I’ve become really bored with theatre in New Orleans. It seems to be mostly cabaret, burlesque (aka Fancy Strippers), and a lot of men dressed as women. On their own I don’t mind any of this (especially a drag show… love a drag show!) but I don’t think of any of it as “Theatre”.
Mardi Gras (another sort of Theatre too) has descended on New Orleans.
Have fun everyone… I will be hiding.
Posted by doloho on February 10, 2015
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/what-to-watch/
Not much theater happening around my town so I thought I would start a new habit or tradition for myself. On Sunday mornings I will watch a televised or movie version of a play. There’s lots to choose from but I have mostly been dipping into Great British Drama. The GBD from last week was “Look Back in Anger” by John Osborne.
It is available on YouTube (as of January 19, 2015)
This volatile play stars Kenneth Branagh (can’t get enough of him!) and Emma Thompson (I’m a sucker for seeing actual husbands and wives fighting each other on stage) in a claustrophobic production directed by Dame Judy Dench (I’d love to see her on stage someday!)
Posted by doloho on January 20, 2015
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/sunday-theatre/
Six… that’s how many shows I saw in New York City during a recent Theatre Weekend!
Friday night – “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” Fantastic! A fascinating story with amazing visual effects.
Saturday matinee – “A Delicate Balance”, starring John Lithgow and Glenn Close. Drunk people yelling at each other! It must be an Edward Albee play. Bob Balaban owned every scene he was in.
Saturday Evening – “Disgraced” The worst dinner party ever ends in a wife beating. It’s about racism, but never really comes to any conclusion.
Late Saturday Evening – “Drunken Shakespeare” – The actors are drunk! The Audience is encouraged to be drunk too! Since I can’t drink it wasn’t as fun as it sounds. Too much audience participation was slightly embarrassing. There was some funny parody stuff, but it was buried under the booze.
Sunday matinee – “The Real Thing” – by Tom Stoppard, starring Ewan McGregor and Maggie Gyllenhaal. McGregor was great to watch…. he was channeling someone very posh like David Niven or someone.
Sunday Evening – “The Perfect Crime” Probably the worst play I have ever seen. The material wasn’t too bad (sort of an old-fashioned OTT murder mystery), but the actors were dry and tired, as if they had done this play over and over again for the past 20 years (which they had). I really hoped the flight home was safe, because I didn’t want this to be the last play I see on Earth.
Posted by doloho on January 3, 2015
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2015/01/03/six/
LBJ or a remarkable character actor?
In my last post I talked about TV actors on Stage. That post was originally inspired by my most recent visit to NYC to see Sir Kenneth Branagh in his masterful production of Macbeth. (See post here) With the extra time on my hands that weekend, I also thought to catch a production of Of Mice and Men. However, the week before my visit Bryan Cranston won the Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in All the Way.
An original play with the original cast nearly always trumps anything. A last minute visit to the TKTS booth got me a fourth row seat.
To say I was blown away is an understatement. It was a remarkable play, an amazing cast, with balletic staging and stellar production. But most of all I instantly became a fan of Bryan Cranston. And I didn’t really even know who he was.
Both of these people are the same guy… really.
I knew he was in some wacky sitcom and in a highly praised cable drama about drugs but I don’t really watch sitcoms, particularly ones that revolve around a wacky family; and I don’t have cable, so I don’t have much opportunity to watch the latest “unmissable” drama. So, in my mind he didn’t actually exist until he took a giant leap to star in an original Broadway play.
Now that I’m a fan, I have to see everything else he had done. As of this post I am almost done with Season 3 of Breaking Bad and I started watching Malcolm in the Middle as well. Interestingly enough, the two characters he portrays are very similar. Right down to their tighty-whitey underwear.
Ha, no I’m just kidding… the man is a chameleon. I can’t believe all the stuff he has been in over the years and he just drifts through invisibly. In All The Way, LBJ commanded the stage, menacingly tall and overly eccentric. At the end of the play (spoiler alert!) he wins the election and the curtain drops down. Seconds later as it rises, we see the cast lined up for their bows… and suddenly Bryan Cranston appears. The stoop is gone, the face relaxed… and we realize how much effortless effort had been expended to create that character.
[Video from PBS Newshour]
It’s been announced that HBO has purchased the rights to the play and is planning on a film version. It will be great for people to see what Cranston has done with LBJ, but it will be nothing like the stage play. A stage is a small space of infinity. Time and place mean nothing, and yet can speak volumes. Two scenes stand out for me in this production. First, as Johnson makes a decision about a police action in Vietnam, the body of one of the Freedom Summer volunteers is dug up and laid at his feet. Johnson was in the White House, the body was dug out of an earthen dam in Mississippi. But on this stage, they are one and the same place. The symbolism is clear and stunning.
