SOB's Best Of 2007-08: Best Revivals Of PlaysOver the past year, I've had an opportunity to see 22 revivals of plays throughout the United States. Many tested the limits of my imagination, while others simply tested my nerves, but overall, there were many fine productions to be seen.
Here's my personal "5 Best" list of the revivals I'm thankful I had a chance to see:
5 - Boeing-Boeing (Longacre Theatre, New York, NY)
Looking for the funniest, laugh-out-loud comedy now on the Great White Runway? Look no further than the current Broadway revival of
Boeing-Boeing. It's a mostly fantastic, high-flying farce. As absurd as the storyline is,
Matthew Warchus portentously propels this first class flight to a new altitude with a turbocharged cruising speed that left me breathless from laughing. Much of the marvelous mirth comes from watching
Mark Rylance, who proves even a great Shakespearean actor can be a worthy master of slapstick comedy. Nearly as wonderful is
Christine Baranski's wickedly funny propensity for broad comic relief, whether it's with an exaggerated roll of her eyes or via her deadpan, droll response.
Boeing-Boeing is about the wildest ride on Broadway. Fasten your seatbelts!
4 - A Bronx Tale (Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, NY)
Chazz Palminteri's enthralling solo show
A Bronx Tale arrived to well-deserved audience cheers from The Bronx and beyond when it was revived this season on Broadway. Palminteri vibrantly brought to life 18 different characters in an astonishing first-person account of his coming of age on some of New York City's toughest streets. A master storyteller, Palminteri succeeded in weaving a captivating ninety minute tale that built to a climax that can only be characterized as indisputably gripping theatre. I was in the palm of his hand.
Told from his heart, Palminteri's message was so powerful and breathtaking that it deserves to be heard far beyond The Bronx when the production begins its
national tour this fall.
3 - The Trip To Bountiful (The Albert, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL)
A theatrical experience that plainly stated exactly what it was, right up front, in its title,
Horton Foote's
The Trip To Bountiful was just that and so much more in the wonderful revival playing Chicago's Goodman Theatre earlier this year. The playwright's brilliance was more than proficiently realized by director
Harris Yulin through the incandescence of its performances. As the aptly named Carrie Watts,
Lois Smith provided an astonishing luminescence, burning brighter as her yearning to return home to a place called Bountiful, one last time, became a transformative power. Never mind that she was trying to get there against the will of her control freak daughter-in-law Jessie Mae, magnificently and haughtily portrayed by the playwright's daughter
Hallie Foote. Both actresses were nothing short of excellent.
With acting beyond bountiful, this was one show that was definitely worth making the trip to see.
2 - Pygmalion (American Airlines Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York, NY)
Sure, some audiences may have been expecting
My Fair Lady only to be disappointed by the lack of a score. But
David Grindley's splendid five act revival of
George Bernard Shaw's classic
Pygmalion was practically pitch perfect nonetheless, thanks in part to a flawlessly superb performance by
Jefferson Mays as Professor Henry Higgins and an equally compelling
Boyd Gaines as the genteel Colonel Pickering. With aplomb and grace,
Claire Daines proved a revelation as Eliza Doolittle. I adored this show and its genuine blissful humanity that echoed in the music of its lyrical spoken word.
Pygmalion is one period piece that remains timeless, and thanks to the
Roundabout Theatre Company, audiences had another opportunity to revel again in the story that launched the famous musical.
1 - Cymbeline (Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Lincoln Center, New York, NY)
Forget
Macbeth. Broadway's far superior
William Shakespeare revival of the year was
Lincoln Center's underappreciated
Cymbeline. Sending an unexpected, yet definable chill of delight shooting down my spine, I found myself utterly thrilled. Director
Mark Lamos restored the work's long lost luster via his brilliant, sparkling vision, empowering his cast to maneuver through the Byzantine layers of plot unscathed, as well as to navigate through the cadences of Shakespeare's often difficult language with such natural precision, grace and gusto, that they never felt unnatural or forced. In fact, Shakespeare never sounded so crisp. She may have received a Tony nod for her amazing work in
Top Girls for playing two very different roles, but in
Cymbeline, the luminous
Martha Plimpton moved every bit as skillfully from dazzled lover to forlorn royalty in hiding with unimpeachable ease that was equally moving.
Unquestionably, this was singularly the best production of one of the Bard's works I have ever seen.
