Profile for thepinterpause

I think I agree with a lot of what Keen on Kean just said, although I'm terribly jealous that the audience you saw it with was "responsive." My audience (I saw it Friday night) seemed like a bus full of disappointed Wicked seekers. I've never heard so much coughing, shifting, uncomfortable snorts... maybe that's what Pinter would want, who knows? I think the play itself is astonishing--- one of the most delightful and disturbing experiences theater can bring. On the page, at least. In reality...

I think Harold Pinter is undoubtedly the greatest living playwright, because he helped to transform entirely an ancient perception of what it means to be on stage. His plays are earthy and elegant all at once. That said, I think Suzan-Lori Parks is doing something similarly bold, and I might nominate her as Pinter's successor to the title.

I'm going tonight. As my nickname probably implies, I'm a huge fan of Pinter, and The Homecoming way well be the most powerful play I've read. I've never seen it, though. My excitement is palpable. Will post after!

Remember that the play form has been around for thousands of years, while the musical is less than a century old. Storytelling, the oldest of all the arts, has taken on lots of forms in history. The musical's just the latest. The Rock musical style has infiltrated Broadway, and this may partly account for the appeal of musicals, but the genre is still evolving. We have yet to see a hip-hop musical, but it could very well be on it's way. I think that would be fresh and exciting, but a straight...

Oh, the original post-er. Never mind.

Who said it was otherwise?

I think, though, that the quality of new plays on Broadway is encouraging. I've seen all five of this season's offerings, and four of them are quite excellent. I also hold high hopes for their ticket sales. I wouldn't assume that musicals are inherently more sellable. Maybe the high artistic merit of straight drama this year will lead to a rebirth.

I am nearly positive Rashad will get a nom. If she doesn't, I will eat my shoe.

Here's what I wrote in my blog about Streetcar: "On Sunday, I tiptoed over to Studio 54 to see what's going on there these days. It turns out that Natasha Richardson--- having, with Cabaret, gotten her Sally Bowles on the select list of Studio regulars--- is now back as the decidedly more troubled Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. Her voice soft and creamy, her accent dead-on, her body poised to crumble on cue, Richardson will, barring an earthquake, capture the ...

I would take issue with the premise. I've been quite impressed with the quality and diversity of straight plays this season, from the thirteen revivals to the five originals. Those examples you cited include one critically panned show and four shows that are still in previews, or were until last week (preview sales are always much lower.) I would caution against reading a trend into recent Broadway sales, especially since the tendency in theater, as with everything else, is always to declare ...