Frost/Nixon (The SOB Revisit) - State Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota*1/2 (out of ****)You'd think that all the ongoing Oscar buzz generated by the
film progeny of Broadway's
Frost/Nixon would be enough to place everyone associated with the
current national tour squarely on their "A" game.
With stage director
Michael Grandage apparently phoning it in with a lackluster ineffectual cast, I'm sorry to say that you'd be very wrong.
Granted, I just saw the silver screen incarnation over the past two weeks, and yes,
I thought it better than the original Broadway mounting (see my 2007 SOB Review
here). But this touring production pales dramatically in every sense of the word and is likely to disappoint the throngs of filmgoers who have been inspired to seek out the source material. If ever I doubted the extraordinary ability of
Frank Langella and
Michael Sheen to rise above
Peter Morgan's script, those doubts have forever been put to rest, even as the current cast sinks beneath it.
First and foremost,
Stacy Keach is just plain wrong as
Richard Nixon. Keach is a distinguished actor, to be sure, but he only rarely achieves any of the Nixonian cadences and posturing Langella effortlessly mastered. Sure, Langella may only bear a fleeting approximation to Nixon, but he had me believing. Even
Bob Ari, the actor who portrays
Robert Zelnick doing a Nixon impersonation is better (Ari also understudies Keach, after having understudied Langella on Broadway). The overly robust Keach, on the other hand, doesn't even seem to try, instead eerily coming off more like the personification of
Peter Griffin of television's "
Family Guy."
Speaking of cartoonish performances,
Alan Cox as
David Frost infuses his characterization with a mad dash of
Austin Powers. Sadly, to say that he gives the best performance of the evening is not saying much.
Perhaps the worst is the laughably miscast
Brian Sgambati as
James Reston, a narrative role intended to provide an undercurrent of moral and righteous indigation. However, Sgambati's Reston is merely a boy scout, exhibiting an inappropriately earnest gee-whiz half smile that makes questioning of whether Frost should work with this "loose cannon" completely incongruous -- loose marble is more like it.
Do yourself a favor, save your loose change and go see the far superior film version of "Frost/Nixon" with Langella and Sheen in lieu of the impeachable tour. It's one of the few times I've ever recommended a silver screen incarnation over a live stage show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Alan Cox, Brian Sgambati, David Frost, Film, Frost/Nixon, Michael Grandage, Peter Morgan, Play, Richard Nixon, Stacy Keach, The SOB Revisit, Touring Production
Frost/Nixon Better On Silver ScreenJust when I thought it was not possible for a film to be better than its stage precursor, along comes
Ron Howard's enthralling
big screen adaptation of
Peter Morgan’s play
Frost/Nixon.
Please don't get me wrong. Nothing can match seeing
Frank Langella as
U.S. President Richard Nixon duke it out with
Michael Sheen as British television talk show host/gadfly/womanizer
David Frost live on stage. Both were superb, and Langella was completely deserving of the Tony Award he received for his portrayal of our disgraced president.
But seeing these two exceptional actors again, now with a completely fleshed out and contextualized story line -- compliments of Morgan himself -- now ensures that Langella and Sheen's stellar performances are matched by the material itself.
Yes,
I still have an issue with the ficticious middle-of-the-night telephone call that plays such a pivotal role in this story, especially since most casual observers will believe it to be fact. But that alone should not stop anyone, including students of history, from seeing the film. Or the North American
touring stage production, for that matter.
On that note, I'll be taking in one of the early legs of the tour, just so I can compare the two versions of
Frost/Nixon once more.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, David Frost, Film, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, Michael Sheen, Peter Morgan, Richard Nixon, Ron Howard, Touring Production
Broadway Preview: A Man For All SeasonsLess than a half year after the
passing of
Paul Scofield -- the actor's actor will long be remembered for his Tony and Academy Award-winning portrayals of
Sir Thomas More in the
1961 Broadway stage and
1966 film productions, respectively, of
A Man For All Seasons -- a new
Doug Hughes-helmed Main Stem
revival is slated to begin preview performances at the
Roundabout Theatre Company's
American Airlines Theatre on September 12.
