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| Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances | |
| Posted by: pecansforall 03:22 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| It has been almost 40 years since I saw the original Broadway production of NOISES OFF. My sides are still a little sore from laughing. It was THAT funny. For anyone who saw that sublime production I have a question. I'm trying to remember the sequence of events at the beginning of Act III after the second intermission. Here's what I think I remember: -Poppy begins her "ladies and gentlemen will you please take your seats" announcement but her spiel is unexpectedly interrupted by the theatre's main curtain rising prematurely. -The stage is empty and we hear a ringing phone "ring-ring....ring-ring....ring-ring....ring-ring" -After a few seconds of the phone ringing we then hear an explosive cacophony of something crashing offstage. (Can the sound of a crash be perfect? Well this one was. We heard a perfectly concocted melody of utter chaos). -The stage remains empty of any actors. Then silence. The audience laughs a little. Then there a longer period of silence. The audience begins a huge laugh. -As the huge laugh subsides we suddenly hear the telephone urgently begin to go "ring-ring....ring-ring....ring-ring" again -The main curtain falls very quickly and shortly after goes back up for the "proper" start of Act III I just feel like I'm not remembering this sequence correctly but I know it was perfection in it's timing. Why do I also want to remember the main curtain only going out half way and then coming back in? Was that also part of this sequence? Anyone else have fond memories of NOISES OFF? Please share. |
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| re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances | |
| Posted by: portenopete 05:33 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances - pecansforall 03:22 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| I don't remember the specifics of the Act III opening (which should always occur after a SECOND intermission) but I will always treasure sitting in the middle of the first row and being face-to-face with Deborah Rush (Brooke Ashton) as she searched on her hands and knees looking for her contact lens. And Victor Garber falling down the stairs. And Dorothy Loudon's massive eyes. And Brian Murray bursting in at the top of Act III to stop the insane lobby announcements that the show would resume in "three"...."five"..."two"...."four" minutes. |
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| re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 08:12 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 08:08 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances - portenopete 05:33 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| Deborah Rush was so brilliant in that show, playing clueless, looking for contacts! Dorothy Loudon was a hoot. I still wish I had brought a can of sardines on which to get her autograph after the show and see what her reaction would have been! Linda Thorson was a lot of fun as the gal who just loved spreading and seeing gossip play out. Victor Garber took a helluva tumble down the stairs at one point. The whole cast was great. The revival just didn't work for me -- the only standout was T.R. Knight and Patti LuPone's entrance a la Norma Desmond after having locked herself in the dressing room. But a lot of the gags, which seemed fairly organic in the original, felt almost mechanical in the revival. |
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| The revival was terrible. | |
| Posted by: dramedy 11:17 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances - PlayWiz 08:08 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| Mechanical is being nice. The first time is saw it was Boston university production that was hilarious. I’ve seen one other local production that was pretty good and better than the stiff broadway revival. |
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| British National Theater did it brilliantly | |
| Last Edit: Leon_W 07:59 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
| Posted by: Leon_W 07:59 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
| In reply to: The revival was terrible. - dramedy 11:17 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| That was my first encounter with the play around 2000. Brilliant casting and direction and pace. I have seen a few since then as it is so often done, I saw I think the Old Vic that I remember not enjoying at all and then similarly the Broadway production where I was with an ex who was hating every minute and that helped color my feelings as well I guess. | |
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| There was also a revival at the Roundabout w/ Andrea Martin which was good. | |
| Posted by: ryhog 12:44 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
| In reply to: The revival was terrible. - dramedy 11:17 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| There was also a revival at the Roundabout w/ Andrea Martin which was good. | |
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| I saw the 2001 revival. | |
| Posted by: dramedy 11:40 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
| In reply to: There was also a revival at the Roundabout w/ Andrea Martin which was good. - ryhog 12:44 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
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| I didn’t see the 2016. I didn’t think the reviews were that strong so I didn’t see it. | |
