Profile for Jon_sense

You think Hamilton, Chorus Line, Natasha Pierre, Hadestown, Fun Home, the Pippin revival and so many others suffered design-wise on Broadway because they started at non-profits? If the production team feels Broadway offers an op for a rethink, very often they do just that (like several in my list). When they don't, it seems likely because they thought it worked just fine.

Byrne makes the announcement about dancing towards the end. At least at mt performance, everyone was seated until then.

 

Jon

They don't do that. 

Patti, please explain why you think the '96 costumes are a vast improvement over the originals?

BroadyFosse, yes, it's not Broadway, but it's also not less than off-Broadway. The Westside Theatre's a reputable place; Lampanelli has a following; and the show was pretty well-received when it was done by the WP Project last season. How is it more Off-Off than Off?

 

I have tried the Public, thanks. They've got no seats available for the Saturday or Sunday night performances. 

I have a pair of perfect seats for PRIVACY on 8/3 - D10,11 - but will be out of town from next week to the end of the run. I'd love to exchange them for a good pair either this Saturday or Sunday night. Thanks.

In honor of Streetcar's final performance at St Ann's Warehouse, here's my Slant Magazine review. I thought the conceit worked well for the first two hours, but once Anderson's Blanche went abruptly batty, the production just spun its wheels for another hour-plus.

http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/article/a-streetcar-names-desire-at-st-anns-warehouse

Thanks for the kind words Ol Blue Eyes (Sinatra took a look at my long hair when I was a very little kid and reprimanded my mother for raising a hippy, long after the hippie era) and ScottyDoesn'tKnow2. I'm embarrassed about that typo Scotty; it will be corrected this morning.

Thanks very much Larry for the read and the compliment! I found him remarkably, disarmingly honest. The charm was less of a surprise but certainly welcome.

Slant is running my interview with Peter Gallagher on the twisty-turny ride of his life from 0 to 60, especially his time On the Twentieth Century.

Here's the first question and answer and a link to the whole shebang:

The list of your co-stars and directors is staggering. Who haven't you worked with?

I've been very lucky to work with people who were part of my mythology. I worked with James Cagney on the last thing he did. I would have been happy to play a hat rack. My mother went to college with his sister, Jean. Art Carney was in the movie too. My uncle used to be a janitor's assistant at the local New Rochelle bank where Art's dad would bring him in to tap dance at the Christmas parties. I walked into the first day of rehearsal to Cagney's suite at the Hotel Carlyle and he looked up at me and said, "Black Irish." At the end of the day he said, "Gallagher, I want you to meet my wife, Billie, but first we've got to find her." I got behind his wheelchair and we went searching the apartment. "Oh, Billie. Billie." And there she was hiding behind the curtains. This kind of madness and inclusion did my heart good because, if these guys were talking to me, what could be so bad?

Interview

Because if the show were staying open, they wouldn't record an OCR?

And I see no impetus for them to transfer it.

Cinders, what I mean by writing "the problems are in its DNA" is that I don't think the show is fixable. The conceit and structure are undramatic. The score is sweet but has little impact. The characters ineffectively developed. These issues can be ameliorated a bit but not fundamentally changed. As for your comment that "the audience loved it," all I can say is I'm glad you're so passionate about the show.  

Headley has had this style of performance since she started. Like Matthew Broderick, it seems to mystify many people but it works for others. I didn't mind her seeming different from everyone else. After all, the character has never gelled with his family. I appreciate her distinctiveness.

Halle Berry may not be Oscar worthy in Catwoman or other trainwreck film but her Monster's Ball performance was widely heralded and, to me, wonderfully raw. I'd imagine Spacek was the only one who came close in the voting. Of all examples of not necessarily worthy performances (Taylor in Butterfield 8, Grace Kelly in Country Wife), I'm surprised that's the one you chose.

I didn't know many felt Andrews was likely to win if she'd accepted the nom. She didn't get great reviews and it clearly wasn't a well-regarded show. The King & I revival was a big success and Murphy was a pivotal part of that.  To me, it was no contest.

Theaterfan, where have you read that Dreamworks has reported the film made a profit of 36.4 million?

A Director, did you see Taymor's production?

In advance of what I hope/think will be a great Sunday for Fun Home and its director, here's my interview with Sam Gold for Slant Magazine. The opening is as follows:

For the past five years, director Sam Gold has been a standard bearer for seriously accessible American theater. He zig-zags from 70-seat to 2,700-seat venues, from new plays to revivals. He works prodigiously (five shows this season alone), but never without care. Not everything has been received rapturously, but all have featured tightly knit acting ensembles, a keen consideration of text, and precisely configured playing spaces.

Summer of Sam