My favorite scene however, was concerning Johnson’s father/son relationship with his aide Walter Jenkins played by Christopher Liam Moore. Once again, time and space are overlapped as Jenkins is arrested and sent to a mental hospital and LBJ frets in his office. As they both play out their sadness and dismay at the situation, they both turn at the same time and stand toe-to-toe, one looming large over the other. It still breaks my heart a little just thinking about it.
Posted by doloho on October 1, 2014
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/the-invisible-actor/
What’s a TV actor to do when they really want to prove to the world that they know how to act? Or what’s a stage actor to do when they find fame and fortune on TV or in the movies… and want to prove to the world that they can act?
That’s right, spend your off-time on the boards. Do some Shakespeare-in-the-Park or get more deeply involved by actually taking a substantial run at a play. Indulge yourself in a re-interpretation of a classic, or kick out all the boards and expose yourself completely with an original.
Many of the audience members will attend these plays simply because they star well-known actors. And while that sometimes makes the tickets scarce and pricey, my hope is that it entices many more people to see live theatre. Following are just a few shows I have seen in the past couple of years (all on Broadway) that featured TV stars.
Harvey by Mary Chase – July 2012
Parsons and Friend
Out of general respect to the Stage, I like to dress nicely for a show. However, I’m not such a snob as to be horrified by folks in t-shirts and shorts. But I had never seen so many “Bazinga!” shirts in one place as I had at this production of Harvey.
Starring Jim Parsons, Jessica Hecht, Charles Kimborough, and Carol Kane, this classic play is light and charming fare. Despite the clearly alcoholic main character, a possibly demonic invisible rabbit, and the ever-present threat of being forcibly detained in a mental hospital… this is a fun play!
Parsons known primarily for his role in the comedy The Big Bang Theory, is more charming and sexy than you can imagine (if you’ve only ever seen him in his TV show.) An accomplished stage actor, Parsons will no doubt keep bringing his legions of fans to be exposed to live Theatre whatever he does.
Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen – November 2013
Enemy of the People is a timeless play about two brothers, played by Richard Thomas and Boyd Gaines, who are at opposite ends of a political spectrum, with their small town torn between the two. Retold by writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz, this version is still set in the 1800’s but could be talking about modern themes. Gaines, the main character is an idealistic doctor and his brother is a sharp politician.
If you have ever seen The Waltons, then you remember Richard Thomas’ John-Boy Walton as a sweet, charming, soft-spoken man who just radiates NICE. I am sure he is like this in real life, even though, Dorian Gray-like, he doesn’t seem to have changed any in the decades since the show ended.
Insert your own “Good Night, John Boy” joke here
But let the power of Acting amaze you when he takes that charm and soft lilt in his voice and uses them to manipulate his way to destroy his brother. I remember gasping at how frighteningly snake-like that twinkle in his eye could be and I know now that I can never look at John-Boy again in the same light.
Orphans by Lyle Kessler – April 2013
Alec Baldwin is a movie star and the star of the TV comedy 30 Rock. He could be playing in any field, but he really loves the stage… and the stage really loves him. This three-person play is about two young men who fall under the sway of a con artist who introduces them to “good living through crime.” Baldwin is known for playing fast-talking sharp-dressed men and is no different here.
This is a character we have seen before, especially 30 Rock fans who came to see the show and anyone who saw Baldwin in the film version of David Mamet’s classic Glengarry Glen Ross. His larger-than-life presence makes it tough for the two other actors to strut their stuff, but they manage handily. Here’s hoping in the future Baldwin can find a character outside of his comfort zone.
As for you dear reader, get out of your comfort zone too! If there is an actor you admire for their movies or TV work, then see them up close and personal onstage.
Posted by doloho on September 6, 2014
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2014/09/06/see-them-live/
It’s been a quiet couple of months in my tiny theatre world. I hope wherever you are, the boards are creaking! Alas, I have had to content myself with reviewing my past visits to NYC and dreaming about what Autumn 2014 will bring! Playbill is the site to visit if you want to plan a Theatre Weekend yourself.
What am I looking forward to?
It’s Only a Play by Terrence McNally starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
Lane and Broderick on stage together. Nothing could be better!
Such a cute couple!
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (novel) and Simon Stephens (adaptation).
A popular novel turned into a popular London play. Glad to see this coming to NYC!
