Brief Encounter (The SOB Review) - Studio 54, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City, New York
**** (out of ****)
Returning to any show that completely immerses you with one spellbinding ripple after another is often fraught with peril. Will it stand up the second time around or will those earlier memories suffer from a backwash that crashes hard from being far less satisfying?
In revisiting
Emma Rice's excellent
Brief Encounter, which opened last evening at
Studio 54, I realized I need not have worried about whether this play with music would hold up to a repeated viewing or further scrutiny. As much as
I loved the show earlier this year in Minneapolis, I found my heart and soul swimming yet again, this time even deeper in a sea of bliss. In short,
Brief Encounter is better than ever.
Rice's ingenious adaptation of
Noël Coward's screenplay cleverly punctuates live action -- often breaking the fourth wall -- with some of Coward's signature tunes. Before the show even begins, Rice sets the mood as her supporting players are out in the orchestra section of the theatre, serenading the audience as it playfully interacts with them as movie theater ushers from a bygone era. However, what they're really ushering in, quite simultaneously, are two distinct eras.
The first era harkens back to that pre-World War II time when Coward was in his prime.
Brief Encounter is nothing if not a truly cinematic melodrama in which two lovers first meet by complete happenstance in a train depot restaurant. Laura (
Hannah Yelland) gets a speck of dirt caught in her eye. Having already caught the eye of a doctor, Alec (
Tristan Sturrock), she receives immediate attention from him.
But because this is England, circa 1930s, and these are English characters replete with the proverbial "stiff upper lip," the inhabitants of
Brief Encounter are quite proper, if not repressed, in expressing themselves and their feelings. Compounding the matter for Laura is that she's a married mother of two who has settled into a humdrum life. As much as the spark of love from Alec appeals to her, she's reticent in allowing herself to be completely swept away.
Which leads to the second era that those
Brief Encounter ushers have shown our way to -- a new era in theatre that seamlessly blends the live action on (and off) the stage with silver screen images and
Gemma Carrington and
Jon Driscoll's Tony-worthy projection design (if there actually
were such a category). The result is a theatrical experience unlike any other -- theatre of the future. That experience allows unfettered access into the hearts and minds of Laura and Alec as love's crashing waves wash over them, almost quite literally.
Yelland and Sturrock are picture perfect as the two lovers. While Alec may go overboard for Laura in more than the figurative sense, neither Yelland or Sturrock overplay their hands into anything resembling camp -- a decidedly difficult task when doing melodrama.
Rice's supporting cast is equally superb, including
Annette McLaughlin as Myrtle, the restaurant proprietor, and
Joseph Alessi in the dual roles as Myrtle's suitor and Laura's husband.
Gabriel Ebert and
Adam Pleeth will melt your heart with their splendid renditions of some of Coward's most tuneful songs.
The magnificent
Brief Encounter succeeds on so many levels, but particularly because it dares to be different. It'll have you swooning, too.
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: Annette McLaughlin, Brief Encounter, Broadway, Emma Rice, Gemma Carrington, Hannah Yelland, Jon Driscoll, Joseph Alessi, Noel Coward, Play, The SOB Review, Tristan Sturrock
Broadway's Brief Encounter To Only Last Few Months
Beginning September 10, Broadway audiences will have a short window of opportunity to see the theatrical production I deemed as
my personal favorite for all of last year.
That's when the breathtaking British import of
Noël Coward's
Brief Encounter from
Kneehigh Theatre starts its limited run at
Studio 54. Seemlessly blending film and music with live action as its conceit, director
Emma Rice ingeniously builds on the precepts from the Oscar-nominated
1945 motion picture penned by Coward.
The story centers on two married strangers who enjoy a chance meeting in a train station only to find themselves swept away in a mad love affair. Silver screen images are shown on the stage, but it's magnificently brought to life with a captivating fusion with live theatre.
Roundabout describes
Brief Encounter as follows:
Roundabout Theatre Company in association with David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Cineworld presents the breakout hit Kneehigh Theatre's production of Noël Coward's Brief Encounter, adapted and directed by Emma Rice.
Brief Encounter updates a classic tale of longing with fresh power and passion. Brief Encounter is an imaginative new work that combines elements of the beloved film and the Noël Coward play on which it was based with song, dance and Technicolor displays of emotion.
