A View From The Bridge

[foxy]

in case anyone needs an extra incentive to see this brilliant production of Arthur Miller's play, Russell Tovey might be what you need. Gorgeous, gay hunk with the healthy set of ears takes his shirt off displaying an impressive upper body for several minutes. I was happily surprised. You may know him from Looking and quite a few other stage and TV credits. It's a stark and thrilling show that leaves blood all over the stage. You will leave the theater shaken to the core.

[MrMiniver]

Saw this in London. Absolutely brilliant. I've watched the DVD at least 2 or 3 times. Run go see it. You won't be disappointed.

[+ RyanDean]

Onstage seats for this? Yay? Nay?

[foxy]

Saw it from 10th row orchestra but a friend was on stage 4th row. Enjoyed the close up perspective but the chemical smell of the blood was difficult. Either way worth seeing. Close is good if possible.

[+ WilliamM]

I saw OBC of "Spring Awakening" twice from on-stage. Did not enjoy it the first time. Tried again, it's just not for me.

[edjames]

A simply mesmerizing production! Just give 'em all Tonys!

Ends Feb 21.

 

I agree with Mr Brantley:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/theater/review-a-view-from-the-bridge-bears-witness-to-the-pain-of-fate.html

 

A little off topic but worth noting is the appearance in this production of Russell Tovey, that hunky Brit actor from the HBO series "Looking." In one scene he strips off his shirt and let me tell ya, he's definitely been to the gym! Gorgeous! LOL

[MrMiniver]

A simply mesmerizing production! Just give 'em all Tonys!

Ends Feb 21.

 

I agree with Mr Brantley:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/theater/review-a-view-from-the-bridge-bears-witness-to-the-pain-of-fate.html

 

A little off topic but worth noting is the appearance in this production of Russell Tovey, that hunky Brit actor from the HBO series "Looking." In one scene he strips off his shirt and let me tell ya, he's definitely been to the gym! Gorgeous! LOL

 

He has a decent body but I can't imagine calling him "gorgeous." Different tastes I guess. He just looks like an average working bloke from Manchester to me. Big ears, rough face. Nothing I'd even notice if it passed me on the street.

[+ WilliamM]

He has a decent body but I can't imagine calling him "gorgeous." Different tastes I guess. He just looks like an average working bloke from Manchester to me. Big ears, rough face. Nothing I'd even notice if it passed me on the street.

 

My wild guess: you are not a fan of "Looking."

[MrMiniver]

My wild guess: you are not a fan of "Looking."

 

I liked some things about it especially Jonathan Groff. But, on the whole, I thought it a mess and unrecognizable to any aspect of gay life that I have experienced. That being said, it has nothing whatsoever to do with how average I think that Russell Tovey is. I first saw him in London years ago in the original History Boys. Loved the play, he still looked average.

[+ WilliamM]

I liked some things about it especially Jonathan Groff. But, on the whole, I thought it a mess and unrecognizable to any aspect of gay life that I have experienced. That being said, it has nothing whatsoever to do with how average I think that Russell Tovey is. I first saw him in London years ago in the original History Boys. Loved the play, he still looked average.

 

 

As you posted above: "Different taste, I guess."

 

I do agree with you about Tovey in "History Boys," on stage; he was younger then though.

[+ quoththeraven]

I kinda hate to agree with Mr. Miniver, but I agree that facially, Tovey is only average-looking. It's his personality and/or acting plus his toned bod that is hunky.

[+ WilliamM]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HnhJ2RAkCdg/VPaSFnqxKAI/AAAAAAAHx0o/CjIQRowg0rE/s1600/russell-tovey-dog-1.png

 

At least Tovey is better looking than his dog.

[+ quoththeraven]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HnhJ2RAkCdg/VPaSFnqxKAI/AAAAAAAHx0o/CjIQRowg0rE/s1600/russell-tovey-dog-1.png

At least Tovey is better looking than his dog.

 

But his dog is so cute! I have a soft spot for French bulldogs.

[+ WilliamM]

But his dog is so cute! I have a soft spot for French bulldogs.

 

I give Up. Bring back poor Mr.Miniver.

[+ beethoven]

I saw "A View From the Bridge" today and loved it. There will be a production of "The Crucible" on Broadway in late February, directed by Ivo Van Hove, who directed this. I shall definitely get tickets.

The opening scene of this production shows two shirtless men, and I said to myself, "THIS is what they're talking about? Gimme a break!" No, this was NOT what they're talking about. It's Russell Tovey, and as soon as he stepped on stage, fully clothed, I said to myself, "This guy's a hunk! I hope he's the one who takes his shirt off." WELL WORTH WAITING FOR!!!

Anyway, I loved the -- very different from the original, I'm sure -- production of this play, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who's going to be in New York while it's running.

[+ Cash4Trash]

I've seen this production twice. Once - the National Theater screening and again 2 days ago here in NYC. One of my top experiences in many, many years of theater going.

I've also seen the new movie "The Big Short" twice. Don't miss it.