Opening night is scheduled for October 7. The limited engagement will run through November 30.
This first revival of
Robert Bolt's
A Man For All Seasons will be headlined by three-time Tony Award winner
Frank Langella as the
English Chancellor who famously defied
King Henry VIII by standing up for his beliefs. This will be Langella's first Great White Way turn since his Tony-winning performance last year as another historical figure,
Richard Nixon, in
Frost/Nixon.
The original Rialto production opened on November 21, 1961, and was honored with four Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Actor (Scofield) and Best Direction (
Noel Willman). That mounting of
A Man For All Seasons enjoyed a run of 637 performances before closing June 1, 1963.
Given Langella's propensity for earning critical accolades and theatre honors, expect
A Man For All Seasons to be a hot ticket. Tickets go on sale for American Express cardholders on July 16; for everyone else, August 1.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Paul Scofield - RIP (March 20, 2008)
Labels: A Man For All Seasons, Doug Hughes, First Word On New Show, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, Paul Scofield, Play, Revival, Roundabout Theatre
Are Blogs Making The Time-Honored Preview Obsolete?Remember the "good old days" of theatre when bad news traveled at such a snail's pace that a stinker show could go through an out-of-town tryout and few in the Big Apple would pay any serious attention?
Time was when producers, directors, writers and the actors could work out all the kinks on the road, or at least during the all-important lead-up to the big Broadway opening night.
But no more.
Now, thanks to the blogsphere, the buzz (or its antithesis) begins almost as instantly as one audience member begins acting as scribe, letting friends and readers far and wide know exactly what he or she thought. Essentially, shows can run, but they can't hide, in part due to the global proportions of blogging.
For example, last week, I posted my
SOB Preview of Young Frankenstein. It's the first time I've ever blogged about a show that had not yet opened -- including during its trial run in a city far, far away from the bright lights and glare of the Great White Way. Yet, simply because I could, I did. And my regular readers, along with those googling "Young Frankenstein Seattle Review," could easily find out my take on the unfinished product. Indeed, my statcounter has shown that this has been one of my top-viewed postings of late.
Already, according to a cursory search on
Technorati, there are well over 100 individual reviews of the same show. This, despite the fact that it hasn't even opened yet in Seattle, let alone New York.
The net effect? It's further threatening the relevance of mainstream news media outlets all the more, as
Seattle Times theatre critic
Misha Berson all but acknowledges in her thought-provoking piece on why she's not able to weigh-in on the show. No matter that the Internet is already full of reviews -- both good and bad -- by amateurs like myself. It reduces venerable news sources to being also-rans.
I suspect that the other effect is far greater. Could it force productions to significantly pare back previews or scuttle them altogether? Ironically, in the aforementioned good old days, the typical number of previews prior to opening night was miniscule or non-existent.
Can you believe that the original production of
Oklahoma! never had a single Broadway preview prior to its 1943 opening night? Contrast that with the
most recent production -- which was imported from the British stage in 2002 -- that had 25 previews. That's up substantially from the
1979 production, which had a mere nine previews.
Consider that the original 1975 production of
A Chorus Line, which transferred directly from the Public Theatre, had no previews. Yet the
current production, known for being staged ostensibly the same as the first one, had 18 previews.
If you're thinking that a transfer mitigates the need for lengthy previews, think again. This year's Tony Award winning Best Musical
Spring Awakening, which transferred from a highly successful run at the Atlantic Theatre (albeit with further refinements), still required 28 previews.
In fact, if you were to add up all the preview nights of all 21 shows currently running on Broadway, you'd have a grand total of 566 nights of previews, or just over 26 per show. That ranges from the inexplicably low 14 previews of
Mamma Mia! to the outrageously long gestation period for
Xanadu, which clocked in a whopping 49 previews thanks to injuries.
Even recent runs of acclaimed plays were close to the average in terms of previews.
