I love my mother. With all my heart. And I make no bones about it.
So you, dear reader, should know that when I first started Steve On Broadway and quickly figured out that the acronym spelled out SOB, well, I decided to latch onto it and append my blog name with it before anyone else had a chance to lob that name at me.
I also knew it would only be a matter of time before my mother found my site. And trust me, she did. And when she did, her first response was, "What's with this SOB thing, anyway?"
Suddenly, I found myself reassuring her that it was just a little play on Steve On Broadway and that she should most definitely not take it personally. It had nothing to do with her.
But I also know that my dear mother is one of those many potential theatregoers who finds vulgar language an assault on her ears (and thus, she avoids shows that she knows contain it gratuitously). And since she raised me very well and even visits this site on a fairly regular basis, if only to keep tabs on me ("Hi Mom! Love you!!"), I have chosen over the last four and a half years to keep this site safe for all ages.
So I guess it was only a matter of time until a Broadway show would push me to the brink of what I post here. Today, Michael Riedel confirmed that Anna D. Shapiro -- one of my favorite directors -- will helm Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Motherf**ker With The Hat at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre starting in March 2011.
There.
I said it.
With asterisks.*
The play had been slated to have its world premiere at The Public Theater in New York. In fact, their website still lists the production as coming in "Spring 2011," along with this description:
A new high-octane, verbal cage match about love, fidelity, and misplaced haberdashery from Stephen Adly Guirgis (Little Flower Of East Orange; The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot). Jackie and Veronica have been in love since the 8th grade. But now, Jackie is on parole and living clean and sober under the guidance of his sponsor, Ralph D, while still living and loving with his volatile soul mate Veronica who is fiercely loving, but far from sober. Still, their love is pure. And true. Nothing can come between them- except a hat. Guirgis, as always, provides an eclectic and lively cast of characters seeking to "put away their childish things," and their collective quest- and missteps-result in his most open-hearted, laugh-out-loud and poignant plays to date.
If the biggest news weren't the title that The New York Times certainly won't print (can you imagine all the fun they'll have at the Tonys repeating the title over and over ad nauseum just to see who can slip it by the censors?), the casting certainly is. It will mark the Broadway debut for comedian Chris Rock. Casting for the play also includes Bobby Cannavale (Jackie), Elizabeth Rodriguez (Veronica), Annabella Sciorra (Victoria) and Yul Vazquez (Julio).
Previews for the play begin at the Schoenfeld on March 22 (yes, mom, I know it's my sister's birthday), and the show opens April 11, 2011.
Word to my mother ... want to go with me?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
*Because as near as I can tell, it's supposed to have asterisks included.
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
Labels: Anna D Shapiro, Annabella Sciorra, Bobby Cannavale, Broadway, Chris Rock, Elizabeth Rodriguez, First Word On New Show, Play, Stephen Adly Guiguis, The Motherf**ker With The Hat, Yul Vazquez
August: Osage County (The SOB Revisit) – Main Stage, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
**** (out of ****)Jet lag be damned.
Despite being on Aussie soil for only a week, the excellent troupe from Chicago’s
Steppenwolf Theatre is firing on each and every one their finely calibrated cylinders. That includes
extraordinary new ones they’ve picked up along their lengthy journey from their
Windy City home base to Sydney via
Broadway and
London.
While I’ve long since run out of superlatives to adequately describe
Tracy Letts’
August: Osage County, a magnificent modern American masterpiece if there ever was one, I’ve never seen it in better shape than I did Tuesday evening here in Sydney. With no trace of irony or hint of hyberbole whatsoever, Tuesday's opening night constituted the single best night I've ever spent in a theatre.
After having begun going their own ways immediately after the explosively comedic drama earned the Tony Award for Best Play in 2008, the cast reunited less than one month ago and only resumed live performances last week. But you’d never know it.
Just like close friends who are able to pick up where they last left off, these exceptional actors -- including the mindblowing
Deanna Dunagan as the drug-addled matriarch Violet Weston, the raucously funny
Rondi Reed as her sister Mattie Fae Aiken, the formidible
Amy Morton as Violet's take-charge daughter Barbara Fordham), along with
Mariann Mayberry (Karen Weston),
Sally Murphy (Ivy Weston),
Jeff Perry (Bill Fordham),
Kimberly Guerrero (Johnna Monevata) and
Troy West (Deon Gilbeau) -- succeed in building on the dysfunctional family they created over three years ago. In finding further depths in their relationships with one another, each is giving the performance of their lives.
The result is a breathtaking blast into the stratosphere. Buckle up, because it just may be best -- and bumpiest -- theatrical ride of your life. And a spine-tingling one at that.
For me, this unforgettable experience was well worth the trip to Sydney.
August: Osage County is an unmissable milestone in American theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. Labels: Amy Morton, Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Deanna Dunagan, Opening Night, Play, Rondi Reed, Steppenwolf, Sydney, Sydney Theatre Company, Tracy Letts
August Down Under Over EasyThis evening,
Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning
August: Osage County may be opening for its
second time in Australia, but
this time it's doing so for the first time with most of its
original Steppenwolf (and
Broadway) cast and crew from Chicago.
The
entire production has been imported,
kit and
kaboodle, by
Sydney Theatre Company's Artistic Directors
Cate Blanchett and
Andrew Upton for its Main Stage.
While performances began on August 13, tonight marks this cast's
fourth opening night, after having first performed this modern masterpiece at
Steppenwolf's home in
Chicago,
on Broadway and
at London's
National Theatre.
Recreating their stunning Tony Award-winning turns Down Under are
Deanna Dunagan as Violet Weston and
Rondi Reed as her sister Mattie Fae Aiken, along with their original Steppenwolf castmates
Amy Morton (Tony nominated for her brilliant portrayal of Barbara Fordham),
Mariann Mayberry (Karen Weston),
Sally Murphy (Ivy Weston),
Jeff Perry (Bill Fordham),
Kimberly Guerrero (Johnna Monevata) and
Troy West (Deon Gilbeau).