So what were the best revivals of plays
you saw over the past year? I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your own theatre experiences with me.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:SOB's Best Of 2007-08: Best Special Theatrical Events (May 24, 2008)
The SOB Five "Worst" Of 2007-08 (May 23, 2008)
SOB's Best & Worst Of 2007-08 Theatre Season (May 22, 2008)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best New Musicals (May 22, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best New Plays (May 21, 2007)
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: A Bronx Tale, Boeing-Boeing, Chazz Palminteri, Cymbeline, Lois Smith, Martha Plimpton, Play, Pygmalion, Revival, SOB's Best of 2007-08, The Trip To Bountiful
August: Best Time Of The YearThe more appropriate title for this story really would be
August: Osage County is
Time's "Best of the Year," but no matter.
The point is that the theatre critic for the venerable news magazine has selected my personal favorite show of the past year as
his top choice for theatre. I couldn't agree more.
But the list itself is a bit suspect to be honest. I know everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, including Richard Zoglin, but c'mon.
I'll give Zoglin a pass on
The Farnsworth Invention and I may even agree with him on
Pygmalion, but how could the Broadway revival of
Grease possibly make any discerning critic's list? Zoglin says, "Even with reality-TV stars, a stylish, happy, underappreciated revival."
Still, it's in his top
ten?
Do
Grease and
best go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong?
Zoglin's full top ten list for 2007 includes:
#1 -
August: Osage County#2 -
Journey's End#3 -
Fuerzabruta
#4 -
The Overwhelming#5 -
Wooster Group's Hamlet
#6 -
Pygmalion
#7 -
Grease#8 -
The Farnsworth Invention#9 -
Eurydice#10 -
Intimate ExchangesOf these shows, only the Broadway shows,
Fuerzabruta and
The Overwhelming remain open
(Pygmalion's limited run closes tomorrow).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Best Of Lists, Broadway, Grease, Pygmalion, The Farnsworth Invention, Time
Did Pygmalion Suffer From Critically Great Deigns?The first revival in twenty years of
George Bernard Shaw's classic
Pygmalion opened last night at Broadway's
American Airlines Theatre. Reviews were decidedly mixed as some critics could have dissed all night.
Proclaiming that it "has plenty of class,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News offers one of the most positive reviews: "[B]y George, it's always compelling and often delicious, even if it does feel a tad claustrophobic.
Claire Danes, making her stage debut as Eliza Doolittle, beams confidence as the Cockney flower girl made into a society lady. Funny and feisty, she turns a scene in which Eliza makes polite conversation about the weather into something with gale-force hilarity....Mays plays the part as a prickly mama's boy prone to tantrums and bad behavior. It's daring. And it works....
Pygmalion all but sings without any music. I could have watched all night."
Dazzled by the "beguiling time" he had,
Michael Sommers of Newark's
Star Ledger is similarly positive: "[I]t's a pleasure to see how nicely the 95-year-old play can still tickle viewers in
Roundabout's first-class revival, which opened yesterday at American Airlines Theatre. The subject for Shaw's social satire -- the superficial nature of class distinctions -- is long outdated. Yet his 1912 story about the unlikely association of a phonetics expert with a Cockney flower girl remains entertaining....Making a lovely Broadway debut, Claire Danes ably traces the heroine's flowering from a 'quashed cabbage leaf' of Covent Garden into a cultivated beauty who enchants an embassy party. Initially performing with a Cockney yowl that sounds as authentic as her later elegant tones -- as well as a consistently graceful physicality -- Danes is a spirited yet sensitive Eliza."
Saying this
Pygmalion is "enjoyable enough," Bloomberg's
John Simon is mostly upbeat: "This being a comedy of manners and ideas, as well as a period piece and British, it requires a good deal from American actors, yet, by George (or Bernard), it pretty much gets it. Only in one place does it fall down seriously: in the casting of
Jefferson Mays as Higgins....There is, however, compensation in a very pleasant surprise: the Eliza of movie actress Claire Danes, who, contrary to preceding malevolent rumors, is a marvelous heroine....She even achieves that elegantly elongated English-rose look."
Despite his awe for the "dazzling Claire Danes"
New York Post's
Clive Barnes gives the show two stars: "
David Grindley's sober, somber, dark reading of the text, joined by
Jonathan Fensom's meager sets and costumes and
Jason Taylor's dimmish lighting, does the playwright few favors....Jefferson Mays, who plays Higgins here, seems more like a shopkeeper than a professor. He is shrill, abrasive and totally sexless."