Led by
Tristan Sturrock as Alec and
Hannah Yelland as Laura, the cast also includes
Joseph Alessi,
Dorothy Atkinson,
Damon Daunno,
Gabriel Ebert,
Edward Jay,
Annette McLaughlin and
Adam Pleeth. With the exception of Ebert, who served as an understudy for
Eddie Redmayne on
Red, all are making their Broadway debuts.
Since
Brief Encounter defies any tidy description, it simply doesn't seem fair to say much more because the melodrama has to be seen to be believed and fully appreciated.
But I will add one more thing. It took
Brief Encounter's spellbinding trip back in time to catch a glimpse of the future in entertainment and the integral role projection designs like those offered here from
Gemma Carrington and
Jon Driscoll can have in stage productions.
As the first Broadway play or musical of the season to open (September 28),
Brief Encounter is only scheduled for a limited run at Studio 54 now extended through January 2, 2011. This is a must-see.
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: Brief Encounter, Broadway, Emma Rice, Film, First Word On New Show, Hannah Yelland, Kneehigh Theatre, Noel Coward, Play, Tristan Sturrock
Brief Encounter (The SOB Review) - McGuire Proscenium, Guthrie, Minneapolis, Minnesota**** (out of ****)The all too
Brief Encounter is one of the most magnificent entertainment productions you're likely to see anywhere this year.
But what exactly is it?
Well, catching its final U.S. stop (after it made its way from London to San Francisco and then New York), I can tell you that
Brief Encounter practically defies description. It's a bit like that candy bar -- think "you got your film in my stage play" vs. "you got your stage play in my film."
As its conceit, director
Emma Rice ingeniously builds on the precepts from the Oscar-nominated
1945 motion picture written by
Noël Coward about two married individuals who enjoy a chance meeting in a train station only to find themselves swept away in a mad love affair. Silver screen images are shown on the stage, but it's seemlessly brought to life with a captivating fusion with live theatre. Topping off this delectable treat is a perfect blend of music from the era that breaks the fourth wall.
To say much more beyond this doesn't seem fair because this excellent production has to be seen to be believed and fully appreciated. But I'll add one more thing. It took
Brief Encounter's spellbinding trip back in time to catch a glimpse of the future in entertainment and the integral role projection designs -- like those offered here by
Gemma Carrington and
Jon Driscoll to mesmerizing, dramatic effect -- can have in stage productions.
I enjoyed every moment of this thrilling, if brief, ride.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Brief Encounter, Emma Rice, Film, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Noel Coward, Play, The SOB Review
Coward's Laughter Presented For Fifth Time On BroadwayWhat do acting greats
Clifton Webb,
George C. Scott,
Frank Langella and now
Victor Garber all have in common with playwright
Noël Coward, whose
Present Laughter is opening for its fifth time on Broadway this evening?
The answer? Each has portrayed the play's suave, yet egocentric actor Garry Essendine on the Great White Way.
Nicholas Martin directs Garber on his return to Broadway after a 10 year absence. A four-time Tony nominee in his own right, Garber has become a household name over the last decade for his Emmy-nominated work on the
little screen, although he's also been in many
hit movies, too.
Garber is joined in this incarnation of
Present Laughter by
Brooks Ashmanskas as Roland Maule,
Lisa Banes as Liz Essendine,
Nancy E. Carroll as Miss Erikson,
Alice Duffy as Lady Saltburn,
Holley Fain as Daphne Stillington,
Pamela Jane Gray as Joanna Lyppiatt,
Harriet Harris as Monica Reed,
James Joseph O'Neil as Fred,
Richard Poe as Henry Lyppiatt and
Mark Vietor as Morris Dixon.
With frequent productions on both sides of the Atlantic since it was first staged in 1942,
Present Laughter remains a favorite from the Coward canon.
It was first produced on Broadway at the
Plymouth Theatre, where it ran for 158 after opening October 29, 1946. Webb was its star.
The
first Main Stem revival was mounted at the
Belasco Theatre in early 1958. Hard to believe it only lasted a scant 6 performances, given that Coward was not only at the helm, but also starring as Garry himself, a role meant to serve as his very own self-caricature. The revival also starred
Eva Gabor as Joanna Lyppiatt.
The
second Broadway revival, mounted at the
Circle in the Square Theatre in July 1982, was significantly more successful and featured a truly stellar cast that could earn its audience members some major bragging rights. Not only did
George C. Scott portray Garry, but he also directed this
Present Laughter that featured
Kate Burton as Daphne Stillington,
Dana Ivey as Monica Reed,
Christine Lahti as Joanna Lyppiatt and a young
Nathan Lane in his Broadway debut as Roland Maule. While the production that lasted 175 performances drew no Tony nominations, Scott, Ivey and Lane would each receive Drama Desk nods, while Burton received a Theatre World Award.