Other casting includes
Molly Ranson (Jean Fordham) who was a Broadway replacement in the role of Jean Fordham, and three members of the London cast:
Chelcie Ross (Beverly Weston),
Paul Vincent O'Connor (Charlie Aiken) and
Gary Cole (Steve Heidebrecht). The only truly new cast member is
Gary Wilmes, who portrays Little Charles.
Once again, Tony Award-winning director
Anna D. Shapiro helms this inherently American tale, and as she so eloquently told the
Sydney Morning Herald yesterday, "Our company can do fraught standing on its head."
If you live anywhere near Sydney, make every effort to get tickets to see
August: Osage County. Why? Because unlike any other import from the United States, this represents contemporary American drama at its absolute best. You can't afford to miss it.
In fact, I simply couldn't resist coming back to Sydney myself. Indeed, this evening, I'll once again lose myself in Letts' epic work one last time .... at least with original castmembers.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. Labels: Amy Morton, Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Deanna Dunagan, Opening Night, Play, Rondi Reed, Steppenwolf, Sydney, Sydney Theatre Company, Tracy Letts
August August AugustNearly one year ago,
I reported here that
Tracy Letts' august masterpiece
August: Osage County and most of its original
Steppenwolf (and
Broadway) cast and crew would be Australia-bound this August.
Now it's been confirmed that
Deanna Dunagan and
Rondi Reed will reprise their magnificent Tony-winning turns as Violet Weston and Mattie Fae Aiken, respectively, one more time at the
Sydney Theatre Company's Main Stage.
Once again, they'll be joined by original Steppenwolf castmates
Amy Morton (Tony nominated for her brilliant portrayal of Barbara Fordham),
Mariann Mayberry (Karen Weston),
Sally Murphy (Ivy Weston),
Jeff Perry (Bill Fordham),
Kimberly Guerrero (Johnna Monevata) and
Troy West (Deon Gilbeau).
Other casting includes
Molly Ranson (Jean Fordham) who was a Broadway replacement in the role of Jean Fordham, and three members of the London cast:
Chelcie Ross (Beverly Weston),
Paul Vincent O'Connor (Charlie Aiken) and
Gary Cole (Steve Heidebrecht). As Little Charles, only
Gary Wilmes is completely new to the cast.
Wilmes replaces
Ian Barford, husband of
August: Osage County director
Anna D. Shapiro. Not only will Barford will tend to his fatherly duties back home while Shapiro once again shapes the show in Sydney, but Steppenwolf audiences will see him on their boards again this September in
Detroit alongside
Laurie Metcalf.
August: Osage County begins performances at the
Sydney Theatre Company August 13 with previews on August 14 and 16. The play opens Down Under on August 17 and performances are currently scheduled through September 25.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Amy Morton, Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Broadway, Chicago, Deanna Dunagan, London, Rondi Reed, Steppenwolf, Sydney, Sydney Theatre Company, Tracy Letts
SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #1 - August: Osage County (2007, Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, IL/2008, Imperial Theatre, New York City, NY/2008, Music Box Theatre, New York City, NY/2008, Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, London, United Kingdom)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties. Was there any doubt that
August: Osage County would ranks as my favorite show of the decade?
Since
first being blown away in the Windy City by
Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece back in (appropriately enough) August 2007, I've devoted considerable space to the best-written, best-acted play I've ever seen at Chicago's
Steppenwolf, and that's no small feat.
In
August: Osage County, Letts has constructed an absolutely brilliant, riotous script that provided for one stellar performance after another by its excellent ensemble. During its acclaimed Broadway run, the play ran even deeper, packing a more lethal, visceral punch than what I saw in Chicago, hitting even harder with greater precision that I would not have even thought possible. Credit
Anna D. Shapiro for sharpening this play into a razor-sharp, whip-smart American classic. It was even funnier, too.
In London, it took on additional shadings for me as an indictment on American society for the many grievances that came to roost as our economy went over a cliff.
Deanna Dunagan (Violet) delivered a bravura performance for the ages as the matriarch of the Weston clan. But she was matched by an equally stunning ensemble, with
Amy Morton giving as good as she got, and even better, as Violet's daughter Barbara;
Rondi Reed's Mattie Fae was likely to remind you of your favorite, if she wasn't so crazy, aunt; and
Francis Guinan as Mattie Fae's long-suffering husband Charlie offered a sweet dignity to the proceedings, especially when tempered by one of the play's many revelations exposing the startling truth about his own son.
Since first seeing the show in Chicago, I've known that I had witnessed something very, very special in the world of live theatre. Upon considerable reflection, I can attest that this is the best new theatrical work I've seen over the last ten years. It most certainly was almost my personal favorite of the decade.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for each of these performances.Labels: Amy Morton, Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Broadway, Chicago, Deanna Dunagan, Francis Guinan, Rondi Reed, SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties, Steppenwolf, Tracy Letts
Up (The SOB Review) – Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, Illinois
***1/2 (out of ****)Maybe it’s that the title is exactly the same as the current
Disney/
Pixar hit.
You know the one. The
film out a pie-in-the-sky dreamer who yearns to be lifted from an ordinary life and uses balloons to take flight from the comfort of his own surroundings. Oh wait, that also neatly summarizes
Bridget Carpenter’s stirring and tender
Up as well. Funny though how dissimilar these two takes on the same essential theme can be.
After being lulled into a false sense that the only way
is up during the first act, Carpenter’s emotionally satisfying play about a wide-eyed visionary named Walter Griffin (a remarkable
Ian Barford) really takes off, even if against any predictable prevailing winds.