Frost/Nixon had 23 previews on Broadway, despite its critical success in the United Kingdom with the same two principals.
The History Boys, which had the exact same cast as its heralded National Theatre and West End runs, apparently still needed its 10 previews on the Great White Way.
Or did it?
In the age of the blogosphere, are previews now living past their shelf date? Since bad news travels faster than ever, almost with glee if the show's particularly awful (read:
The Pirate Queen), would producers at the very least be wise to reconsider their liberal use of the preview?
You tell me! Vote in my latest SOB Poll and then weigh in with your point of view below.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Chorus Line, Blogs, Broadway, Frost/Nixon, Mamma Mia, Oklahoma, Previews, Spring Awakening, The History Boys, Tryout, Xanadu, Young Frankenstein
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best New Plays
Throughout the course of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season, I've enjoyed the opportunity to see a wide variety of new plays -- 21, in fact.
Some of them were original Broadway runs, while others were world premieres, while still others were regional interpretations of major new works. Many dealt with intriguing current issues or historical events, while others simply provided vehicles for stars making their return to the Great White Way.
On the whole, I treated myself to many outstanding and memorable productions. Here's my personal "5 Best" list of the dramas and comedies that had me at the edge of my seat over the past year:
1 - Sonia Flew (Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, IL)
Steppenwolf's splendid, soaring
Sonia Flew left me
positively chilled by giving me an experience unique among all my visits to this excellent theatre: real tears. And they were my own.
Packing a powerful wallop without being overly sentimental, the
Melinda Lopez drama won on so many levels:
Jessica Thebus' exquisite direction, Stephanie Nelson's gorgeous set design, Stephan Mazurek's haunting projection design and a truly superb cast. Ultimately, Sonia Flew packed its most decisive punch as an engrossing, richly-layered account of redemption. That redemption is realized by Sonia, a Cuban émigré who has made a new life for herself in Minneapolis.
Thanks to Lopez' gifted writing, the story comes full circle to a point that left me in tears. Not only did her words deeply affect me; so did the raw emotions and flawless talent of the impeccable cast --
Sandra Delgado,
Sandra Marquez,
Andrew Perez,
Vilma Silva,
Jeff Still and
Alan Wilder -- all showing incredible range and versatility in handling wildly divergent portrayals of two roles apiece. These fine actors infused their characterizations with just the right amount of emotional heft to be both believable and strangely intoxicating without ever being overwrought.
Click here for The SOB Review of Sonia Flew.2 - The Unmentionables (Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, IL)
Initially planned as a vehicle to showcase the talents of
Steppenwolf ensemble members
John Mahoney,
Laurie Metcalf and
K. Todd Freeman,
The Unmentionables was certainly worth mentioning even without them. Playwright
Bruce Norris' compelling brilliance was woven throughout his compelling tale, which enjoyed its world premiere last summer at Chicago's Steppenwolf.
Like so much of Norris' previous work, things are never exactly what they seem. His very humorous yet explosive play forced the audience to look in the mirror he so deftly held up to them, with a dare to look closely at themselves, confront prejudices and ponder how they'd behave in the midst of panic or crisis. The play's many twists were expertly helmed by Anna D. Shapiro, particularly in the layered dialogue that exposes the sanctimonious frauds Norris believes all too many Americans are.
The cast was absolutely superb. But let me single out
Amy Morton (shown above to the right of Shannon Cochran) for offering one of the most memorable performances of the past year as the ditzy wife of a shady American businessman. Morton once again demonstrated just how incredibly versatile and funny she can be with her boozy, sex-deprived wife who simply can't keep quiet (think of the airline passenger from hell who just won't shut up) -- this is the best performance I've seen from her since she portayed Nurse Ratched on Broadway in Steppenwolf's
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest back in 2001.
