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| If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 08:17 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I find myself unexpectedly in Southern California this week and have an opportunity to see The Lehman Trilogy in Los Angeles. It would be a long trek to see this show so before I commit, can y'all help me decide? I know it was critically acclaimed during its NY and London runs. But the press materials from Center Theater Group make it look very... dry and didactic. I think they perhaps just haven't done a good job showcasing the production? Or perhaps I'm just a philistine? Does the show live up to the hype? And, if I could be a touch reductive, who do you think the show will appeal to? For instance, are there certain plays/productions from the last 5-10 years that you would point to and say... "if you enjoyed XYZ show, you'd probably enjoy The Lehman Trilogy"? |
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| re: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology | |
| Posted by: whereismikeyfl 09:05 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology - DistantDrumming 08:17 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| This is not something we see much of in theater so comparisons are difficult. I would say if you liked Mad Men and Breaking Bad, you would like this. Like them, it is a show about business and its human costs. I saw the NT Live broadcast and was shocked at how gripping this show was. It does not operate like most plays. The marriages and deaths that are the meat of most dramas are secondary concerns here. As someone with no understanding of economics, I was surprised to find myself on the edge of my seat as the play showed how personality determined the financial fortunes of a company--and the country. There is a scene where the carnage of the Civil War is transformed into bookkeeping that was not only exciting theater but also helped me understand how decisions about war are made even today. The design, the piano accompaniment, the acting, and the staging were all really first rate. The whole audience in the theater where I saw the broadcast was rapt. |
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| re: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology | |
| Posted by: singleticket 12:45 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology - whereismikeyfl 09:05 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
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| I didn't find it as cohesive as you did. The text seemed to be a fable-like or quasi-biblical meditation on the assimilation of the Lehman brothers into the American cultural and financial bloodstream and finally into a kind of transfiguration of disembodied pure capitalism. That thematic movement in itself was a doozy and had me puzzling it together and, frankly, arguing with it in my head and wondering whether it wasn't a touch Judeophobic or perhaps in the writers' understanding Judeophilic. Layered over the thematically enigmatic text was Sam Mendes seamless web of deft directorial touches that spelled out each narrative and emotional moment in the clearest way possible. Layered on top of that were enjoyably theatrical performances in terms of the switching of characters and time periods by the brilliantly gifted cast. Layered on top of that was an exquisite sound and image projection design, probably one of the most exquisite I've ever seen in a theater. But did it cohere? Not for me. I saw it once and perhaps reading the text might bring me to a greater understanding of what it was all about. | |
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| re: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology | |
| Posted by: mikem 08:17 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology - DistantDrumming 08:17 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I find so few shows live up to the hype. Too much hype is not a good thing. Someone here during the Armory run said it is like a live audiobook, and there is some truth to that. The three actors describe the characters' actions and play multiple characters, and there isn't a whole lot of on-stage interactive movement. But that doesn't mean the show is static. I don't think the show is dry or didactic at all. I don't think the script is a masterpiece, but it's not boring. The time really flies by. The acting is really outstanding. In my mind, that's the reason to go: to see great acting. |
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| ENRON | |
| Posted by: TheHarveyBoy 06:40 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology - DistantDrumming 08:17 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| Just kidding. Nobody could have liked ENRON | |
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| re: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology | |
| Posted by: Guillaume 08:48 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology - DistantDrumming 08:17 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| If you are "of a certain age" and have been theatregoing since the 1970s - this play easily stands in the same company with great productions like "Nicholas Nickleby" and "Equus" and maybe even "Dancing at Lughnasa" where there are actors talking benignly directly to an audience and enticing us to join our imaginations with theirs as they lead us on an intelligent, surprisingly emotional journey full of twists and turns all the while serving up fabulous language to listen to. And this play is staged with deep respect for the audience in its economy and elegance and, again, intelligence. The hours FLY by. | |
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| It’s hard to compare it to anything else… | |
| Posted by: gad90210 08:31 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology - DistantDrumming 08:17 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I saw the original NY production at the Armory. I found it spellbinding. And it’s certainly amazing to see three men transform themselves into so many characters, young and old, male and female. The staging was awesome too, a glass box with clever projections. Does it sound like anything you’ve seen? I would recommend making the trip. |
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| Maybe Oslo. | |
| Posted by: dramedy 08:31 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology - DistantDrumming 08:17 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I only saw the NTLive broadcast but I really enjoyed Lehman. It moves through history at a good pace since it is covering close to 200 years of history. I don’t like a lot of plays, but I did like this one. I picked oslo because it is also historical and I found it interesting although I liked Lehman better. | |
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| re: Maybe Oslo. | |
| Posted by: den 04:59 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Maybe Oslo. - dramedy 08:31 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I was going to suggest Oslo too. Though the story Oslo tells is far more compressed in time, the narrative technique and theatrical style are at least somewhat similar. I loved both plays. I don’t have the longest attention span, but I was thrilled at Lehman — vibrant performances, jet-speed direction. Loved every minute of the three hours. | |
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| re: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 08:26 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: If you liked [show] you'll LOVE The Lehmen Triology - DistantDrumming 08:17 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| If you do decide to go, or if price plays in, TodayTix has their Lottery Tix, which become available at 8am day-of and are often still there in the afternoon. $20 plus fees i think. | |
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