With
Anna D. Shapiro’s marvelous direction providing appropriately measured ballast and pitch,
Up is nothing short of a lofty, ambitious play about hope and capacity for discovery, including those of a decidedly introspective nature. And it works.
Years after Walter has succeeded in raising his personal stature by floating three miles high on his own lawn chair, he continues -- perhaps vainly -- in pursuit of the next big thing. He remains undaunted, even as others beat him to the punch.
But there’s a cost to these ongoing pipedreams. Patience is wearing thin at home.
His desperate non-house wife Helen (a beautifully raw
Lauren Katz) is tiring of being the lone family breadwinner and implores Walter to go out and find a real job, even if it means giving up on his dreams. Their emotionally awkward high school son Mikey (a brilliant
Jake Cohen) believes so strongly in his father that he lacks any faith in his own capabilities.
That is, until he meets Maria, a chatty pregnant classmate (the tremendously talented
Rachel Brosnahan), who not becomes his first real friend, but also provides him with an introduction to a new self-awareness wakened by her free-spirited Aunt Chris (
Martha Lavey in one of her two deliciously funny roles from each end of an amazingly wide spectrum).
There is so much to recommend this heartfelt production. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t add that the penultimate scene was what ultimately had my trio of friends and I arguing long and hard afterward about what had just transpired and all it symbolized.
Far be it from me to even allude to what we discussed, but our strikingly disparate conclusions and our eagerness to vociferously debate points to the true genius in Carpenter’s brilliant writing. There aren’t many shows I experience where I’m passionately discussing it long after.
But Carpenter’s work, inspired by
true events, is nothing short of inspirational.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anna D Shapiro, Bridget Carpenter, Chicago, Ian Barford, Jake Cohen, Lauren Katz, Martha Lavey, Play, Rachel Bresnahan, Steppenwolf, The SOB Review, Up
August: Osage County - And Then They're GoneCall it a day of theatrical symmetry.
Exactly two years to the day after Chicago's
Steppenwolf Theatre premiered
Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning
August: Osage County at its Downstairs Theatre, the show closed at the
Music Box Theatre. Directed by
Anna D. Shapiro, the play enjoyed 648 performances on Broadway.
My dear friend Kevin Daly at
Theatre Aficianado At Large was there for the closing performance, which had its own surprise before it even began. Kevin looked at the board next to the ticket counter and saw that
Rondi Reed was back for the final performance. It wasn't long before he was
tweeting about it to let the whole world know.
Meanwhile, back at Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre last evening,
Bridget Carpenter's
Up was enjoying its opening night. This is the latest play to be helmed by Shapiro and it features her husband
Ian Barford (the original Little Charles from
August: Osage County) in the lead. Other noteworthy alums from
August: Osage County were on hand, including Tony winner
Deanna Dunagan (the original Violet Weston) and
Francis Guinan (the original Charlie Aiken). Both were clearly thrilled to hear that Reed had returned for that final performance. Guinan will return to the Steppenwolf stage in
Fake beginning in September.
While dignitaries like
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn were on hand to witness the troupe's latest treasure, the symmetry of Steppenwolf's sweet serendipitous Sunday in New York and Chicago rounded out with actor
Jon Michael Hill of Lett's
Superior Donuts being in the Windy City house. While I can't say whether he'll be part of the transfer to Broadway this fall, I expect great things from this incredible young talent and believe Great White Way audiences will celebrate his name sometime soon.
And once again thanks to Steppenwolf, I'll have bragging rights not unlike those when I was among the first to see
August: Osage County nearly two years ago.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Broadway, Chicago, Deanna Dunagan, Francis Guinan, Ian Barford, Jon Michael Hill, Rondi Reed, Steppenwolf, Superior Donuts, Tracy Letts, Up
Down For The County, August House Empties OutExactly two years to the day after its Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning ride began on the Downstairs Stage at Chicago's
Steppenwolf Theatre,
Tracy Letts'
August: Osage County will close at the
Music Box Theatre, its second Broadway home.
Back on
June 28, 2007, Letts' sprawling, searing masterpiece began previews at its original Windy City home with a sizeable cross-section of talent from the company's estimable ensemble. As an enthusiastic and proud Steppenwolf supporter, I was disappointed to miss the original opening night in July of that year. But after seeing it one August night, I was enthralled as I found myself completely sucked in on one side and blown out the other.
Mind you, I'm blown away more often than not when I attend Steppenwolf's carefully selected plays. It's one of the reasons why I have become such an ardent supporter and fan. But the feeling I had after seeing
August: Osage County the first time was something way beyond anything I typically experience. I knew I was witnessing something truly extraordinary and rare in the annals of theatre history.
Of course, by the time I saw it, word had already reached New York and beyond. In my initial review, I summed up by stating:
I've already heard rumor that this Steppenwolf world premiere play is already being touted for consideration by the Pulitzer Prize committee and that a Broadway transfer may be a real possibility. However, my strong recommendation is to do everything you can to see this modern-day, sure-to-be classic with its impeccable current cast.
Little did I realize then that nearly everyone from that original Chicago cast would make their way to New York for the initial Broadway run, which began previews on October 30, 2007. Nor did I realize quite the way they'd take New York by storm, conquering the hearts and minds of theatregoers who hungered for something exciting and new. It mattered little that the running time was nearly three and a half hours because as one of my favorite Steppenwolf friends once told me before I ever saw the work, "This is the fastest three and a half hours you'll ever spend inside a theatre."
Plans for
August: Osage County's opening night were scuttled thanks to the stagehands strike in the fall of 2007 (yours truly had been thrilled to be invited to attend as it was to be my first opening night of any Broadway show). Shortly after the strike was settled, opening night performances for a slew of shows was hastily arranged, and just my luck, my work prevented me from attended the rescheduled opening on December 4, 2007, for
August. Nevertheless, the play never got lost in the shuffle as it opened to
rave reviews.