[+ WilliamM]

Beethoveen, I doubt that I shall be in NYC before "A View from the Bridge" closes. I am somewhat more interested in "The Crucible," a play I have only seen once.

 

Thanks for the support on Russell Tovey. Wouldn't you know that QTR would like French bullbogs? Jeez

[MrMiniver]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HnhJ2RAkCdg/VPaSFnqxKAI/AAAAAAAHx0o/CjIQRowg0rE/s1600/russell-tovey-dog-1.png

 

At least Tovey is better looking than his dog.

 

Not really. And if the picture was taken straight on you'd see that Tovey's ears make him look like he could fly.

[MrMiniver]

I saw "A View From the Bridge" today and loved it. There will be a production of "The Crucible" on Broadway in late February, directed by Ivo Van Hove, who directed this. I shall definitely get tickets.

The opening scene of this production shows two shirtless men, and I said to myself, "THIS is what they're talking about? Gimme a break!" No, this was NOT what they're talking about. It's Russell Tovey, and as soon as he stepped on stage, fully clothed, I said to myself, "This guy's a hunk! I hope he's the one who takes his shirt off." WELL WORTH WAITING FOR!!!

Anyway, I loved the -- very different from the original, I'm sure -- production of this play, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who's going to be in New York while it's running.

 

Try to see the DVD of the original London production with Mark Strong and Nicola Walker. It was on National Theatre Live. I've watched it 4 or 5 times. Its even better than the transported version.

[+ WilliamM]

http://www.atvtoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BBC-Russell-Tovey.png http://www.newnownext.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/russell-tovey-jonathan-groff.png

 

Despite his jumbo ears, Tovey looks quite attractive in the second photos, less so in the third. Tovey does look like an airplane due for take-off in the first pnoto.

[MrMiniver]

He's ordinary. You'd walk right past him on the street if you didn't know his name. I definitely wouldn't hire him. You want to see gorgeous hunk? Try Pietro Boselli.

[uwsman2]

I thought Tovey was hot in Looking and over-the-top hot in View from the Bridge. Hotness is not just about looks. It's an attitude thing as well. Power, presence, body intensity.

[MrMiniver]

I thought Tovey was hot in Looking and over-the-top hot in View from the Bridge. Hotness is not just about looks. It's an attitude thing as well. Power, presence, body intensity.

 

You're right but I didn't get any "power, presence or body intensity" when he appeared onstage in HISTORY BOYS! lol

[edjames]

NYTimes today profiles Tovey and his experience on Broadway. Wanna catch an unclose and personal glimpse? check the F train and the guy with the bulldog!

 

A Beer With Russell Tovey, a Star of ‘A View From the Bridge’

 

By CHOIRE SICHA JAN. 5, 2016

 

Photo

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/01/08/fashion/08ENCOUNTERS1/08ENCOUNTERS1-master675.jpg

Russell Tovey, with his 3-year-old bulldog, Rocky, as they head home after his performance in "A View From the Bridge." Credit An Rong Xu for The New York Times

• Five nights and three afternoons a week, Rocky, a little French bulldog, naps under the vanity table of Russell Tovey’s tiny and bright Broadway dressing room. The many things on top of it include a tidy pile of fan letters, a jar of Lubriderm, a jar of extra-crunchy Skippy and a check for $20 from an admirer — for beers.
   
  Around 10 p.m. on a Friday in December, Mr. Tovey put on a shirt — the show, a limited run of Ivo van Hove’s production of Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge,” demands, for reasons that will go unprinted, a post-show shower — as Rocky climbed from his bed and stretched.
   
  In a moment, Mr. Tovey and his 3-year-old bulldog moved past a wee office occupied by the stage managers Martha Donaldson and Sherry Cohen.
   
  “Great show tonight, darling,” Ms. Donaldson said.
   
  “Yeah?” Mr. Tovey replied.
   
  “Yeah,” she said. “Really good. All sorts of beautiful things happening up there.”
   
  Was Mr. Tovey ever a problem? Tardy, for instance?
   
  “He’s perfect,” Ms. Cohen said. “There’s not any problem with him at all.”
   
  “What else is good about me?” Mr. Tovey asked.
   
  “He takes notes from the stage manager,” Ms. Donaldson said.
   
  “He has a really good voice,” Ms. Cohen said. “He looks good blond. He looks good not blond. He’s got a cute dog.”
   
  Mr. Tovey and Rocky continued down the dodgy stairs. “All right, love you ladies!” he called out, and braved the coterie of autograph hunters waiting outside the stage door.
   
  “Love your dog!” a girl said.
   
  Rocky is a bait-and-switch fascinator that precedes Mr. Tovey through Manhattan’s streets on their trips each day from a fourth-floor Greenwich Village walk-up (with terrace!) to the gym and then, eventually, to the Lyceum Theater on West 45th Street.
   