Click here to see The SOB Review of The Unmentionables.3 - The Year Of Magical Thinking (Booth Theatre, New York, NY)
When finally seeing the transformation of author
Joan Didion's critically-acclaimed 2005 book "
The Year Of Magical Thinking" to its
Broadway stage incarnation, I had already made the conscious decision not to read her work in advance. I wanted to enjoy the play for what it is. The result: I was absolutely stunned, not only by the breadth of the heartbreaking virtuoso performance by
Vanessa Redgrave, but also by the very exacting and deliberate words Didion herself chose to tell her story to a wider audience.
Coping with the death of a loved one is certainly never easy, but in a beautifully subtle, almost poetic sense, Didion through Redgrave walks herself and her audience through the inevitable phases of denial and acceptance, along with the will to persevere -- at first for the sake of keeping hope alive for the dearly departed, but then to maintain one's own solitary sanity. I was awestruck by how intoxicating Didion's words were flawlessly delivered by Redgrave, along with the wellspring of heartfelt emotion shown when the acceptance phase finally takes hold, as well as the realization when it does.
No small wonder that Didion is so circumspect in deliberately cautioning her newfound audience that this indeed could happen to them. In fact, since Redgrave as Didion so gracefully girds the audience with what is unmistakably a gentle and compassionate embrace, I believe she should be praised for sharing her insights on her tremendous losses. She's certainly earned that right.
Click here for The SOB Review of The Year Of Magical Thinking.4 - The History Boys (Broadhurst Theatre, New York, NY)
Yes, I realize that
Alan Bennett's Tony Award-winning Best Play
The History Boys was a hit from last season; however, it wasn't until this past fall that I finally had the opportunity to see the show. I did so during its last weekend on Broadway.
While the subplot -- concerning the predation by teacher Hector (
Richard Griffiths) of his exceptionally gifted and intelligent students -- often overtook the primary plotline of his care in preparing them for their pursuit of Cambridge and Oxford admissions (I saw the play the day
after the infamous Mark Foley page episode erupted into the headlines), I found myself mesmerized by the highly fascinating and utterly funny performance.
Nicholas Hytner's direction was both fast-paced and jarring, moving swiftly from scene to scene, interspersed with
Ben Taylor's fascinating video sequences that continued telling the story outside the classroom as
Bob Crowley's effective, efficient set design is quickly changed. Ultimately, this is an ensemble piece with some extraordinarily talented actors, young and old. While Tony Awards were bestowed upon Griffiths and
Frances de la Tour, it's the sensitive, perfect breakthrough performance by
Samuel Barnett (pictured) as outwardly gay student Posner that ranks among the most affecting I saw over the past year.
Click here to see The SOB Review of The History Boys.5 - Radio Golf (Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL)
Before it landed on Broadway, I caught playwright
August Wilson's powerful and gripping final drama
Radio Golf with much of the same creative team and cast behind the
Cort Theatre production.
As moved as I was by the incredible performances, I couldn't help but wonder whether Wilson ever succeeded in reconciling his own mainstream, critical success with the vehement antipathy his protagonists express toward African Americans who willingly play ball with the "white establishment." Set in the nineties,
Radio Golf certainly charts the great strides blacks have made, but Wilson also seeks to expose how many have sold out to whites to the detriment of their own people.
Almost everything about this production was top-notch, from
Kenny Leon's direction to
David Gallo's outstanding set design that was completely evocative of a neighborhood neglected by time and lack of capital. But I reserve special praise for the brilliant cast.
Hassan El-Amin, who didn't make the journey to Broadway, provided a spectacularly nuanced performance as the would-be mayor, easily maneuvering from the early euphoria of assured success to an explosive finish. Yet it's the impassioned performances by both
Anthony Chisholm -- a Wilson staple -- and
John Earl Jelks that deserve special recognition for the moral compass they provided (and the actors have received Tony nominations for their performances in the Broadway production).