By now, you know that the accolades didn't stop there. On
April 7, 2008, Tracy Letts was honored with a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Nominations for all the major theatrical awards came shortly thereafter with the Tonys providing the cherry on top. On
June 15, 2008,
August: Osage County won five Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Actress in a Play (
Deanna Dunagan for her bravura performance as Violet Weston), Best Director (
Anna D. Shapiro), Best Featured Actress in a Play (
Rondi Reed for her stellar turn as Aunt Mattie Fae Aiken) and Best Scenic Design (
Todd Rosenthal).
I managed to see
August: Osage County three times during its Broadway run --
once at the
Imperial Theatre with everyone from the original Main Stem cast except, sadly,
Dennis Letts, the playwright's father who was nearing the end of his valiant battle with cancer, and twice at the
Music Box, which provided a much more intimate experience for taking in this larger than life drama.
Third time, by the way, was the charm when it came to my attending opening nights. It was a complete joy to be in
London last November when most of the cast reassembled for the opening of
August: Osage County at the National Theatre.
So while I'm a little melancholy today that the play is closing, it's hard to feel too sad when you consider that it's doing so after 648 remarkable performances -- longer than any other current play on Broadway and the longest run for a play since
David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize/Tony-winning
Proof enjoyed 917 performances from 2000-2003. It's been an amazing run. I continue to marvel how this work has reconfirmed the theatre world's interest in Steppenwolf and made a star out of Tracy Letts' breathtaking writing.
As one door closes, certainly another one opens. As
noted in January, the North American tour of
August: Osage County kicks off next month on July 24 in Denver at the lovely
Ellie Caulkins Opera House before going on to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Toronto, Hartford, Washington DC, Tempe and Dallas, among many other cities. For a production that originally clicked its heels with a tagline, "There’s No Place Like Home," the tour will really come home to roost when it lands in Oklahoma on January 26, 2010 at the
Tulsa PAC - Chapman Music Hall.
Another door that will soon open is for Tracy Letts' latest play
, Superior Donuts.
I loved this surprisingly tender show when I saw it last summer at Steppenwolf and understand that Letts has been reworking the script and preparing it for its October 1 opening on Broadway.
Perhaps the biggest door of all to open may in fact be for the silver screen incarnation of
August: Osage County film. It
was confirmed last August that the work would be transformed into a feature film. You have to bet that Hollywood's hottest actors are vying for the opportunity to try on the Weston Family for size.
But something tells me that you haven't heard the last of the original cast of
August: Osage County. And with that, I'll just say so long for now.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Chicago, Closing Notices, Deanna Dunagan, Film, London, Play, Rondi Reed, Steppenwolf, Superior Donuts, Todd Rosenthal, Touring Production, Tracy Letts
August: Osage County (The SOB Revisit) - Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, London, United Kingdom**** (out of ****)From the moment Weston family patriarch Beverly (
Chelcie Ross) delivers the first lines of
Tracy Letts'
August: Osage County during its November-January detour through London, it was clear that the pinpoint precision of
Anna D. Shapiro's direction of her excellent ensemble could not be any finer.
In fact, not since first seeing the play at Chicago's
Steppenwolf a year ago last August with the original Beverly -- the late
Dennis Letts, father of the now Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright -- have I witnessed his opening monologue on marriage, drinking, pill-popping and sheer Americanism delivered so potently or ominously.
While Broadway audiences roared with laughter a bit more indiscriminately than their Chicago counterparts who were more rapt with attention, the London audience was surprisingly somewhere in between. Letts, Shapiro & Co. have succeeded in getting the Brits to let down their guard.
And how could they help it, given the sterling performances by original cast members
Deanna Dunagan,
Amy Morton,
Rondi Reed,
Sally Murphy,
Mariann Mayberry,
Kimberly Guerrero,
Jeff Perry,
Ian Barford and
Troy West, which remain as powerful as ever. I'm pleased to note that new castmembers
Molly Ranson as Jean Fordham (Ranson understudied the role on Broadway),
Paul Vincent O'Connor as Charlie Aiken (a dead-ringer for the original Charlie
Francis Guinan),
Gary Cole as Steve Heidebrecht and Chelcie Ross fit right into the often chaotic mix quite seamlessly, as if they belonged there all along.
If there was one surprise for me, it was the fresh perspective I gained in seeing this decidedly American play outside the United States. Beyond Letts' direct references to the so-called "Greatest Generation" came his own State of the Union address. Given the ongoing economic crisis, his summation of how America is faring now seems rather prescient in retrospect.
It's that extra nuance that imbues
August: Osage County with a sobering accounting of the American lifestyle itself that somehow eluded me on my three earlier viewings. It's also what makes this theatrical masterpiece even more vital today than it was when it won five Tony Awards six short months ago.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Amy Morton, Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Chelcie Ross, Deanna Dunagan, London, Play, Rondi Reed, Steppenwolf, The SOB Revisit, Tracy Letts
London: August In NovemberRight about now, I'm somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean en route to my second favorite city for seeing great theatre: London.
With the value of the dollar markedly better than it was a mere six months ago (essentially $1.54 per £1, versus the $2.05 I paid last April), I'm defying conventional wisdom that suggests no one is traveling far from home during this time of economic uncertainty.
My reason for going? Not only have I spent the majority of my Thanksgivings in London over the last 14 years, making this my own little holiday tradition, but this year, there's an extraordinary excuse. I'm flying to London so I can finally take in an opening night for Steppenwolf's
August: Osage County. Barring any emergency, my third time attempt should prove to be the charm.