Love Letters by A.R. Gurney
With a rotating cast that includes: Brian Dennehy, Mia Farrow, Carol Burnett, Brian Dennehy, Alan Alda, Candice Bergen, Stacy Keach, Diana Rigg, Anjelica Huston, Martin Sheen. On any given performance, this can only be fantastic.
The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard
With Ewan McGregor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cynthia Nixon, Josh Hamilton.
Great cast! Great play! Goes great together!
A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee
With Glenn Close, John Lithgow, Martha Plimpton, Bob Balaban, Clare Higgins, Lindsay Duncan.
The River by Jez Butterworth
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Laura Donnelly, Cush Jumbo
This is a new play but I probably won’t be trying to see this one, because Who wants to see Hugh Jackman on stage? Probably EVERYONE. Get your tickets fast!
One of these men probably won’t be naked… the other definitely will be naked
The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance
With Bradley Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, Alessandro Nivola
I honestly don’t really know who Bradley Cooper is… people have mentioned various movies to me like The Hangover and something else, but I don’t watch movies like that. However, this is an amazing play and Cooper had been in productions of this play since 2011. On to Broadway!
Posted by doloho on August 6, 2014
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/whats-new-for-autumn-2014/
Repertory Theater is an amazing thing. One troupe of actors doing a rotation of plays. All that memorizing! I wonder if anyone ever forgets what play they are in and starts saying the wrong lines.
No, these are professionals.
And there are no more professional actors than Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart; along with Billy Crudup and Shuler Hensley, four great actors… two great plays.
No, not this….
Nope, wrong again…
In November 2013 I was on one of my Theatre Weekends for an extraordinary double-bill. No Man’s Land by Harold Pinter and Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. The theater was filled with Star Trek and Lord of the Rings fans (probably some X-men fans too), some of whom very likely had their minds blown. There were a couple of guys near me, one of whom said “I don’t get it, it’s just a couple of guys talking to each other.” I hope they seriously weren’t expecting wizard / laser battles.
Now, I’ll see a Pinter play under any circumstances, but to see a troupe of great actors do it was just wonderful. No Man’s Land is a comedy of menace like Pinter does, revolving around odd relationships and alcohol. Lots of alcohol. The characters (and the audience) are never quite sure where they stand with each other. In this play, a three-man household is invaded (or was he kidnapped?) by a stranger (or is he?) All the actors get their moment to shine as they pair off to confront each other.
Waiting for Godot is a classic existentialist play by Samuel Beckett. Everyone loves to put on a production of Godot but it is known to leave audiences vaguely confused. The play has whatever meaning you wish to impart upon it, but clearly it is a delight to perform. Actors love it, and the two leads had too much fun on stage. Crudup gave it his all as Lucky in his “Think” speech.
If ever you have the opportunity to see something like this, by all means, GO! Great actors in classic plays come along once in a while.
All you need to know about No Man’s Land by Harold Pinter
All you need to know about Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Posted by doloho on August 4, 2014
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/the-two-sirs/
On my Theatre Weekends in NYC I tend to watch 4 or 5 plays, which I spread out over the next month or so under the guise of One-Play-Per-Week. When I am at home, I try to see something local, but often there is nothing to watch which is when I turn to the Internet.YouTube has a lot to offer, so here is a round-up of three classic plays I watched recently.
The Importance of Being Earnest
All you ever wanted to know about The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest
Available on YouTube as of July 2014, this snappy production from 1986 stars Joan Plowright, Paul McGann, Rupert Frazer, Amanda Redman, and Natalie Ogle. It’s a classic comedy, centering around mistaken identity and marrying the right (rich) person. In the end it’s more important who you are at birth than anything you do with your life subsequently. Wilde clearly had lots to say. Plowright is fierce in a roll that is sometimes played by a man, McGann is fabulously handsome and very Ernest, it’s all very, very BBC.
What the Butler Saw
All you ever wanted to know about What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_the_Butler_Saw_(play)
This 1987 BBC production starring Dinsdale Landen, Prunella Scales, and Timothy West is available for viewing as of July 2014. Orton is best known for being outrageous yet canny. This play explores sexual exploits in all its variety, and ultimately how these things are completely misunderstood by outsiders, particularly in the mental health industry. Is that fellow wearing a dress because he wants to be a woman?…. or is he just trying to disguise himself from the police? This production is particularly smooth, with very little actual nudity.
