History Boys

[foxy]

Now on Broadway, Alan Bennett's smash hit play is smart, funny and loaded with cute young guys. Lucky, Cooper and I liked it a lot.

[Cooper]

If I'm not mistaken, The History Boys is only running through the summer. It's a fun play worth seeing.

[edjames]

Great show. Great cast. I saw it last Friday evening. I wonder if they will replace the original British cast with another when their run ends or perhaps they'll just extend them for another six weeks.

 

Anyway, RUN, don't walk, to get tickets.

 

Also, another wonderfully charming and entertaining piece of musical theater opened this week called "The Drowsy Chaperone." This may be the sleeper hit of the the season and it, too, was a great show with a wonderful cast. I loved Bob Martin as "The Man In The Chair"! Be warned, it runs without intermission, so make a pit stop before you enter the theater.

 

Enjoy.

[Funseeker 22]

Agree on the "Drowsy Chaperone". Saw it in LA and thought it was very entertaining.

[+ Lucky]

Of the six Broadway shows I saw this week, History Boys was my favorite. Although Dominic Cooper is getting most of the attention (Yes, I will have a drink with him!) the strikingly handsome Samuel Anderson, with his killer smile, had my attention a lot of the time. I did see Cooper scurrying up Eighth Avenue after the show. A rendezvous? Or only a drink? Interesting that someone just applauded wildly would minutes later be just another guy walking the street! Well, not just ANY guy...

 

My other favorites were Well, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and The Lt. of Inishmore. I saw the disturbingly bad production of Mary Stuart at the Pearl theater and the splendid Sarah Jones in Bridge and Tunnel.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/images/2005/11/24/the_history_boys_203x152.jpg

[bbyguy]

Thanks for the information about this show.

 

I am presently in New York and was not planning on seeing it, but will now definitely get my fingers RUNning to book the tickets and go see it.

[+ Lucky]

RE: History Boys...etc.

 

Incidentally, the NYTimes today reviews the new Cirque Soleil production there called Corteo. Having seen it in Montreal, I wondered if they would improve the dismal second half before taking it on the road, but, according to the review, they didn't. The first half, though, is typical Cirque razzle dazzle.

 

And, just out of curiosity, did anyone see the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a Tony winner? I did, (in SF) and cannot imagine grown gay men suffering through it.

 

One more question...are those young guys waiting long times in line for rush tickets to see Tarzan possibly straight? I didn't think so!

[Guest scortlovr]

RE: History Boys...etc.

 

Saw "History Boys", thought it was intellectually brilliant but emotionally bankrupt. And quite frankly, gays don't come out too good in it. I know that Alan Bennett (the playwright) was in the closet most of his life and clearly suffers from severe self loathing, but still, think about it, there are 3 gay characters in the play: 1 is a pedophile with little to no life who dies. 1 is in the closet and ends up in a wheelchair (that's for the teachers) and the one (officially) gay kid ends up alone, unable to have relationships except for cyber sex and men he "meets" on line - that's a pretty grim vision, if you ask me - I know, you didn't - but still . . . Having said that, yes, the writing is brilliant, the Brits sure know how to write smart and witty dialogue, and all the themes on integrity, approach to history, teaching, etc. are fascinating. Also, at the risk of sounding old fashioned or overly PC (which I'm usually not), I simply couldn't buy the fact that all 8 kids would commonly agree that having their balls fondled by some 60 year old teacher was an okay thing because the guy's so charismatic and fun - you'd think that at least one of the kids would be a teeny-wincy-little bit outraged, especially since the play is set in the 80's and not in Dickensian times when no children had no say . . .

[+ Lucky]

RE: History Boys...etc.

 

You have a good point. I did wonder about these issues. The very fact of the guy fondling with one hand while driving a motorcycle with the other was odd. Why? And why didn't he do it at any other opportunity? Nonetheless, as theater it was pretty darn good.

[Guest scortlovr]

RE: History Boys...etc.

 

Definitely good theater otherwise. But if I had to fondle somebody's balls while driving a motorcycle, I wouldn't last 1 minute. I'd lose control - literaly and figuratively - in a second! Go see "Tryst". Aside from Maxwell Caulfiled being incredibly hot and the new object of my lust P: , it's a pretty good play . . .