You see, even though I had tickets for the
production's Chicago premiere a year ago last July, I found myself unable to attend, ironically due to a family function. But of course, once I caught
Tracy Letts' modern masterpiece in early August 2007,
I was effusive in my praise.
So taken was I with the show that I arranged to take in the transfer's opening night on Broadway. But a funny thing happened on the way to that auspicious occasion: the stagehands were striking, causing the Great White Way opening for
August: Osage County to be postponed to a date when I was unavailable. Nevertheless, I managed to see what would become both a Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning Best Play,
first at its original Rialto home in the
Imperial Theatre, and
then again during its Tony-winning weekend at its current
Music Box Theatre home.
While
August: Osage County is still playing there, albeit to capacity crowds of just under 60%, the original cast -- including Tony winners
Deanna Dunagan and
Rondi Reed -- has moved on. But now, if you're willing to travel across the pond to London, you can see
most of them recreate their roles one more time at the
National Theatre, once again under the brilliant Tony-winning direction of
Anna D. Shapiro.
In a recent
What's On Stage story, Shapiro finally explains the etymology of the play's unusual title:
"August" means the end of something, while "Osage" is an indigenous people’s term for the place where they live and "County" stands for the colonial assignment by the other people who displaced them. This play had been stewing in Tracy Letts’ mind for years and by the time we got to workshops with the company -- we had two of those -- the whole process evolved organically and fairly straightforwardly.
I'm looking forward to being part of this next, exciting chapter in the continuing organic evolution of
August: Osage County. Even more than being able to cheer the show on at June's Tony ceremonies, there's no place I'm more looking forward to being this year than Wednesday evening's first night performance of
August in London.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Broadway, Deanna Dunagan, London, Play, Rondi Reed, Steppenwolf, Tracy Letts, Transfer
August: Osage County (The SOB Revisit) - Music Box Theatre, New York, NY**** (out of ****)To think that one of the biggest stories to come out of Broadway this past year
began in Chicago less than one year ago.
The wild success enjoyed by actor/playwright
Tracy Letts'
August: Osage County all started last summer at the Windy City's celebrated
Steppenwolf. And I was there!
I know I'm not necessarily the first theatre blogger to have written about this stunning play, but I know my
SOB Review last August sounded the initial clarion call for many of you.
While one feckless
critic elected this past Sunday to
try raining on this brilliant play's parade, he's the only one who ended up getting wet. He's clearly in the minority. Mind you, I don't begrudge him his opinion one iota, but geesh, isn't it a little
fraught, if not tacky, to finally reveal his hand on the very day the Tonys were to be handed out?
The night
before the Tonys, I took in the second-to-last Broadway performances by
Deanna Dunagan,
Rondi Reed,
Francis Guinan,
Ian Barford and
Jeff Perry in their beloved
August: Osage County. The show was hitting on all cylinders, chugging like a steamroller. Only it didn't flatten anything -- its characters, the storyline, etc. If anything, the work has become even more multi-dimensional, more potent and intensely vivid, more so than on my earlier visits.
You see, this marked my third time passing through this modern masterpiece, and now that it's settled into the intimate
Music Box Theatre, it was my third venue.
Each time I've seen the show, a different actor has portrayed patriarch Beverly Weston, starting with the late
Dennis Letts (Tracy Letts' father) in Chicago, then
Munson Hicks at Broadway's
Imperial Theatre (who bravely took over during Letts' illness and subsequent death), and now
Michael McGuire at the Music Box. All three actors have certainly imbued their Beverly with their own unique stylings. Today, McGuire is succeeding with a surprising amount of laughs.
Still, I must admit to having enjoyed most the quiet, dignified shadings Letts brought to the role. During the performance I saw last summer in Chicago, his brief time on the stage was so effective and enthralling you could hear a pin drop.
On Sunday, Father's Day no less, I couldn't help but wonder how proud Dennis Letts would have been of his son taking home the year's highest honor reserved for a Broadway play, and a resounding, new
American classic at that. I'm just hoping that with a London run set to begin this fall that British critics don't misconstrue Tracy Letts' acceptance speech in which he stated:
I don't know all these people, I assume they're associated with the play. Writing is better than acting. You get to use your words, you don't have to be there eight times a week and I can guarantee you that this moment beats the hell out of auditioning for "Jag." I see some of you auditioned for that, too.
I want to thank the Tony committee for including a play with the other nominees. You know you're pretty stout company when Mark Twain doesn't get a nomination. Particularly Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler and Jerry Frankel. They did an amazing thing. They decided to produce an American play on Broadway with theatre actors. (Emphasis added) I see some of you are theatre actors, too.
I want to thank Steppenwolf Theatre, Martha Lavey, David Hawkanson, our board, our staff, Ed Sobel, Erica Daniels, these people have really helped foster the environment in which this play was made.
A special thanks to our Chicago theatre community, they are the ones who made this possible. Thank you very much.
