Elling Turns To Ending
Well, that was quick.
Since I've been on vacation, I haven't even had an opportunity -- yet -- to write my review for the show. But I can tell you that I certainly enjoyed the show, which snuck up on me and left me a wee bit teary eyed at the end -- perhaps a surprise for all the folks who walked out of the production who never knew what they missed.
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: Brendan Fraser, Broadway, Closing Notices, Denis O'Hare, Elling, Jennifer Coolidge, Jeremy Shamos, Play, Richard Easton, Simon Bent
All Elling Set To Break Loose On Broadway
Beginning November 2, playwright
Simon Bent's
Elling starts previews on Broadway. The comedy is based on the
Ingvar Ambjørnsen novel and Academy Award-nominated Norwegian
film from 2001.
The play itself was originally mounted at London's
Bush Theatre in 2007. Now on Broadway,
Doug Hughes will helm a new
Elling starring Tony-winning actor
Denis O'Hare in the title role. O'Hare will be joined by
Brendan Fraser in his Broadway debut as Kjell,
Jennifer Coolidge as Reidun,
Richard Easton as Alfons and
Jeremy Shamos as Frank.
Elling appears to be purposely be marketing itself as enigmatic. Witness the puzzle pieces on its
website,
Facebook and
Twitter pages. It's such a puzzle, that each are surprisingly bereft of any real information regarding the show. To find a description, you must turn to
Telecharge, the official ticketbroker for the play, which describes the comedy as follows:
Set in the current day, Elling is a comedy about a wildly mismatched pair of roommates trying to embrace life, love, friendship, pizza, poetry and women. Denis O’Hare plays obsessive/compulsive Elling. Brendan Fraser, plays the wildly enthusiastic gentle giant Kjell. Jennifer Coolidge plays Reidun, the object of Kjell’s considerable affection, and Richard Easton plays Alfons, Elling’s unlikely poet mentor.
When produced in London a few years back, the
West End Whingers hailed the show as "A feel good story of the first degree. It's also utterly charming and very funny."
Broadway.com described the London incarnation of
Elling as follows:
Mummy's boy Elling and his roommate, the uncouth, reluctant virgin Kjell Bjarne, are the Odd Couple of Oslo: a pair of confused souls taking their first steps in the outside world after years of an isolated and institutional life. Given a flat in the city by social services, their mission is to either re-assimilate themselves into society or be forcibly returned to the asylum. All they have to do is convince their social worker that they really are "normal" -- even if it does feel safer sleeping in a wardrobe.
O'Hare and Coolidge alone were enough to compel me to get my tickets early. Those two were responsible for some truly
memorable theatrical experiences, but I'm also thrilled that Easton will be back on Broadway and can attest to Shamos' stage work. The wild card certainly is Fraser, who appears to be the producers' movie star insurance card for selling tickets. Starting Tuesday, we'll see whether he has the mettle.
The limited run of
Elling opens at Broadway's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre on November 21 and is scheduled through March 20, 2011.
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: Brendan Fraser, Broadway, Denis O'Hare, Doug Hughes, Elling, Jennifer Coolidge, Jeremy Shamos, Play, Richard Easton, Simon Bent