Click here for The SOB Review of Radio Golf.Honorable Mentions:As mentioned above, I had the opportunity to see many outstanding productions during the course of the past year. The following two productions merit special honorable mention:
- Edgardo Mine (McGuire Proscenium Stage, Guthrie, Minneapolis, MN) -- Alfred Uhry's riveting and vitally important play Edgardo Mine examined the real-life 19th Century struggle between the Catholic Church and Jewish parents whose gravely ill son had been baptized without their knowledge. Under the expert direction of Mark Lamos, Edgardo Mine had me seriously struggling to determine where love and devotion end and evil and demonization begin. (Click here to see The SOB Review of Edgardo Mine)
- Frost/Nixon (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, New York, NY) -- Frost/Nixon’s finest moments are derived directly from the interviews between talk show host David Frost and disgraced U.S. President Richard Nixon, and that’s when the production shifts into high gear. It’s during these passages that Frank Langella (Nixon) and Michael Sheen (Frost) really shine. Just as Langella is breathtaking as his Nixon steamrollers over Frost in the early interview stages, you can’t help but be awed by how Sheen’s Frost cowers like a punch drunk fighter not knowing what hit him. Notwithstanding the flaws in Peter Morgan’s overall script, the two actors deliver two of the most riveting performances of the year. (Click here to see The SOB Review of Frost/Nixon)
What were the best new plays you saw over the past year? I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your theatre experiences with me.
Also, don't forget to vote for the shows you believe will win in each of the four major Tony Award categories: Best Musical, Best Play, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play. You'll find all four polls on the right-hand side of Steve On Broadway.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Frost/Nixon tickets.Click here for Radio Golf tickets. Click here for The Year Of Magical Thinking tickets.Related Stories: SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Plays (May 16, 2007)
The SOB Five "Worst" Of 2006-07 (May 14, 2007)
SOB's Best & Worst Of 2006-07 Theatre Season (May 14, 2007)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #1 - Theater Of The New Ear (May 30, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #2 – Guys And Dolls (May 26, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #3 – Hedda Gabler (May 25, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #4 – A Blameless Life (May 24, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #5 – Reeling (May 23, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #6 – “MASTER HAROLD”…And The Boys (May 21, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #7 – Love Song (May 19, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #8 - Billy Elliot The Musical (May 18, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #9 - The Well-Appointed Room (May 17, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #10 - Sweeney Todd (May 15, 2006)
SOB's Best and Worst of 2005-06 Theatre Season (May 12, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2003-04 (May 25, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 25, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2001-02 (May 24, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2000-01 (May 23, 2006)
Labels: Best New Plays, Edgardo Mine, Frost/Nixon, Play, Radio Golf, SOB's Best of 2006-07, Sonia Flew, The History Boys, The Unmentionables, The Year Of Magical Thinking
Frost/Nixon (The SOB Review) – Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, New York, NY
*** (out of ****)
Call it a case of overblown expectations.
No, I am not a kook.
After tracking the trajectory of
Peter Morgan’s play, from the time London’s
Donmar Warehouse announced the impending world premiere through its opening night on Broadway, I’d placed this show at the top of my list of dramas to see.
As previously noted, I’m a student of history and politics and vividly recall the actual landmark interviews of Nixon by British talk show host/gadfly/womanizer
David Frost, as well as the traumatizing, cataclysmic historic events that led Nixon to his place as the only president to resign his office.
While Morgan succeeds in going beyond the one-dimensional characterizations of the duo that are all too easy -- and, in fact, demonstrates a surprising degree of empathy for the former leader of the free world (so much so that I wondered whether his reading signaled a desire to declare Nixon’s much-desired rehabilitation complete) -- his fictionalization of conversations that never took place took me aback. Most egregious was Nixon’s drunken phone call to Frost late in the play.
Captivating? Yes. Memorable? You bet. Fascinating theatre? Without a doubt. But, such flagrant abuse of the facts borders on an abrogation of artistic license.
The play may run an intermission-less two hours, but
Michael Grandage’s direction moves the production along quickly after a slow start.
Frost/Nixon’s finest moments are derived directly from the interviews themselves, and that’s when the production shifts into high gear. It’s during these passages that
Frank Langella (Nixon) and
Michael Sheen (Frost) really shine. Just as Langella is breathtaking as his Nixon steamrollers over Frost in the early interview stages, you can’t help but be awed by how Sheen’s Frost cowers like a punch drunk fighter not knowing what hit him.