Here's to Tracy Letts,
Deanna Dunagan,
Rondi Reed (the three are pictured above in an
exclusive SOB Photo),
Anna D. Shapiro and
Todd Rosenthal on their richly deserved Tony wins, and congratulations to Steppenwolf for doing its part in making Broadway plays relevant to American audiences once again.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here to check out Steppenwolf's very own August: Osage County blogs. Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Things I Learned At The Tonys... (June 17, 2008)
Tony Awards: Win Place Show (June 16, 2008)
August: Coming To A County Near You (June 12, 2008)
SOB's 2008 Tony Picks - Who Will Win (June 10, 2008)
SOB's 2008 Tony Picks - Part III (June 6, 2008)
SOB's 2008 Tony Picks - Part II (June 5, 2008)
SOB's 2008 Tony Picks - Part I (June 4, 2008)
SOB's Best Of 2007-08: Best New Plays (May 30, 2008)
More August Honors (May 19, 2008)
Whoopi! Tony Eligibility And More Handicapping (May 9, 2008)
An August Award (April 7, 2008)
Today's The Day ... Or Maybe Not (April 7, 2008)
Producer's Perspective Is Sneak Peek (March 24, 2008)
Fantasy Casting Calls (February 26, 2008)
Dennis Letts - RIP (February 24, 2008)
August: Osage County (The SOB Revisit) (February 20, 2008)
August: Osage County Will Extend Again, Moving To Music Box (February 15, 2008)
Is It Just Me, Or... (Part III) (January 22, 2008)
Hot, Hot, Hot August Just Got Longer (January 14, 2008)
SOB's 7 Singular Sensations Of '07 - #1: Deanna Dunagan (December 31, 2007)
SOB's 7 Singular Sensations Of '07 - #3: Amy Morton (December 29, 2007)
ModFab: The Jury Is In (December 28, 2007)
August: Best Time Of The Year (December 15, 2007)
Sorkin "No Tracy Letts" (December 14, 2007)
More Than One Critic Letts August Esteem Show (December 5, 2007)
August Heat Fires Up December Opening (December 4, 2007)
Cold Opening Possible For August: Osage County? (November 16, 2007)
Finally, Back To The Table (November 14, 2007)
Add August To The List? (November 14, 2007)
An August Work (October 30, 2007)
Steppenwolf Letts "Juicy" August Move Forward (September 15, 2007)
This October, Letts' "August" Begins On Broadway (August 22, 2007)
August: Osage County (The SOB Review) (August 19, 2007)
Labels: Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Broadway, Deanna Dunagan, Dennis Letts, Michael McGuire, Munson Hicks, Play, Rondi Reed, Steppenwolf, The SOB Revisit, Todd Rosenthal, Tracy Letts
August: Osage County (The SOB Revisit) - Imperial Theatre, New York, NY**** (out of ****)Last week, I finally returned to
Tracy Letts'
August: Osage County after
having been blown away last August by his absolutely brilliant, riotous script and the stellar performances by its Chicago-based
Steppenwolf cast.
While some of the casting has changed for its Broadway run, the show runs even deeper, more visceral the second time around. It hasn't lost any of its dramatic punch -- if anything, it hits even harder with greater precision that I would not have even thought possible. Credit
Anna D. Shapiro for sharpening this play into a razor-sharp, whip-smart American classic. And it's even funnier, too.
Although
my original SOB Review summarizes the way I still feel about
August: Osage County, there is always a joy in seeing a truly exceptional work for a second time because you're able to appreciate all the underlying nuances that may have slipped by the first time.
While Letts never shies away from an in-your-face verve, he also infuses plenty of subtle charm, particularly in capably bringing his softer moments full circle. One prime example lies within the shades of patriarch Beverley Weston seen in daughter Barbara's eleven o'clock Jim Beam swilling soliloquy. Sure, both Beverley and Barbara were rambling on in front of the hired help, but both were on a search for their very souls.
Another fine example derived from Beverley's one and only appearance comes from his haunting exhortation of
T.S. Eliot, only to see the great poet's work offered up by that same hired help to comfort one key character.
In addition to luxuriating in the play's artful undertow, I also found myself more deeply immersed in each of the fully realized characterizations.
Yes, there is still no denying that
Deanna Dunagan (Violet) single-handedly delivers a bravura performance for the ages as the matriarch of the Weston clan.
Amy Morton still gives as good as she gets -- and even better -- as Violet's daughter Barbara. And
Rondi Reed's Mattie Fae is still likely to remind you of your favorite, if she wasn't so crazy, aunt. These three actresses are all at the top of their game and will surely be remembered come Tony time.
Yet it was the performance of
Francis Guinan as Mattie Fae's long-suffering husband Charlie that really popped for me the second time around. While no character in this show is without their own dynfunctional imperfections, Guinan offers a sweet dignity to the proceedings, especially when considered against one of the play's many revelations exposing the startling truth about his own son.
Additionally,
Mariann Mayberry -- who, like Guinan, is a Steppenwolf ensemble member I've admired in countless roles in Chicago -- offers such a wonderfully delusional turn as Violet's daughter Karen, pretending to have discovered the secret to happiness (equated to New Year's wedding bells and Belize), even though her world is crumbling around her for everyone else to see.
Since first seeing the show last summer in Chicago, I've known I witnessed something very, very special in the world of live theatre. When I wrote
my review last August, I said:
By far the best-written, best-acted play I've ever seen at Chicago's Steppenwolf -- and that's no small feat -- August: Osage County is ensemble member Tracy Letts' masterpiece.
It's mesmerizing.
To say it's the most excellent stage production I've seen this year would be a gross understatement.
Six months later, after much reflection, I can attest that this is
the best new stage play I've seen over the last five years. Now that the show is enjoying an
open-ended Broadway run, do yourself a favor and see it in all its glory.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:August: Osage County Will Extend Again, Moving To Music Box (February 15, 2008)
Is It Just Me, Or... (Part III) (January 22, 2008)
Hot, Hot, Hot August Just Got Longer (January 14, 2008)
SOB's 7 Singular Sensations Of '07 - #1: Deanna Dunagan (December 31, 2007)
SOB's 7 Singular Sensations Of '07 - #3: Amy Morton (December 29, 2007)
ModFab: The Jury Is In (December 28, 2007)
August: Best Time Of The Year (December 15, 2007)
Sorkin "No Tracy Letts" (December 14, 2007)
More Than One Critic Letts August Esteem Show (December 5, 2007)
August Heat Fires Up December Opening (December 4, 2007)
Cold Opening Possible For August: Osage County? (November 16, 2007)
Finally, Back To The Table (November 14, 2007)
Add August To The List? (November 14, 2007)
An August Work (October 30, 2007)
Steppenwolf Letts "Juicy" August Move Forward (September 15, 2007)
This October, Letts' "August" Begins On Broadway (August 22, 2007)
August: Osage County (The SOB Review) (August 19, 2007)
Labels: Amy Morton, Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Broadway, Deanna Dunagan, Francis Guinan, Mariann Mayberry, Play, Rondi Reed, The SOB Revisit, Tracy Letts
More Than One Critic Letts August Esteem ShowLast evening, the Broadway show I've been anticipating more than any other this season opened to -- surprise! -- critical acclaim.
