The Theater

[edjames]

Nice to know Matt lives in the neighborhood and I frequently pass by his building. I guess we can put those queer rumors to rest.

 

Here is the link to the full article:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/realestate/26habi.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

 

I have put West Side Story on the back burner. People I know who have seen it aren't raving about it, yet, it is doing great box office business and broke all records at the Palace Theater box office.

 

I saw "Desire Under The Elms" yesterday and I thought it was a good, yet brief, production. The show runs without intermission and clocks in at 100 minutes. If they had cut the first scene with the brothers lugging rocks and boulders all over the stage, and cut the Bob Dylan wannabe tune, I could have been out of there in about 60 minutes. Still, it's steamy and sensual. Actor, Pablo Schreiber strips down, takes a bath and shows off his very chiseled body and muscular butt!

 

John Leguiziamo is performing at the Actors Playhouse previewing his latest one man show. As usual, John is cute and hilarious as he recounts his life and career. He has some great observations and wonderful tales of working with Pacino, DeNiro, Swayze, and other acting notables.

 

As expected "The Norman Conquests" at the Circle-In-The-Square got wonderful reviews. I managed to see all three plays but opted to see one show per week as opposed to a one day marathon. Funny, well acted and cleverly directed.

 

Coming up, "Wating for Godot" and "Happiness." Then a well-deserved break while I sit back and see who's up for the awards this theater season.

 

BTW, weather in NYC - HOT! Record breaking 90 degree temps expected today!

 

ED

[Lookin]

I guess we can put those queer rumors to rest.

Who's going to let Harvey know?

 

http://img.broadway.com/photos/PhotoOp/Original/565725.JPG http://img.broadway.com/photos/PhotoOp/Original/29170.JPG

[+ sf westcoaster]

Will be spending time in New York next month and have theatre tickets for all but one evening.

Of the following three, which would you recommend: Desire Under The Elms, Joe Turner's Come and Gone or Blithe Spirit (just to see Angela)?

[edjames]

Tough choice. I'd go for Blithe Spirit because it's light and fun. Angela is wonderful, but few know she is miked with a prompter sitting up in mezz ready in case she forgets her lines. God bless her little ole heart! She's a true acting legend and the audience LOVES her!

 

Desire Under the Elms is good, but it is like O'Neill on speed. The production whips by at a lightning pace. One good thing is you're out of the theater early enough to walk over to one of the HK bars and have a few cocktails post-theater! If you catch the 8PM curtain, you'll surely be out of the theater by 9:45PM.

 

Can't say I have any input for Joe Turners Come and Gone. Perhaps another member of the forum has seen it?

 

ED

[+ Lucky]

Six Shows in Five Days

 

My favorites were West Side Story, Desire Under the Elms, and reasons to be pretty. I had mixed feelings about Our Town. I hated The Singing Forest and the Marvelous Wonderettes.

 

If anybody is interested, I will tell you why, but I just got home and I am tired...konk!

[uwsman2]

Responding

 

The only one of the three I've seen is "Joe Turner," and I thought it was very good - but heavy. Not if you are looking for "light entertainment."

[+ sf westcoaster]

Thaks for the input - I think I'll take the lighter road and go for Blithe Spirit.

[Guest alanm]

singing in the forest

 

I agree about "The Singing Forest," although I liked it a little more than others. Dukakis was very good. I never thought I would say this, but Groff needs to find a play/musical where he keeps his clothes on unless being naked is vital to the plot.

 

Somewhere there may be a decent play in that three hour mess, but they need another author to find it.

 

On Jonathan Groff's bare butt, add the tens of thousands that saw him in "Spring Awakening" and the hundreds in "The Singing Forest." It's difficult to remember that he

initially was timid about dropping his pants in public. A familiar subject on this site perhaps.

[+ Lucky]

Prayers for Broadway

 

In his previous play, A Prayer For My Enemy, Jonathan stayed fully clothed. The play was also a loser.

[Guest alanm]

I like Groff. He grew up near Philadelphia in Lancaster. Groff is both smart and funny, but all people will remember about him is the nudity.