Citing what he calls a "mothbally, duty-bound heft,"
Eric Grode of the
New York Sun mostly pans: "Mr. Grindley likes to give audiences something to chew on — even choke on — as they leave the theater. And
Pygmalion has always encouraged a director's impulse to tinker, particularly in its final moments....This newly melancholy interpretation runs completely afoul of Shaw's printed directions, and yet it could be psychologically defensible....Mr. Grindley has fallen prey to the frequent habit of defanging Colonel Pickering, Higgins's genteel but only marginally less thoughtless co-conspirator; the poised decency that comes so naturally to
Boyd Gaines actually diminishes the role slightly....Ms. Danes lacks the tonal versatility to rise above this static conception of the role."
Linda Winer of
Newsday laments: "(Danes) has done herself no favors by making her stage debut as Eliza Doolittle....She likes to lunge during excited moments, but her pounce always seems a beat off the narrative....We appreciate Mays' determination to escape the shadow of
Rex Harrison by re-imagining Higgins as a far less dashing fellow. But Mays turns him into a
Richie Rich of a mama's boy, a busy and obnoxious twit with crazy eyes and exaggerated nervous habits, whose feet don't touch the floor when he sits on tables, which he does a lot. Of course, despite the happy end in
My Fair Lady, Shaw never meant this to be a romantic comedy. But without any chemical buzz between teacher and student, Grindley's decision to tack a sentimental spasm on Shaw's clear-eyed final moment feels especially contrived."
Calling it a "misfired revival,"
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times apparently was hoping to dance all night, failing to remember that this non-musical was not about love: "For there is not a whisper of mutual attraction between this production’s Eliza and Henry....(Danes') game, conscientious portrayal doesn’t make much of an impression here. The main event, the performance that’s most likely to provoke heated after-theater discussion, is Mr. Mays’s epicene Henry Higgins. Looking like a cross between the 1930s child star
Freddie Bartholomew and
Nathan Lane at his most impish, the smooth-faced Mr. Mays shatters the cranky-but-sexy mold of Henry Higginses past....Maybe I’m just one of those sentimental fools Shaw held in such contempt."
Well of course you are, Mr. Brantley! At least you hold no pretense about
that.
For the record, I liked it much more than many of the critics.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Pygamalion (The SOB Review) (October 19, 2007)
Come What Mays, My Fair Danes Opens Tonight (October 18, 2007)
Pygmalion Revival: There Is Nothing Like A Danes? (July 10, 2007)
Labels: Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Claire Danes, Critics' Capsule, George Bernard Shaw, Jefferson Mays, Play, Pygmalion, Revival, Roundabout Theatre
Pygamalion (The SOB Review) - American Airlines Theatre, New York, NY
***1/2 (out of ****)
If you're looking for a class act on Broadway -- or five for that matter -- look no further than
David Grindley's splendid five act revival of
George Bernard Shaw's classic
Pygmalion now gracing the stage of the
American Airlines Theatre.
And while
Jefferson Mays as Professor Henry Higgins is delivering yet another flawlessly superb performance, it's film actress
Claire Danes who's a revelation in her Broadway debut. With amazing aplomb and grace, Danes portrays the gutter snipe named Eliza Doolittle, first devouring the common street girl's accent and then morphing into the classy dame who unwittingly helps Higgins win a bet.
At that moment when the indefatigably clueless and rude professor deigns to utter the line, "Silly people don't know their own silly business," to an equally compelling
Boyd Gaines (as his fellow confirmed bachelor, the genteel Colonel Pickering) -- particularly as the former pats Eliza's head as if she were a pet -- Shaw neatly underscores his overarching point that class ain't all it's cracked up to be. It's also the type of delicious Edwardian irony that makes this play such a classic.
Through the boorish and overbearing Professor Higgins -- nicely counterbalanced by the earthy philosophy of Eliza's undeserving poor father Alfred (
Jay O. Saunders in a humorous spot-on performance) -- Shaw not only demonstrates that human decency has little to do with class distinctions, but also that intellectualism and common sense don't necessarily go hand in hand.
And speaking of class,
Helen Carey as Mrs. Higgins is the epitome of noblesse oblige, as she ponders early on what is to become of poor Eliza, long before the flower girl herself realizes that there's no turning back to the life she once had. She serves as a strong moral compass, trying to redirect her errant son.
I adore this show and its genuine blissful humanity that echoes in the music of its lyrical spoken word. Concerns among its characters over swear words like "devil," let alone "buggery," remain quaint chestnuts, reminding us how far we've come or gone.