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| re: I saw the 2001 revival. | |
| Posted by: ryhog 12:12 pm EDT 04/11/21 | |
| In reply to: I saw the 2001 revival. - dramedy 11:40 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
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| I understood from the context that you were talking about the '01. I don't recall the reviews and don't feel like looking, but if Ann and I agree the '16 was good and the '01 was not then how could there be any doubt? :-) | |
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| Open and shut case | |
| Posted by: dramedy 12:16 pm EDT 04/11/21 | |
| In reply to: re: I saw the 2001 revival. - ryhog 12:12 pm EDT 04/11/21 | |
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| If I don’t want to be banned from this site. | |
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| Yes | |
| Posted by: Ann 08:10 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
| In reply to: There was also a revival at the Roundabout w/ Andrea Martin which was good. - ryhog 12:44 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
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| There's definitely been a bad revival and a good one (in my opinion). | |
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| re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances | |
| Posted by: Pokernight 08:17 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances - PlayWiz 08:08 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| I saw it and loved it. My comment is tangential. At the time that Dorothy Loudon was playing the maid in "Noises Off" she appeared in one of the many Sondheim tributes. She sang "Broadway Baby" terrifically and when she got to the line: 'gee, I'd even play a maid just to be in a show", the audience howled with laughter, as did I. | |
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| re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances | |
| Posted by: wmorrow 10:28 am EDT 04/12/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances - Pokernight 08:17 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| I loved the '83 production, which was the first B'way show I went back to see a second time. A big deal for me then, when I was not flush with money. Loudon was a standout (and I wish I'd seen her at that Sondheim tribute), but the entire cast was working at a high level. Paxton Whitehead also made a strong impression. I'll never forget the moment when, backstage, he has to bellow the line "OH MY GOD!" as part of the play they're performing -- and then later accidentally shouts it out at *precisely* the right moment! | |
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| re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances | |
| Posted by: lonlad 05:19 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances - Pokernight 08:17 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| The original Bway NOISES OFF is, I think, the last production for which I bought standing room. It was a sold out Saturday night the evening before the Tonys and the cast was on fire -- I still remember Dorothy Loudon's panic curdling unforgettably into rage and Brian Murray's brilliant disdain and everything about Deborah Rush, who was sensational (as was Katie Finneran in that same role in the first Bway revival, in which LuPone was quite trashy-funny at the matinee I saw). The second NY revival was indeed excellent, especially Martin and Campbell Scott and Megan Hilty, who was as game as can be, bless her, as Brooke. I've seen the play more times than I can remember in London and it always delivers! Oddly, I've been told it isn't all that much fun to be in since so much of it is about executing choreography seamlessly and on point at the expense of character investigation, but when that is done to a high level (Jamie Glover in the Old Vic revival that also starred Janie Dee) the result really is comedy heaven. A lot of shows get compared to NOISES OFF (like THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG), none of which come close. | |
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| re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances | |
| Posted by: portenopete 05:55 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Original 1983 Broadway Production of NOISES OFF remembrances - lonlad 05:19 am EDT 04/11/21 | |
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| I doubt I'll ever react with such out-of-control glee as I did at 16 when I saw the original Broadway cast. But I have enjoyed subsequent productions, especially the Old Vic's and I'm. glad you mention Jamie Glover, who was terrific and whom I thought would be a bigger name. (He was also the best Lord Goring in An Ideal Husband I have ever seen at Chichester- featuring the original original Dotty Otley, Patricia Routledge- and found the very tricky balance between outrageous and witty dandy and implausibly heterosexual womaniser, It's the first production where I didn't feel awful for poor Mabel Chiltern and what their married life would be like.) Another Noises Off I remember was when where the real-life parallels threatened to overwhelm Frayn's play: the Lloyd was a former theatre school head who had begun a relationship with a student, who was playing Brooke; the actual director was his successor who had begun a relationship with another student who was the actress playing Poppy. (Both were relationships which lasted years and years but which even then seemed a bit...off.) I'm sure it wasn't the only Noises Off to have real-life parallels! |
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