Notwithstanding the flaws in Morgan’s overall script, the two actors deliver two of the most riveting performances of the year. Their body language alone exhibits more potent artistry than the vast majority of performances I’ve recently seen. While it took some time for me to get beyond Langella sounding more like
Walter Cronkite than Nixon (and Sheen initially comes across more like a shrill
Austin Powers), each acquits himself well beyond a reasonable doubt.
In the end, however, almost in spite of Nixon’s apology during the last interview for his wrongdoing, it’s the magnificent Langella who triumphs with the 2006-07 Theatrical Season’s most impassioned, nuanced performance. That makes
Frost/Nixon a must-see event.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Broadway, David Frost, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, Michael Grandage, Michael Sheen, Play, Richard Nixon, The SOB Review
Nixon: Knowing What I Know And When I Knew itAs a student of history and political science (
those were my majors in college, as opposed to theatre, communications or English) who also had an earlier political career in both Washington DC and my childhood home state (Wisconsin), I naturally gravitate toward political theatre. After all, what could be more theatrical than the art of politics? (Most of the real thing
is rather bad, isn't it?!)
So it's against that backdrop that I confess to you the Broadway play I'm most looking forward to seeing this spring is
Frost/Nixon, starring
Michael Sheen as television talk show host/gadfly
David Frost and
Frank Langella as the disgraced
U.S. President.
Personally, as much as I hate to admit to it, I'm old enough to remember how devastating the damning truth of the
Watergate crisis was on this country, as bit after bit of new information slowly dribbled onto the front pages of newspapers and hovered like a dark cloud over the nation for what seemed like an eternity.
Yes, I remember watching the Senate's Watergate hearings and listening to individuals like
John Dean coming before the committee and divulging details of the cover-up, as well as what Richard Nixon knew and when he knew it. I remember the Constitutional crisis that developed over the White House's attempts to thwart the investigation by claiming executive privilege. I remember Nixon on the verge of becoming the second U.S. President to be impeached by the House for high crimes and misdemeanors And I certainly remember watching Nixon announce to a heartsick nation that he would resign the office of the Presidency on August 9, 1974. What had become a long national nightmare stretching over two years was finally in its final hours.
Three years later, after the non-elected President
Gerald Ford was ousted by
Jimmy Carter from the White House -- in part because of his pardon of the former President -- Nixon reemerged, ready to reclaim his legacy via his Administration's most positive initiatives (détente with the Soviet Union, resumption of dialogue with Mainland China, etc.), but he needed a forum for his redemption.
Enter David Frost, a British talk show host known as much -- or perhaps more -- for his womanizing, navel-gazing ways as for his journalistic prowess. I vividly recall the media hype surrounding the actual Frost interviews of Nixon and the manner in which both were seeking some level of redemption.
In my mind, that provides the type of riveting story you simply can't make up. In an era where there were just three commercial television networks (ABC, CBS and NBC), virtually no cable television and certainly no
new media like the Internet, the Nixon interviews became events unto themselves.
So, one week prior to making my personal pilgrimage to the
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre to see the dramatization surrounding the interviews, I have been awed not only by the positive
reviews and
buzz, but also by stories like
Michael Riedel's in yesterday's New York Post, which heralds this as actor Frank Langella's "history-making moment."
Simply put, I can't wait to see this show. While I know I'll be retracing my formative thinking from over thirty years ago, I also know that I'll likely leave that Broadway theatre with a fresh perspective on the man who so utterly disappointed and disgraced his nation more than a generation ago.