Thanks to Grindley's sharp direction, accentuated quite literally by
Majella Hurley's dialect coaching, this
Pymalion moves swiftly with focus. Helping the five acts roll is the exquisite scenic design by
Jonathan Fensom that magically transports us from a rainy evening at London's
Covent Garden to the professor's study to Mrs. Higgins' parlor with the ease of his zigzagging sets (Fensom also does the honors with his costume designs).
Pygmalion is one period piece that seems timeless and well-worth revisiting. I strongly recommend this show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Come What Mays, My Fair Danes Opens Tonight (October 18, 2007)
Pygmalion Revival: There Is Nothing Like A Danes? (July 10, 2007)
Labels: Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Claire Danes, George Bernard Shaw, Jefferson Mays, Play, Pygmalion, Revival, Roundabout Theatre, The SOB Review
Come What Mays, My Fair Danes Opens TonightFirst produced on a Broadway stage almost exactly 93 years ago,
George Bernard Shaw's much beloved
Pygmalion comes to life on the Great White Way for the sixth time at the American Airlines Theatre. Most notable is the casting of
Jefferson Mays as Professor Henry Higgins and film actress
Claire Danes as Eliza Doolittle.
So who exactly was
Pygmalion? Why, he was a mythical sculptor king of Cyprus who fell in love with a statue of his own making, of course.
Some notable actors and actresses have filled the roles of the professor who sculpts a lady out of a common street urchin, including
Peter O'Toole and
Amanda Plummer in the
revival from 20 years ago (Plummer was Tony nominated, while the play received a nod for Best Revival of a Play), as well as
Raymond Massey and
Gertrude Lawrence in the
1945 revival. During the four short performances of the
1938 incarnation,
Frank Daly and
Norma Downey had the honors.
Reginald Mason and the legendary
Lynn Fontanne portrayed the duo during the
first revival in 1926.
All totaled, prior to the new 2007 revival,
Pygmalion has enjoyed 561 regular performances on Broadway, a feat that has, of course, been significantly upstaged by the play's musical progeny:
My Fair Lady, which has been produced four times on the Great White Way. In fact, the original run of the tuner alone enjoyed 2,717 regular performances!
With
David Grindley (
Journey's End) at the helm, this new
Pygmalion also includes
Boyd Gaines as Colonel Pickering,
Jay O. Sanders as Alfred Doolittle,
Kerry Bishé as Clara Eynsford Hill,
Kieran Campion as Freddy Eynsford Hill,
Helen Carey as Mrs. Higgins and
Sandra Shipleyas Mrs. Eynsford Hill.
Will critics hail this latest creation? Find out tomorrow as I provide a critics' capsule. I'll also be providing my own SOB Review as well.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Pygmalion Revival: There Is Nothing Like A Danes? (July 10, 2007)
Labels: Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Claire Danes, George Bernard Shaw, Jefferson Mays, Opening Night, Play, Pygmalion, Revival
Before The Holidays Strike?As
previously noted, a potential strike on Broadway looms as
Local One of the stagehands union (or International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) is renegotiating its contract -- that expired in July -- with the
League of American Theatres and Producers.
Despite the relatively collegial nature of the actual discussions
described as "businesslike and civil," there's an underlying threat that is likely causing incredible tension: the League has indicated that if they don't reach an agreement by the end of September, they will force a lockout in early October. What does that mean for theatre fans?
It could force
most of the Great White Way to go dark as early as October -- a time period when Broadway business is traditionally slower. That way, the League controls the timing as opposed to Local One, which could opt to strike during the very busy Holiday season that begins in earnest immediately prior to Thanksgiving.
Why most? Since
Roundabout Theatre Company,
Manhattan Theatre Company (MTC) and
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts are all not-for-profit organizations, their stagehands operate under different contracts.
Considering that the first two have the next three shows to open on Broadway --
Mauritius (October 4 at MTC's
Biltmore Theatre),
The Ritz (October 11 at Roundabout's
Studio 54) and
Pygmalion (October 18 at the Roundabout-leased
American Airlines Theatre) -- if you're looking for safe bets when buying theatre tickets, these would be the shows to see. Whether or not they're any good has yet to be determined.
Update (9/28/2007): The New York Times reports that Young Frankenstein, which will operate in a non-union theatre, and Mary Poppins will not be affected by any lockout or strike.As a loyal patron on Broadway and theatre in general, I don't have a dog in this fight. But since I'm holding tickets for several shows over the next few months, I'm hoping beyond hope that it doesn't come down to a lockout, which I'm fundamentally against.
