| Follies and The Lehman Trilogy in London in May - thank you! | |
| Posted by: mikem 12:41 pm EDT 09/03/19 | |
| In reply to: “THE LEHMAN TRILOGY” TO OPEN ON BROADWAY THIS SEASON - Official_Press_Release 11:23 am EDT 09/03/19 | |
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| This announcement made me realize I was remiss in not thanking those of you who helped with show and ticket suggestions for my trip to London back in May. I ended up seeing Follies during its last week, and The Lehman Trilogy during its first or second week in the West End. This was my fourth major production of Follies, and it was probably the overall best acted version I have seen. Joanna Riding had taken over the role of Sally from Imelda Staunton, and Riding excelled at showing Sally's mental fragility and her discomfort in her own skin in subtle ways. For example, when she says/sings, "I'm so glad I came" for the second time, it's clear that it's not spontaneous but a deliberate reiteration of her previous line. I've only seen clips of Staunton, but she seemed much more outsized than Riding was. The rest of the cast, possibly because they have worked together for so long, were also at the top of their game. I don't think a New York transfer of this production will happen so soon after the commercial failure of the Kennedy Center version, and I'm glad I had the chance to see it. Thank you for the suggestion that I keep looking for seats for The Lehman Trilogy! I was able to get a very good seat a couple of days before. Perhaps because of the hype creating unrealistic expectations, but I found myself admiring the show more than being drawn into it. The actors, particularly Simon Russell Beale, are impeccable, but there is very little interaction between the actors (or action of any kind), so it is essentially a series of single-person narratives for three and a half hours. Someone mentioned it being similar to a live audiobook, which I kind of agree with. I'm sure the show will get nominations for best play, all three actors, direction, and set design, but I think the play without its trappings and its actors would not be nearly as well-received. A few thoughts: - I don't know why American theaters don't serve ice cream at intermission; it seems that it could be quite profitable. - I love the genteel phrasing on the understudy slips that's something like "Owing to the indisposition of Actor X, the role of ..." At Follies, the actor playing Theodore Whitman was out, and there were understudy slips in a pile at Will Call, but no big board or anything like that. Since there's no Playbill, there's nothing given to the audience. I don't know if there would be something more prominent if a larger role was being understudied, but I would guess that most of the audience did not know an understudy was going on. - The last time I was in London several years ago, I was able to ask for a sheet of paper with the cast for free, but neither show had one this time. I don't know if that's changed over time, or just the luck of the shows I saw each time. - This was the first time I had ever seen Simon Russell Beale in a show. He is incredible. I'm not sure his part in The Lehman Trilogy is actually bigger, or it just feels that way, but I would guess that he would be considered for awards as Lead and the other two actors as Featured. |
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| Previous: | re: I did wonder how it could be done in the fall - mikem 09:40 pm EDT 09/03/19 |
| Next: | re: Follies and The Lehman Trilogy in London in May - thank you! - lonlad 06:15 pm EDT 09/03/19 |
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