As a student of history, I'll certainly let you know what I think in an upcoming SOB Review. But I at least wanted to advise you in advance how that review will have been informed before I write it.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Critics Acquit Frost/Nixon (April 23, 2007)
Frost/Nixon Ready For Broadway Close-Up Tonight (April 22, 2007)
Box Office: Theatregoers Don't Passover Broadway (April 9, 2007)
West End Transfer Of Frost/Nixon Opens This Evening (November 15, 2006)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Critics Find Frost/Nixon to Be Unimpeachable (August 23, 2006)
London's Frost/Nixon Opens Tonight (August 23, 2006)
Sheen/Langella to Portray Frost/Nixon in London (June 2, 2006)
Labels: Background, Broadway, David Frost, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, History, Play, Richard Nixon
Critics Acquit Frost/Nixon
Praising it as "briskly entertaining,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley is very favorable: "[L]et it be proclaimed, with drums and fanfare, that theater decisively trumps television in the production that opened last night at the
Bernard B. Jacobs Theater....Most of the credit for this victory belongs to a truly titanic performance from the man playing the famously sweaty victim of a cool medium. That’s
Frank Langella, whose portrayal of Nixon is one of those made-for-the-stage studies in controlled excess in which larger-than-life seems truer-to-life than merely life-size ever could."
Proclaiming the play "one of those definitive Broadway experiences" in his three-and-a-half star review,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes opines: "It is the job of the actors and the director (referee, perhaps?)
Michael Grandage to make it interesting. And do they ever. You watch with the kind of fascinated delight rare in the theater as Langella and Sheen go at one another with the dedicated skill of a Muhammad Ali and a Joe Frazier."
Citing "pair of champion actors at the top of their game,"
Elysa Gardner of
USA Today offers up three and a half stars: "Langella's Nixon...seems a little buffoonish, though the actor wisely stops short of caricature. However shameful or complacent Nixon might seem, however dopey his jokes about political life or his perspiration problem, Langella provides subtle, masterful hints of the reserves of frustration and cunning his character harbors..As supremely entertaining theater, though,
Frost/Nixon is an undisputed winner."
Calling it "entertaining if sketchy," the Associated Press'
Michael Kuchwara is positive: "The play is awash in urgency, both verbally and physically. Under Grandage's direction, it never stops moving, particularly while setting up the ultimate confrontation between talk-show host and subject....Langella perfectly captures (Nixon's) defensive uncertainty....Yet the actor's portrait is never cartoonish, and despite his ultimate admission, a degree of sympathy emerges for the man."
Labeling this as "lean and "
David Rooney of
Variety is mostly upbeat: "(Morgan's) first stage play turns the potentially dry docudrama of a disgraced former president's unexpected public apology into lively sociopolitical reflection....while it's easy to imagine the play seeming more fragile with less resourceful actors, (
Michael) Sheen and Langella could hardly be better....(Sheen) brilliantly underplays both the character's smarmy brashness and his faint air of desperation. Sheen's nuanced work as Tony Blair in "The Queen" was vastly underappreciated amid all the hosannas heaped upon Helen Mirren, and he risks a similar slight against the formidable Langella. Grandage nonetheless maintains a keen balance that serves both actors."
I'll be providing my own review of Frost/Nixon after taking in the show next week.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, Michael Grandage, Michael Sheen, Play, Transfer
Frost/Nixon Ready For Broadway Close-Up Tonight
Will American critics offer the same high level of praise as their British counterparts, or is a frostier reception in store? Find out tomorrow as I report on their reviews.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, Michael Grandage, Michael Sheen, Opening Night, Play, Transfer
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound?In this morning's
New York Post, theatre critic
Clive Barnes sizes up some of the current prospects for British imports to the Broadway stage. In addition to dutifully noting the eagerly anticipated
Mary Poppins due later this year, along with
Billy Elliot The Musical that will arrive by 2008, Barnes gives props to the ubiquitous
Michael Grandage-helmed productions. Those include two musicals (
Evita and
Guys And Dolls) and one play (
Frost/Nixon). All three have received their share of critical acclaim and box office success across the pond.
Barnes' personal favorite pick for a Broadway transfer is the highly praised revival of
Sunday In The Park With George that graced the London stage earlier this summer, although he doesn't hold as much hope for its arrival on the Great White Way as the aforementioned shows. He also is clearly optimistic about a the chances of
Tom Stoppard's
Rock 'n' Roll drama coming to American shores.
