The Little Dog Laughed

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/13/05 at 9:06am

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/96771.html

I won't be seeing this for a few weeks yet, but I'm excited for it. If anyone goes, post your thoughts -- I'm curious to know what you guys think. It should be quite good.

Updated On: 12/13/05 at 09:06 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/15/05 at 11:09am

Bump... anybody see it yet?

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/96829.html

Douglas Carter Beane's going to be on Theatre Talk, regarding the play's subject matter. I don't know how I feel about the idea, but, be that as it may...

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 12/15/05 at 4:29pm

I haven't seen it yet, since I don't usher there anymore. I do want to see it, though.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/15/05 at 4:37pm

I thought they have volunteer ushering?

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 12/15/05 at 4:49pm

They do. Semi-long story behind what I said.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 1:24pm

Bumping again out of boredom and curiosity. Has anyone seen yet?

Updated On: 1/4/06 at 01:24 PM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 3:20pm

As you can tell by my quote, I really enjoyed the play. Very well-written and makes good use of the Second Stage space. Julie White is brilliant---she holds the audience in the palm of her hand from her first entrance until the final curtain. Johnny Galecki (in the role he has been type-cast in for the past decade) is also excellent.

A great production. Make every attempt you can to see it, guys.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 4:26pm

Prepare yourself for a bunch of people who are not entirely likable. The play is sometimes mean, often bitter, and very often very, very funny.

But oh, the nasty things people in the business we call "show" will do--to themselves and to others.

You may not feel like you need a bath afterwards, but you'll want to at least wash your hands.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 4:46pm

I enjoyed the play and Julie White is simply outstanding as the Hollywood agent. I must say though, I was underwhelmed by the rest of the casting. The other three were solid enough, but weren't up to White's level.

The play itself is an occasionally interesting look at the Hollywood closet. While the scenes between the star and the hustler are merely functional (and the scenes with the girlfriend are downright weak), the play only really comes to life when White is on stage, at which point the story lucidly comes into focus and the dialogue suddenly has energy and bite. Much like his earlier hit, AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN (which also had a loud, bitchy, funny, self-absorbed central female character) it's as if Beane is only really interested in writing for his leading diva and saves all of the good lines for her. He also wrote the film "To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar" about three drag queens on a road trip. This seems to be his forte -- drag queen dialogue. Mind you it's hysterical, but one suspects he'd be happier just writing the big flashy "drag queen" moments than having to bother with rather mundane details such as character development (the girlfried here is a plot device, not an actual fully realized character) and crafting a coherent plot (Paul Rudnick has the same problem).

Thankfully, THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED has a few terrific "drag queen" diva turn moments which Julie White delivers expertly. There's also a business dinner scene (also involving White) in which Beane's talent for crackling witty dialogue is fully on display (the scene was earlier a part of an evening of one acts THE DOWNTOWN PLAYS at The First Tribeca Theatre Festival). Do these moments add up to a fully-realized play which provides trenchant and potent commentary on the unfortunate realities of being gay in Hollywood? Not really, but thanks to Julie White it's a fun ride.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 4:50pm

There's also a business dinner scene (also involving White) in which Beane's talent for crackling witty dialogue is fully on display (the scene was earlier a part of an evening of one acts THE DOWNTOWN PLAYS at The First Tribeca Theatre Festival).

The business dinner scene left me gasping for air. So funny.

[bta212]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 1:02am

Saw it tonight. I agree wholeheartedly with those above--Julie White owns the show and makes the character thoroughly her own; I can't imagine her replacement. The balance of the cast is fine, but generically so--any talented performers could step in and fill out the background behind White. The role of the girlfriend is, indeed, very poorly developed, and she exists solely as a plot device--a deus ex machina for the end of the show. I would agree, also, with MEF that Galecki does a fine job--he has a number of very finely tuned moments (his musing on what it means to be "gay") that are quite nice.

White has you in her grip from the first moment, while it took the entire first act for me to engage with the rest of the cast--this is due as much to the way the parts are written as to the performances.

White's performance, though, is well worth the price of admission. I've already bought tix again for when my friend the talent manager from LA is in town--I expect her to be on the floor within 10 minutes.

[twogaab2]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 9:47am

For the first 10 min. of the play, I didn't think I was going to like it at all, but all of a sudden it kicked into high gear and from then on in I loved it. Who knows what the local reviewers will say and personally I don't care.

Terrific cast by the way.

Just my opinion, I may be wrong.

Updated On: 1/6/06 at 09:47 AM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 12:06pm

Interesting article on Julie White from the current New Yorker:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/060123ta_talk_friend

[twogaab2]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 12:47pm

Thought that I wasn't going to like the play at the start of it but after about 10 minutes into the play I was totally sold. I really liked this show. Hope to see it again now that it has been extended.

[notabb]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 3:30pm

I thought it was a lot of fun BUT Julie White is incredible!

[WickedMuzzy422]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 4:52pm

I'm actually volunteer ushering at Second Stage, so I'll be seeing it in a few weeks. I'll let you know how it was.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 9:53am

....Broadway transfer on the way?

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/97532.html

Exciting.

[dreaminaret]

Posted: 1/29/06 at 1:54am

I saw it tonight and it was absolutely excellent. I don't know how great it would be for Broadway, but I had similar reservations with the move of Spelling Bee to B'way and I liked how that turned out. Wow, Second Stage has really been getting some great shows.

The set design which was modular in a sense was so awesome. It wasn't that complex or high tech but really worked. The hotel scenery was so believable and the lighting design was great too.

The actors were perfectly cast. The role of the agent was so spot-on that I was speechless. Every member was so on point and knew when to pause to let the audience have a laugh and emoted different situations so gracefully. Wow.

And the writing - holy crap. First off, the humor is so fresh and witty and SMART. And the writing was just so tight and - if I dare say - flawless. It just worked. The audience was a bit older than I would have expected (I bought Student Advance tix and everyone else seemed either in their 30s or in their 60s) but everyone seemed to really enjoy it. All those sitting around me just kept talking about how great every detail was.

If you are a student, they cancelled the student/youth advance tix but have youth rush (based on availability) for $10 an hour before the show. I'd really say that if you can see it, go. It is such a refreshing show to see - especially during the "slump" season.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/29/06 at 1:57am

*loves this play*

I'm glad you liked it!

2ST always has really good sets.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/4/06 at 6:40pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=7275

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 2/5/06 at 11:08am

Volunteer ushering for this show tonight. Superbowl be damned. Really excited to check it out, especially for free.