Scott Elliott directed the last Rialto revival of
Present Laughter at the
Walter Kerr Theatre, where it opened November 18, 1996. Like its predecessor, this revival enjoyed a run of 175 performances. Langella starred as Garry and
Allison Janney played his estranged wife Liz; both earned Drama Desk nominations and Janney took home a Theatre World Award. The show itself would be Tony nominated for Best Revival of a Play.
Which brings us back to the present
Laughter. Will Martin's latest revival
present lots of laughter and mirth? I'll let you know shortly after I see the show within the next few weeks.
The
Roundabout Theatre Company's limited run revival of
Present Laughter at the
American Airlines Theatre is currently slated to close on March 21, 2010.
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. Labels: Broadway, Brooks Ashmanskas, Clifton Webb, Frank Langella, George C. Scott, Harriet Harris, Nathan Lane, Nicholas Martin, Noel Coward, Play, Present Laughter, Revival, Victor Garber
Blithe Spirit (The SOB Review) - Shubert Theatre, New York, New York*** (out of ****)Talk about truth in advertising. With a virtuoso performance by one of the greatest stage actors of our time,
Noël Coward's
Blithe Spirit certainly lives up to its name.
Any chance to see
Angela Lansbury tread the boards is more than worth the effort. But as Madame Arcati, the legend effortlessly demonstrates the merry agility and grace of someone half her age. Lansbury packs more acting into her seemingly simple expressions and nimble, free-spirited movements than many actors exhibit in a lifetime.
Fortunately, Lansbury shares the stage of
Blithe Spirit with a top drawer cast, including
Rupert Everett (in his dashing Broadway debut as novelist Charles),
Jayne Atkinson (hilarious as his second wife Ruth) and
Christine Ebersole (luminous as Charles' deceased wife Elvira, who's not only been summoned from the dead by Madame Arcati during a seance, but she refuses to leave).
Initially, Coward's comedy made its West End debut a mere two months after the infamous Nazi
Blitz on the United Kingdom had ended. Britain had suffered through nine devastating months of bombings that killed more than 43,000, half of them in London. No wonder audiences at the time were so eager to embrace such a mirthful show, even one that used the dead to liven spirits.
Fast forward 68 years to the current production.
Michael Blakemore's steady direction has polished the "improbable farce" up nice and shiny. And with its sterling cast, the resurrected
Blithe Spirit sparkles anew for today's audiences needing a perfect escape.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit, Christine Ebersole, Jayne Atkinson, Michael Blakemore, Noel Coward, Play, Revival, Rupert Everett, The SOB Review
More Than In Spirit: Ebersole Will Be Back On BroadwayWith the nation, let alone the world, holding its collective breath as our do-nothing Congress apparently has yet to grasp that the entire global economy is on the line, it was a relief to read a
welcome message providing some modicum of escape.
Christine Ebersole is returning to the Great White Way in an improbable farce:
Blithe Spirit. Ebersole will portray the eponymous ghost named Elvira.
This will mark the second Broadway revival for
Noël Coward's three act farce, which made
its Rialto debut on the cusp of America's entry into World War II on November 5, 1941. It was a celebrated and -- given the time, no doubt -- a most welcome success that not only lasted 657 performances at both the
Morosco Theatre and
Booth Theatre, but managed to enjoy a
return engagement of another 32 performances at the Morosco with four of its original principals --
Mildred Natwick,
Philip Tonge,
Clifton Webb and
Peggy Wood -- intact.
Leonora Corbett portrayed Elvira in the first incarnation, while
Haila Stoddard haunted the latter.
The
first revival of
Blithe Spirit was mounted at the
Neil Simon Theatre in March 1987. Under
Brian Murray's direction, the production lasted a mere 104 performances. In a bit of serendipitous casting, the production starred
Blythe Danner as the Blithe Spirit, alongside such talent as
Richard Chamberlain,
Judith Ivey and
Geraldine Page, who received a Tony nomination.
While the rest of the cast has yet to be announced,
Michael Blakemore is set to direct the production that will begin previews on February 26 and open in March at a Shubert Theatre "to be determined."