But the show that he thinks has the greatest potential for a Broadway bow is none other than the
Queen-inspired stinker
We Will Rock You -- a
bad jukebox musical that continues to play to UK audiences despite terrible reviews. It should be noted that it has already been produced in the United States at the
Paris Las Vegas, but like so many other theatrical productions hitting Sin City, the show closed much earlier than originally anticipated. Who would have thought Vegas audiences would have shown that much good taste?!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Billy Elliot Set for 2008 Broadway Bow? (September 6, 2006)
Critics Find Frost/Nixon to Be Unimpeachable (August 23, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
Evita to New York: I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You (June 28, 2006)
Sunday in the Park With George Revival Opens in London's West End (May 22, 2006)
Guys and Dolls Imported to Broadway from London? (May 15, 2006)
Rejoice! Gavin Lee to Cross Atlantic for Mary Poppins on Broadway (May 8, 2006)
Labels: Billy Elliot The Musical, Broadway, Evita, Frost/Nixon, Guys And Dolls, London, Mary Poppins, Rock 'n' Roll, Sunday In The Park With George, Transfer, We Will Rock You
Critics Find Frost/Nixon to Be UnimpeachableMonday night marked the opening in London of
The Donmar Warehouse world premiere of
Peter Morgan's
Frost/Nixon, which was based on the famous 1977 interviews by
Sir David Frost of disgraced U.S. President
Richard Nixon. With
Frank Langella as Nixon and
Michael Sheen as Frost, director
Michael Grandage appears to have another major success -- in terms of critical acclaim -- to his credit.
Providing 4 stars out of 5,
The Times'
Benedict Nightingale writes: "[W]hat gives the evening its frisson is partly the sense of watching history being made, and also the not-wholly-different characters of the principals....Factual, fictional, it makes for riveting drama."
The Guardian's
Michael Billington also bestows 4 out of 5 stars, noting, "[T]he real fascination of Morgan's play lies in its suggestion that, behind the contest, there was a symbiotic link between Frost and Nixon....The magnificent central performances offer an intriguing contrast."
Paul Taylor of
The Independent also strikes a laudatory, if cautionary, note: "
Frost/Nixon [is] a sharp, witty and haunting production by Michael Grandage....A canny, flawed, and fascinating piece."
Variety's
David Benedict also has praise: "As much about the rise of talkshow host David Frost as it is about the fall of Richard Nixon, his play is the story of two men, both in love with power. Their addiction to it is made all the more engrossing by Michael Grandage's taut, perfectly cast production....That Grandage's fleet zinger of a production should move to the West End, or even more likely, Broadway, is less a matter of conjecture than of inevitability."
Perhaps it's that last note that should give American audiences some hope that they might have another chance to get a fresh look inside the mind of their 37th President, all from the perspective of being more than thirty years beyond his resignation.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:London's Frost/Nixon Opens Tonight (August 23, 2006)
Sheen/Langella to Portray Frost/Nixon in London (June 2, 2006)
Labels: Critics' Capsule, Frost/Nixon, London, Play
London's Frost/Nixon Opens TonightDirector
Michael Grandage, whose musical revivals of
Guys And Dolls and
Evita have electrified London audiences over the past year, is about to enjoy yet another opening this evening. But this time, it's by taking
dramatic license with the historic mid-7os interviews of the only United States president to ever resign --
Richard M. Nixon -- by
Sir David Frost in
Peter Morgan's
Frost/Nixon. In
The Donmar Warehouse production,
Frank Langella will portray Nixon, while
Michael Sheen takes on the role of Frost.
While the
Frost/Nixon interviews made for compelling television back in 1977, will a dramatic theatrical recreation be riveting enough to capture critical buzz? We'll find out over the next few days as critics review the production.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Sheen/Langella to Portray Frost/Nixon in London (June 2, 2006)
Labels: Frost/Nixon, London, Opening Night, Play
