I was at yesterday's matinee. As an admirer of the film and the 1996 revival, I found this production to be equally as successful but certainly different.
The stranger sitting next to me who was also familiar with the play and I were both struck by the amount comedy in evidence.
John Lithgow BEING John Lithgow got so many laughs in unexpected places. Both the cat monologue and the breakdown near the end elicited great laughs without compromising the seriousness. By crossing his leg or staring or with an inflection he just was funny yet was the character.
Glenn Close had the patrician routine down pat and equally as droll and as effective. Yes, she fumbled over a few words but knew the lines. Sometimes getting them out is problematic but was it not a glaring flaw.
Lindsay Duncan was dryer, and more understated than usual, and not as bombastic at Kate Reid or Elaine Stritch but comparable.
Lee Remick, Mary Beth Hurt, AND Martha Plimpton did/do their best with such an overwrought, privileged neurotic role.
Bob Balaban was his usual low key self and very good. He got laughs a few places because of the visual quality of his diminutive stature.
Claire Higgins really takes a small part and makes the most of it. Very dominating.
As he did with the revival of The Zoo Story and it's sequel, Albee instead of having the original time period in the program, puts "Now," seemingly to appear contemporary. One has to ignore that and believe it takes place when it was written or the clashing anachronisms are confounding.
The main thing is that the power of the play endures.
At 12:40 PM I went to the box office with the Playbill discount printout as it expired the next day. I got the first row of the first mezzanine on the center aisle.
The London revival performed in acrimony. Maggie Smith, inspired by Stritch's success as Claire, instigated it, and then persuaded Albee to beef up the part with more lines, to Eileen Atkins' outrage. There was a feud.
|