Tracy Letts'
August: Osage County marks the first time in six years that Chicago's esteemed
Steppenwolf Theatre has been represented on the Great White Way -- the last time was with 2001's Tony Award-winning Best Revival of Play
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starring Steppenwolf co-founder
Gary Sinise.
To be frank, I always thought his co-star
Amy Morton was robbed of a Tony nod that year as the dreaded Nurse Ratched. But now that she's back in Broadway's
Imperial Theatre with a vengeance as one of
August: Osage County's dysfunctional daughters, could it be that this fine American character actress will finally get her due? She and co-star
Deanna Dunagan certainly seem hands-down candidates given the rhapsodic reviews from New York's feisty critics.
Heralding this as "flat-out, no asterisks and without qualifications, the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years,"
The New York Times'
Charles Isherwood (
HELLO NY TIMES, WHERE IS BEN BRANTLEY?!) lavishes praise: "Fiercely funny and bitingly sad, this turbo-charged tragicomedy — which spans three acts and more than three blissful hours -- doesn’t just jump-start the fall theater season, recently stalled when the stagehands went on strike.
August throws it instantaneously into high gear....Mr. Letts infuses his dark drama with potent energies derived from two more populist forms of American entertainment....Ms. Dunagan is simply magnificent in this fabulously meaty role. Such is the mesmerizing power of her performance that as Violet’s snake eyes scan the horizon for a fresh victim, claw-hand dragging a Winston to her grimly set mouth, you may actually find yourself sinking in your seat, irrationally praying that she doesn’t pick on you. (I was cowering myself.)"
In yesterday's review for
The Farnworth Invention,
Variety's
David Rooney already provided a harbinger of things to come when he lamented about
that show's audiences, "They just won't necessarily be the sophisticated audiences seeing Broadway plays on the same block, like...
August: Osage County." Today,
Rooney expounds with an ecastatic review: "[D]espite being known for the gory thrills and paranoiac chills of punchy little plays like
Killer Joe and
Bug, Letts has pulled off this bold undertaking with structural panache, propulsive dramatic momentum and acid-drenched wit that never lets up....Director
Anna D. Shapiro skillfully draws on the deep-grooved associations of a tight-knit company to add texture and collective history to the large gallery of characters....Under Shapiro's firm-handed direction, this is flawless ensemble playing."
Calling the show an "astonishing creation," the Associated Press'
Michael Kuchwara keeps the bouquets coming: "Deanna Dunagan transforms the woman into a harridan of the first order. It's a mesmerizing portrait of a person who knows how to hurt those closest to her and is willing to do so....Morton, in particular, delivers an amazing portrait of a woman whose own marriage has fallen apart....What's extraordinary about Letts' creation of these women is that you can see the mother in each of her daughters -- but he doesn't stint the other characters either."
Adding to the huzzahs by noting its "peerless cast and crew from Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, (and it) is a very, very good play,"
Eric Grode of
The New York Sun who concludes: "[S]uch reflection also unearths line after line of intensely satisfying comedy, interspersed with remarkable evocations on the cruelties and (occasional) kindnesses of family life. It also yields the near-miraculous performances by Ms. Dunagan and Ms. Morton, who offer an emotional one-two punch unlikely to be bested anytime soon. In almost any other play, their work as a mother and daughter who are more alike than either cares to admit would stand out all the more. Surrounded by the overarching excellence of
August: Osage County, they're just two cantankerous cogs in a welloiled yet gloriously squeaky machine."
Proclaiming
August as a "note perfect production,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News also cheers: "Letts' perspective is bracingly fresh. He lets fly so many original and diabolically funny ideas about fear, yearning and relationships that he reinvigorates the family drama and brings it up to date. While he's at it, you're laughing hysterically one minute and appalled the next as the 3 1/2 -hour play flies by. Whether you're from a loving family, a broken one or somewhere in between, you'll recognize every character, each one groping for some sort of happiness....Amy Morton proves unforgettable....Anna D. Shapiro's direction is masterful."
Lauding Letts' work as a "sneakily towering achievement,"
Rob Kendt's review in
Newsday is headlined "Season's first must-see": "He's crafted a grand, multigenerational, train wreck that's practically Greek in its scale and its pitch-black emotional color, yet he's given it all the irresistible zing of domestic comedy - albeit of a particularly rueful hue....Letts shows a similar mastery with all his introductions, in a play crammed with characters. But he also deepens and complicates them as much with novelistic nuances as with a series of nasty shocks that keep our attention, and keep the play within shouting distance of melodrama. Given those histrionic heights, it's a joy to report that these steeped-in-Steppenwolf Theatre actors, under Anna D. Shapiro's flawless direction, are the sort of cool customers who won't be caught acting, let alone overdoing it."
Also applauding the show as "enormously entertaining,"
Clive Barnes of
New York Post offers three stars: "The immaculate staging is by Anna D. Shapiro, and the ensemble acting by the whole cast (most of whom, like Shapiro and Letts, are members of the Steppenwolf Theater Company) is simply beautiful.
August: Osage County would be worth seeing for the acting and staging alone. Luckily, Letts' cheerfully scabrous play doesn't make that necessary."