Given the fact that the IATSE already has a contingency plan geared toward finding its members union work in television or film during any work stoppage, the only real loser in this fight will be the audience.
The audience is hardly an insignificant group, yet their interests aren't being represented by either side in this battle. The audience is not only paying higher ticket prices at the box office, but in many cases, especially around the Holidays, a substantial number are also incurring non-refundable airfares and exorbitant hotel rates (one of my regular readers told me that's she's paying over $500 per night just for a room in November).
And for what? The chance that they might come to the Big Apple only to learn that their show isn't even playing?!
Let's hope the two sides don't reach an impasse. If they do, they risk turning off the loyal theatregoing public that both sides need.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Thanks, Mel! (July 6, 2007)
Labels: Holiday, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Mauritius, Pygmalion, Strike, The Ritz, Ticket Prices
Pygmalion Revival: There Is Nothing Like A Danes?
According to
Playbill,
The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that
Claire Danes has been cast in the
David Grindley-helmed fall revival of
George Bernard Shaw's classic (and one of my all-time favorites)
Pygmalion.
Known for her riveting performances both on the big and little screens, Danes will make her Broadway debut as Eliza Doolittle opposite
Jefferson Mays as Henry Higgins.
The Roundabout Theatre Company's limited run opens October 18 at the
American Airlines Theatre.
Will she have the chops for the street urchin-cum-debutante? My guess is that she most definitely will, and I predict that this will be yet another Great White Way offering that attracts first-time theatre audiences. Personally, I can't wait to see her spar with Mays.
Which leads me to a friendly reminder that my current SOB Poll in which I ask what motivates you to attend Broadway shows is still available for your voting:
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Casting News That's Anything But De-Bate-Able (May 13, 2007)
Labels: Claire Danes, George Bernard Shaw, Jefferson Mays, Play, Pygmalion, Revival
Casting News That's Anything But De-Bate-AbleLast week, several major casting announcements were made that had me pondering potential trips. There are a number of actors I would traverse the globe in attempts to see perform live.
Currently at the top of the list, based entirely upon the past week’s casting notices, is film actress
Kathy Bates. The Academy Award-winning star will be performing in Philadelphia this October 26-November 25 in the world premiere of
Terrence McNally’s
Unusual Acts Of Devotion at the Philadelphia Theatre Company’s new
Suzanne Roberts Theatre.
Bates has long been one of my favorite film actresses. I admire the way in which she convincingly and effortlessly flits from one memorable role to the next. I’ve long vowed that if I ever had an opportunity to see her live on stage, I would make the effort. Guess I’d better start planning a weekend in Philly.
Second is the captivating
Ewan McGregor, who simply blew me away with his 2005 portrayal of Sky Masterson in the London revival of
Guys And Dolls. Now, teaming once again with director
Michael Grandage, McGregor is slated to star in a Donmar Warehouse revival of
William Shakespeare’s
Othello. The limited engagement opens in London on December 4.
I’ve rarely passed up opportunities to visit the United Kingdom, and given my affinity for Grandage’s other efforts, I just may find myself West End bound later this year.
Last, but certainly not least, I was thrilled to read that
Jefferson Mays is already preparing his next role post-Journey’s End. Mays, who won a Tony for his one-man tour de force performance in
I Am My Own Wife a couple years back, will now take on the role of Professor Henry Higgins in an upcoming revival of
George Bernard Shaw’s classic
Pygmalion. The
Roundabout Theatre Company will be producing this limited run at the American Airlines Theatre beginning on September 14 (opening night production will be October 11).
Unfortunately, I missed out on seeing Mays in both
I Am My Own Wife and
Journey’s End, so I’m going to try to make a point of seeing
Pygmalion, one of my personal favorite plays of all time.
Finally, on the potential downside, it was reported that
Hairspray will be getting a new Wilbur Turnblad. “
Leave It To Beaver” star
Jerry Mathers will take over the role next month. While I suppose it would be grossly unfair to judge his capabilities, I must admit that this quirky bit of stunt-casting doesn’t seem to be designed to really boost the show. But since
the film version is opening during his scheduled three months, expect the theatre to be packed by curiosity seekers hoping to see a train wreck, alongside those who simply want to see the film-inspired stage version that inspired the latest movie.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Ewan McGregor, First Word On New Show, Kathy Bates, London, Michael Grandage, Othello, Philadelphia, Pygmalion, Unusual Acts Of Devotion