Any chance I have to enjoy a little mirth during a time of crisis sounds good to me, and even better, I can't wait to see Ebersole perform again. My only question here is this. Whatever
did happen to those
announced plans to mount
Grey Gardens in London?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blithe Spirit, Broadway, Christine Ebersole, First Word On New Show, Michael Blakemore, Noel Coward, Play, Revival
Private Lives (The SOB Review) - McGuire Proscenium Stage, Guthrie, Minneapolis, MN
*** (out of ****) One thing you could never accuse
Nöel Coward of is an innate fear of being ahead of his time.
The wickedly witty genius -- who easily shifted from writing to directing to composing to performing and producing -- could do it all with enormous style and panache throughout his 73 years. Nothing exemplifies his gloriously devilish sophistication quite like the effervescent
Private Lives, which is currently being revived with class to spare at Minneapolis'
Guthrie.
So vital and ahead of its time is this Coward work that it's been revived on Broadway six times since it first debuted in 1931 -- Coward not only directed that initial production, but starred in it alongside his longtime friend
Gertrude Lawrence, as well as
Laurence Olivier.
Thankfully, Guthrie selected precisely the right go-to director for the suitable dollop of verve and sauciness necessary to make this retelling a complete delight:
Peter Rothstein.
I've previously written about Rothstein being one of the Twin Cities' best and most inventive directors -- indeed,
my very first post on Steve On Broadway was a review of one his productions.
Rothstein is making a name for himself by frequently taking on difficult at best material and breathing new life into it. Yet, he's primarily done so in secondary or tertiary venues. Until now.
Apparently, the Guthrie has also taken appropriate notice of his immense talent and has lifted him to the big leagues. And rightly so. But this time around, he's taken a smart classic and made it sing.
It doesn't hurt that he has a completely game cast that includes
Veanne Cox (Amanda),
Tracey Maloney (Sibyl),
Kris L. Nelson (Victor),
Stephen Pelinski (
Elyot) and
Sally Wingert (Louise, a maid). Nor does it hurt that he's amassed top drawer creative talent, with Guthrie veterans
John Arnone providing an exquisitely opulent set design (including a nice nod to Paris'
Montmartre), Marcus
Dilliard supplying a visually stunning lighting design (ranging from said
Montmartre to the simple elegance of a moving elevator) and Reid
Rejsa offering an outstanding sound design (from an unseen band playing to the amplified sound of a
victrola to crickets chirping).
But all this window dressing alone would matter little if the direction doesn't flow. Like a fine
brut popped just right, I'm pleased to report that
Rothstein sets the right tone on a story that could easily be overplayed. Instead,
Rothstein supplies a deft touch to an oh-so-elegant script.
While sometimes evocative of a quirky cross between a madcap episode of "
I Love Lucy" and the legendary real-life love-hate-love affair of
Elizabeth Taylor and
Richard Burton,
Private Lives centers on two exes, Amanda and
Elyot, who happen to meet again while on honeymoons for their second marriages. After their chance meeting, they discover that their visceral love -- or is it loathing? -- still smolders. With just the slightest blow, their flame comes back alive.
Cox and
Pelinski are perfectly paired as the
tempestuous, impetuous couple, who do the unthinkable in ditching their recently betrothed by heading for Paris. They pledge that if they ever begin to quarrel, one of them would offer a safe word so they'd both stop. Inevitably, they come to blows as no safe word can contain them.
With a simple roll of her eyes, Cox communicates more than many actors say with a spoken word.
Pelinski offers the epitome of debonair charm, reminiscent of
David Niven.
Maloney, who last gave her Laura
Wingfield a haunting luminescence in the Guthrie's
The Glass Menagerie shines anew with a comic turn as
Elyot's spurned wife Sibyl. As Amanda's new husband Victor, Nelson is earnest and sweet, yet surprisingly funny. And as the deadpan
French-speaking maid,
Wingert -- a Guthrie fave -- nearly steals the show as each little movement and sly, subtle look earns approving roars from the audience.
Here's to
Rothstein & Company for uncorking a
Private Lives that's as bubbly and light as a glass of champagne. I'll drink to that!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Susannah (The SOB Review) (March 5, 2007)
The Glass Menagerie (The SOB Review) (February 16, 2007)
Carousel (The SOB Review) (February 9, 2007)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) (October 13, 2007)
Floyd Collins (The SOB Review) (April 24, 2006)
Labels: Guthrie, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Noel Coward, Play, Private Lives, Revival, Sally Wingert, Tracey Maloney, Veanne Cox
Brief Encounter (The SOB Review) - Studio 54, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City, New York
