of the premise of the play.
Although being treated with chemotherapy for his colon cancer at the time, McAlary left his bed to write this story. Hard work paid off, and this story gave McAlary the reputation of a tough reporter. From there on, McAlary was at the demand of all the major tabloids in New York that fought over having him.
The play starts off in the 1980s in New York, and portrays his life up to his death in 1998, the cause being colon cancer. McAlary was only 41 years old. He also wrote the book Buddy Boys, a non-fiction work on the police brutality he uncovered.
Lucky Guy proved to be a success, receiving 6 Tony Award nominations. Courtney B. Vance won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in the play, and Tom Hanks received a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance. Despite all the nominations, McAlary’s brother is convinced that what is most-prized is his brother’s lasting contribution: “He really was a powerful voice for people that didn’t have a voice.”
The play highlighted a highly-regarded local figure, McAlary himself, and makes a place so close to home a little more special, knowing there was such a dedicated man who has his roots in Goffstown. In Goffstown today, McAlary’s “brave” and “great spirit,” as described by Alice who resides in Bellport, New York, can be seen. Steckowych, who is now the police prosecutor in Goffstown, said that McAlary is “an example to local youngsters,” and that “it’s great that he’s recognized and I think it’s wonderful that you can see somebody who comes from small-town America that ends up winning the Pulitzer Prize.” Steckowych has also set up a scholarship at Goffstown High School in McAlary’s name, saying it’s for “kids who really are showing they have character and drive and they’ve set goals, and no matter what gets in their way, they somehow find their way to get there.”
Although it may seem that McAlary was not all that “lucky” with his early death, the title of this play proves otherwise, as it depicts the outstanding life he lead with an effect that can still be seen today long after his death.