Now, if you
haven't purchased your tickets to see
August: Osage County after reading these and my very own
SOB Review, what
are you waiting for?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:August Heat Fires Up December Opening (December 4, 2007)
Cold Opening Possible For August: Osage County? (November 16, 2007)
Finally, Back To The Table (November 14, 2007)
Add August To The List? (November 14, 2007)
An August Work (October 30, 2007)
Steppenwolf Letts "Juicy" August Move Forward (September 15, 2007)
This October, Letts' "August" Begins On Broadway (August 22, 2007)
August: Osage County (The SOB Review) (August 19, 2007)
Labels: Amy Morton, Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Deanna Dunagan, Play, Steppenwolf, Tracy Letts, Transfer
An August WorkThis evening, previews begin at the
Imperial Theatre for one of the year's most anticipated Broadway arrivals,
Tracy Letts'
August: Osage County.
And the transfer from Chicago's
Steppenwolf now has a little wind beneath its wings as
it won six major awards including Best Production and Best New Work at last evening's Joseph Jefferson Awards -- the Windy City equivalent to Tonys.
I've raved about this excellent new play and believe it will not only be a contender come Tony time, but deserves a Pulitzer Prize nomination. It's that caliber.
During last night awards ceremonies, the show also was honored for Best Director
Anna D. Shapiro, Best Ensemble, Best Actress
Deanna Dunagan (who really has to be seen to be believed -- she's that amazing), and Best Scenic Design (
Todd Rosenthal for his three-story set).
If you haven't already purchased tickets, do so now for this 16 week limited engagement.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Steppenwolf Letts "Juicy" August Move Forward (September 15, 2007)
This October, Letts' "August" Begins On Broadway (August 22, 2007)
August: Osage County (The SOB Review) (August 19, 2007)
Labels: Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Broadway, Deanna Dunagan, Jefferson Awards, Play, Steppenwolf, Tracy Letts, Transfer
August: Osage County (The SOB Review) - Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, IL**** (out of ****)As regular readers know, I employ a four-star system to rate the live stage productions I see. Four stars are strictly reserved for the best of the best.
However, if I could defy my own rules, I'd give
August: Osage County five stars. Under the exceptionally sure and steady guiding hand of
Anna D. Shapiro, it's that hot of a show. And the direction isn't the only thing that's sweltering on the stage.
By far the best-written, best-acted play I've
ever seen at Chicago's
Steppenwolf -- and that's no small feat --
August: Osage County is ensemble member
Tracy Letts' masterpiece.
It's mesmerizing.
To say it's the most excellent stage production I've seen this year would be a gross understatement.
While it would be far too easy to think of this as some modern-day version of
Eugene O'Neill's
Long Day's Journey Into Night, the three-hour, 20-minute family saga is at once chilling
and funny. Letts, an Okahoma native, ingeniously paints a picture of life that's both bleak and vital in the immense, rural area to the northwest of Tulsa where temperatures easily soar in the eighth month of each year.
August: Osage County centers on a heavy-drinking poet Beverly Weston (
Dennis Letts, the playwright's father, in a subtle poignant portrayal who haunts the play long after his lone appearance) and his venomous drug-addled wife Violet (a breathtakingly potent
Deanna Dunagan, pictured, in
the single most important performance I've seen yet this year).
Despite Violet's often delusory state, she manages to retain an iron grip on the roost, lording over her three daughters -- Ivy (
Sally Murphy oozing neuroses), who yearns to break free of her mother's tight tether by skipping town with cousin Little Charles (
Ian Barford at his most complex); Colorado-based Barbara (
Amy Morton at her most deliciously high-strung), whose visit home is complicated by her rocky relationship with husband Bill (Steppenwolf co-founder
Jeff Perry in a wonderful welcome return); and Miami-based Karen (
Mariann Mayberry , glorious in her vulnerability) whose pronouncements that she's living in the here and now, complete with the specious declaration that she no longer lets anything get her down, come across more as protestations of the "too much" variety.
Violet's tentacles also suck in her own seemingly clueless sister Mattie Fay (
Rondi Reed in a delectable departure from portraying Madame Morrible in Chicago's
Wicked) and her husband Charlie (a wonderfully obtuse
Francis Guinan).
My first twinge in realizing just how excellent this production would be was in the opening scene. Beverly is not so much interviewing Johnna (Kimberly Guerrerro), a mysterious young native American woman, for a housekeeping position as much as he's preparing her for the tumult she's about to face in the wake of his departure. He's long-since resigned to losing his battle with the bottle and his wife's addictions to the many drugs she takes, yet he wants to leave Violet in caring hands. During their conversation, Violet makes her first incoherent drug-hazed entrance, and it becomes clear that Johnna will have her hands full.
Once Beverly is gone, the rest of the family descends on the home, which is fraught with bombshell after bombshell, which of course are impossible to sweep under the rug. But the biggest revelation is just how handily this superb ensemble moves from humor to pathos.
Ann G. Wrightson's creative lighting design illuminates everything
unseen from the television that various characters use in trying to escape their hellhole to the flashing lights of a squad car that arrives with news of Beverly.
Richard Woodbury, who ironically worked on the last Broadway revival of
Long Day's Journey Into Night, offers a sound design that heightens the tension. And Todd Rosenthal's three-story set design turns this home into the powder keg it actually is while offering its characters no real isolation from each other -- with the notable exception of Johnna's third-floor sanctuary.
I've already heard rumor that this Steppenwolf world premiere play is already being touted for consideration by the Pulitzer Prize committee and that
a Broadway transfer may be a real possibility. However, my strong recommendation is to do everything you can to see this modern-day, sure-to-be classic with its impeccable current cast.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Amy Morton, Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Chicago, Deanna Dunagan, Play, Steppenwolf, The SOB Review, Tracy Letts
