"The Grand Manner"

[Guest alanm]

Has anyone seen "The Grand Manner" yet? It's an off-Broadway play with Kate Burton, Bobby Steggert and Boyd Gaines that opened recently at Lincoln Center in New York. The play is about Broadawy actress Katharine Cornell's meeting with a fan (Pete) who has a letter of introduction from his grand mother. The play takes place in the late 1940s, when Cornell is failing to match method actors like Brando and Clift with her old fashion acting style.

 

It received mixed reviews (see below). Cornell is probably the least know major Broadway actress of the 20th century, largely because she almost never appeared in television or films.

 

Cornell was a lesbian, whose husband Guthrie McClintic acted as her manager. McClintic was gay, and apparently the major pleasure of the "The Grand Manner" is watching McClintic (Boyd Gaines) try to charm (Pete) Bobby Steggart into bed.

 

There is a wonderful biography of Cornell: "Leading Lady:The World and Theatre of Katherine Cornell" by Tad Mosel and Gertrude Macy.

 

I have doubts about the book's accuracy, but it is very interesting.

 

Broadway was very different in the 1920s and 1930s. Cornell lived from 1893 to 1974.

 

 

http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/theater/reviews/28grand.html?scp=1&sq=grand%20manner&st=cse

[Doe Be Doe]

The Grand Manner

 

Anyone seen "The Grand Manner" at the Mitzi Newhouse theatre in New York? I know nothing about it other than Bobby Steggert is in it. I saw him in a Broadway by the Year and found him attractive. Normally I at least try to see only plays that I think I'll enjoy rather than seeing a play just because I find an actor attractive. Often I am not successful at this. So if you have any info about this play, do let me know.

[+ Lucky]

I merged these separate threads as they both ask the same question.

[leeper]

Saw "The Grand Manner" this past weekend. The NY Times review (linked above) was pretty on-target, but I really enjoyed the play - and Bobby Steggert was great. Boyd Gaines' character was over the top, Sybil Burton was wonderful, as usual, and Brenda Wehle as Katherine Cornell's companion/lover Gert was perfect. The play is short - only an hour and a half with no intermission. Since I really wasn't aware of Katherine Cornell, her life, and her leading position on the American stage, I also feel I learned something. As I said - I liked it - and who couldn't look at Bobby Steggert for 90 minutes.

[uwsman2]

Saw it tonight. That Bobby Steggert! I love to watch him at work. He is very, very, very cute. And Boyd Gaines is fun to watch as well, very over-the-top in this role, especially as he tries to seduce Steggert.... The two women in the play are aces - Kate Burton as Katharine Cornell especially, but Brenda Wehle is also terrific. The entire thing is entrancing. The Times critic, as usual, over-intellectualizes. This is fun.

[Guest alanm]

Saw "The Grand Manner" this past weekend. The NY Times review (linked above) was pretty on-target' date=' but I really enjoyed the play - and Bobby Steggert was great. Boyd Gaines' character was over the top, Sybil Burton was wonderful, as usual, and Brenda Wehle as Katherine Cornell's companion/lover Gert was perfect. The play is short - only an hour and a half with no intermission. Since I really wasn't aware of Katherine Cornell, her life, and her leading position on the American stage, I also feel I learned something. As I said - I liked it - and who couldn't look at Bobby Steggert for 90 minutes.[/quote']

 

I saw "The Grand Manner" a few days ago as well. We agree on the performances of Bobby Steggert, Brenda Wehle and Boyd Gaines. I thought Wehle was particularly good. We disagree on Kate Burton's performance as Katharine Cornell. The biography, "Leading Lady," (mentioned above) presents Cornell as much less theatrical off stage that the play. So I was never comfortable with Burton's take on Cornell. I do understand that Kate Burton was following the script and instructions from the director.

 

"The Grand Manner" closes on Sunday, August 1. I believe there are still discount tickets available. Despite my reservations, like lepper, I do recommend the play. Bobby Steggert is worth the price of the ticket all by himself.