 

I just couldn't remember the name of the other play he did recently, and was too tired to check on Google. I did see him in "Hair" in Central Park last summer. I believe he was the only member of the cast who kept his clothes on.

 

I am glad you saw some good shows to balance the bad.

[+ Lucky]

Desire Under the Elms

 

The Times gives a generally favorable review to this play, which I liked. One thing I couldn't do was accurately, or succinctly, describe the young male star, Pablo Schreiber. It's a blue collar show, and he seemed quite right for it, with a craggy face but a tight lean sexy body, which he shows off in a bathtub scene. There's not an ounce of fat on him.

 

The Times critic Charles Isherwood was better able to describe him: "Mr. Schreiber, with a backwoods face and beefcake body, radiates a febrile, simmering fury in a performance of taut intensity."

 

I agree!

[edjames]

First, Joanathan Groff and the NYTimes must have heard your commentary on how nudity seems to follow Joanthan's choice of roles. Here is an interview on that subject with Jonathan:

 

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/jonathan-groff-of-the-singing-forest-not-seeking-nudity-but-it-keeps-finding-him/?ref=theater

 

Secondly, I finally saw the off-Broadway musical "Happiness" at Lincoln Center this evening and I, too, thought it charming, funny and very entertaining. (thank you, uwsman for your earlier post on this show!)

 

"Waiting For Godot" was a disappointment. Despite being considered one of the world's greatest plays, I found it absurdly stupid! One thing that this production does have is a great cast and Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin and John Goodman are excellent, but it all falls flat in this dull and totally uninteresting tale of two tramps on a lonely and deserted road "waiting for Godot" (who never shows up!!!). Act two gives the cast an opportunity to stretch their acting skills and provide some much needed comedic moments but I saw a number of people bolting the theater at intermission. Six couples in my vicinity in the front mezz exited, so I had some room to stretch out for the second act.

 

ED

 

ED

[+ Lucky]

Waiting for Godot received a good review in the Times, but 9 to 5 didn't:

 

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/theater/reviews/01nine.html?ref=theater

[jackhammer91406]

Doesn't surprise me that the show earned mixed reviews.

There are many entertaining hit shows from the past which got trounced by reviewers. Most of the reviewers found things to like about the show and the consensus of reviews that I have read (6) seems to lay the blame both on the shoulders of the director and the outdated women's lib theme.

Almost all of the reviewers gave positive nods to performances.

 

Well, regardless of the reviews, if the show is still playing in the fall, I will see it again when I visit NYC.

[+ Lucky]

Forgettable?

 

I decided to make a separate thread out of this inquiry...who knows if it will get more responses that way, but it's worth a try.

[Steven_Draker]

"Rock of Ages"

 

I needed some 'side' entertainment tonight and I stopped by the TKTS booth. As I've seen most of the shows that were available, one attracted my attention (Rock of Ages) and I wasn't disappointed. Just the opposite: an intelligently silly jukebox musical full of rock hits from the 80's. If you like rock 'n' roll and want to distract yourself for 2,5 hours go and have fun.

 

LET'S ROCK !

 

http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2009/04/07/image4927518.jpg

[+ Lucky]

Intermissions

 

The Wall Street Journal today has an article on intermissions- the lack of them. Even Desire Under the Elms was played without one at 100 minutes, yet the play originally had two. It seems that some producers think the audience doesn't want intermissions. Well, I do.

I need to go to the bathroom, for one, and stretching my legs after sitting in those tiny seats is pretty important as well. Why are they putting all those new women's toilets in theaters if they aren't going to get used?

[Steven_Draker]

"9 To 5" is currently in previews at the Marriott Marquis Theater on Broadway. I saw it last night and was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this production. Dolly parton has certainly created a good score and the three lead actresses are very good. The production remains faithful to the movie and I'm happy to say the audience loved it and jumped to their feet the moment the show ended to give the cast a well-deserved standing ovation. My only negative comment would be that I thought the choreography was a bit tepid and could have been better.

 

Ed

 

I enjoyed "9 to 5" too. Bear in mind, I never saw the movie. The 3 leading actresses in the show are Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block and Megan Hilty. Good production and cast. Recommended.

 

I particularly liked the accent of the texan girl