The Room
All you ever wanted to know about The Room by Harold Pinter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Room_(play)
The Room is a very early short play by Harold Pinter, described as a Comedy of Menace. Below is a link to the production from 1987 starring Linda Hunt, Julian Sands, Annie Lennox, and Donald Pleasance; directed by Robert Altman. It is a subtle and sneaky play that I just love to pieces. The main character Rose pushes out the claustrophobia of the tiny room by constantly talking, but it only takes a few mysterious guests to collapse everything and … Well, see for yourselves.
This video was mentioned by Julian Sands himself in A Celebration of Pinter. See my review HERE.
Available on YouTube as of July 2014
Posted by doloho on July 21, 2014
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/whats-on-youtube/
Local theatre can be nice. Here in New Orleans there are a few places to go and a few Theatre troupes that put on shows. After a while though it feels like you are seeing the same few actors over and over again in very similar shows (there is an tremendous fondness for Tennessee Williams here.) I watch what I can and generally enjoy most of it.
In June 2014 I saw a production of Bent by Martin Sherman at a small local venue. A fitting start to Gay Pride Month, a play that shows how far acceptance of homosexuality has come… and how low humanity can be sometimes.
If you are not familiar with the play, I posted a link to the Wikipedia article below. You can also find the film version of Bent starring Clive Owen with Ian McKellen Uncle Freddy. McKellen starred in the original stage production (Link below for clip.) It is a powerful play set primarily in a Nazi Concentration Camp during World War II, where homosexuals wearing pink triangles are the lowest of the low. One man trying to regain who and what he is, starts a tenuous and somewhat imaginary affair with another inmate. “Imaginary” because prisoners are not allowed to talk to each other, look at each other, and of course, touch each other.
Heralded at the time for revealing a little known aspect of the persecution of homosexuals, Bent is still powerful even in a small venue with simple sets. While the acting in this local production was a little uneven, the main people were excellent in this riveting play. Kudos especially to Bob Edes Jr., a local New Orleans actor who played two diametrically opposed characters… Greta, the transvestite with a wife and kids, and the Nazi concentration camp Captain. The two leads, while excellent actors were very beefy, perhaps some body make-up could have made them look as malnourished and sick as the dialogue says they are.
Overall, I can’t say it was a fun evening (sobering and thought-provoking perhaps), but it was well worth my time to re-watch such an important play.
Bent the Play
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent_(play)
Clip from original stage play
Posted by doloho on July 16, 2014
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/local-bent/
When I was in New York City not long ago on one of my Theatre Weekends, TWO Harold Pinter plays were playing on Broadway. Betrayal starring Daniel Craig and Rachel Weiz; and No Man’s Land with Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart. I wish I could see both but I only had time for No Man’s Land (more on this in another blog) because I have a Passion for Pinter.
Pinter’s work has this ability to be both funny and menacing, He weaves a place where the audience is only vaguely privy to, and when you think you have it figured out, it turns again and lands somewhere else entirely.
In May 2014, Julian Sands came to town with his one-man tribute to Harold Pinter, A Celebration of Pinter. He was alone on stage with a well-worn copy of Various Voices, poetry by Harold Pinter, and a storehouse of memories of the Great Man. Mr. Sands knew Pinter when he substituted for the poet and playwright, reading from his work. This collaboration eventually turned into a tribute when Pinter died, and from there it became a one-man show that has toured the world.
And what a delightful show it was! Sands is charming, handsome, and funny as he tells some surprisingly intimate stories about Pinter, Cricket, and Life in General, swinging effortlessly between a bombastic impersonation of Pinter and his Real Self. At one point, an explosive (and expletive laden) poem caught the audience off-guard. The front row was so startled that the Real Julian Sands (soft-spoken and sweet) made a swift appearance and apologized profusely. We all giggled uncontrollably at how surprisingly aggressive acting can be.
Sands clearly adjusts portions of the piece to tell some anecdote relating to the town he is in. He talked about walking along the river here in New Orleans and about Martin Jarvis, who was filming in nearby Louisiana. These comments made the evening feel even more intimate, as if we were chatting with a charming friend.
I was a little disappointed that there was not very much talk about the plays themselves, for the evening focused on Pinter’s poetry. He mentioned, a production of The Room that I later found on YouTube where Julian Sands plays the sinister Mr. Sands. (I will talk about this in another blog entry.) But all in all it was a pleasant evening, chatting with a charming man about his Adventures with Pinter.
Look for this show in your town!
http://cacno.org/performances/julian-sands
Q&A with Julian Sands (not at the CAC in New Orleans)
Posted by doloho on July 4, 2014
https://doloho99.wordpress.com/2014/07/04/a-pash-for-pinter/
The Great Theatre Experience 