  Photo
  http://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/01/07/fashion/07ENCOUNTERSJP2/07ENCOUNTERSJP2-articleLarge.jpg
  Mr. Tovey, left, on stage. CreditSara Krulwich/The New York Times
  Mr. Tovey has a rare, nearly psychotic magnetism. He could be a gay Hitler or Manson, should the opportunity arise, and, unlike Julianne Moore, he may not be able to shut it off at will. Rocky, handily, distracts all.
   
  The two settled into a booth at St. Andrews, a pub on West 46th Street. Mr. Tovey ordered a pint of Bud Light and grilled tuna with “seasonal” vegetables.
   
  “I’m an Americanphile,” he said. “I love a diner. For me, it’s like being in ‘Home Alone’ or something.”
   
  He likes eating here so much he will not return to London after the show ends its run in February. “We have pilot season coming up,” he said. “Let’s go for it and see what happens. That’s what I feel like! I love this country.”
   
  Now he can discover America.
   
  “I’ve not done any of the middle stuff,” he said. “I did the drive up from L.A. to San Francisco. I’ve been to New Jersey? Oh! I’ve been to Nantucket.” He is already used to doing an American accent — fools can’t understand him in the bars otherwise.
   
  A decade ago, Mr. Tovey was on Broadway in Alan Bennett’s “The History Boys,” which won the 2006 Tony Award for best play. “We all went slightly mad,” he said. “We were like the One Direction of Broadway.” He told James Corden, his co-star at the time, that he “used to fantasize about getting stabbed on the subway so I could have a show off. Just a surface wound.”
   
  Photo
  http://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/01/07/fashion/07ENCOUNTERSJP/07ENCOUNTERSJP-articleLarge-v3.jpgMr. Tovey, center, in “The History Boys.” CreditSara Krulwich/The New York Times
  Now he’s a grown-up — freshly 34, the perfect age. In that intervening decade, too, he has touched a trifecta of products with deep fan bases, having done years as a werewolf in “Being Human” and guest-starring in “Sherlock” and “Doctor Who.” Then he’s got gay indie cred from HBO’s terrific “Looking.” One potential future in the Hollywood multiverse has an explosive and logical outcome: a big, fat superhero franchise. There are certainly other outcomes, though.
   
  Mr. Tovey sipped his beer. He did not appear to be one of those actors given to second-guessing or self-torture after a night onstage. “I think I’m a pretty basic bitch when it comes to having a postshow meltdown moment, of having to release,” Mr. Tovey said. “I’m really not one of them guys who’s like: ‘I can’t sleep. I’m buzzing. I have to go out, I need to drink whiskey! I need to go to the bar where everyone’s out and, like, network.’ I want to go home and catch up on Netflix.”
   
  His only passions, as far as we can know, are hard work and contemporary art. “All my money goes to art,” he said. “Most of this Broadway money’s going on something.”
   
  He is not a dilettante. He started with Tracey Emin drawings. On Instagram, he follows dealers like José Freire, Peter Amby, Zach Feuer. (A poser would start and stop at David Zwirner.)
   
  Certainly around every Manhattan corner, men are plotting to be the ones to raise his children. If you poke him, he seems ready. Enthusiasts, and the gay press, too, have long discussed Mr. Tovey in exceedingly graphic terms, with a seeming fetish for his distinctive ears. He is unfazed. “It’s a compliment!” he said. “They’re not saying: ‘Ew. I wouldn’t go anywhere near it.’ Then, I’d be upset.”
   
  Photo
  http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/01/08/fashion/08ENCOUNTERS-WEB/08ENCOUNTERS-WEB-articleLarge-v2.jpg
  Mr. Tovey and Rocky at St. Andrews, a pub they regularly visit. CreditAn Rong Xu for The New York Times
  When a devotee goes too far in an online comment, he screen-shots it for a laugh, as he did when one fan once described an act he would like to perform involving his ears (before covering them with cheese and boiling them). “I was like, ‘That’s sweet,’” Mr. Tovey said. “And my mum was like, ‘That’s disgusting.’”
   
  But he is not unflappable. “If I find someone attractive, I can get blushy,” he said. “But I fight that.”
   
  So that’s how you’ll know. You already know he’s a good egg; he’ll never cash that fan’s $20 check.
   
  It was about midnight, and Mr. Tovey said he was going home. Tomorrow was matinee day. The call at the Lyceum was 1:30 for a 2 o’clock show. “See you afterward,” the waitress said, meaning after every curtain.
   
  Mr. Tovey and Rocky went up a block and down the subway stairs before catching the F train downtown. Mr. Tovey sat on the train bench and put an ankle atop a knee and the dog atop all that. In the harsh light of a subway car, there was a hint of dark roots growing beneath his bleached hair. Rocky stood atop Mr. Tovey’s legs, sternly surveying anyone who might approach, and at last folded himself down into Mr. Tovey’s lap. Each person on the train looked only at the dog.
   
  

[+ beethoven]

He looks pretty good without his shirt on in the photo from "A View From the Bridge," but I think he's much, much better looking from the second row!! This is one HOT guy!