A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2 previews- Page 3

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 1:18am

uncageg said: "Newsflash!

Tony's aren't based on how many shows one has been in. She was quite deserving of an award for THE OTHER PLACE., in my opinion.

 

Of course not.  I just think art is hyperbolic to say that someone is overdue for the theatre's highest award when she has a limited Broadway portfolio (which is indisputably true of Rashad, who has two whole prior shows for which she received good reviews).  Re Metcalfe and her overdue Tony, I think she is an excellent actress, and I hope she does win a Tony one day, but I don't think she is overdue.  I would point out that -- for The Other Place -- she lost to Cicely Tyson that year and her competition included Amy Morton, who gave a ferocious performance in Va Woolf.

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 1:43am

I think Metcalf is an incredible treasure, and I'm surprised she hasn't won every award in the book. But it's all opinion. I can't wait to see her in this. And happy she keeps coming back to Broadway. 

[@z5]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 1:57am

Seating chart seems interesting, what;s the stage like in this show? And has anyone done rush at all?

[C4b2a3b]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 2:17am

Can anybody comment on rows A-C? I'm tempted to get a non-premium seat in rows B or C, but I don't want to watch the actors' backsides the whole time. I would also sit in the non-premium seats much further back in the center if you all recommend it. Thanks!

Updated On: 4/2/17 at 02:17 AM

[JVJ93]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 8:57pm

Just saw this. Metcalfe is getting that Tony. Possibly one for Condola Rashad as well. So so so good. I also believe the play itself should be nominated. 

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 9:08pm

saw this last night, what a brilliant and hilarious and smart piece of theater, highly recommend it!

[little_sally]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 9:12pm

All of these great reviews are making me really excited to see this on Thursday.

[AC126748]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 8:09am

I was there last night. Excellent center orchestra seats via TDF.

This, to me, is the surprise of the season. As I mentioned in previous posts, I haven't been the greatest fan of Hnath's previous plays--he's heretofore struck me as a writer with a lot of interesting ideas that he executes to varying degrees of success. So I was surprised by how smart, cogent, and entertaining this was from beginning to end. Hnath has something to say and fully understands how he wants to say it. The writing crackles with energy from the first line, and the momentum builds over the course of a brisk, high-voltage 90 minutes.

Gold's production perfectly balances the play's juxtaposition of period detail and modern sensibilities. And Laurie Metcalf proves once again why she is probably the most valuable stage actress currently working. I'm hard-pressed to think of another actor who can have the audience in stitches and then, a nanosecond later, rip your heart out with complete ease. It's a marathon performance--she never leaves the stage--packed with intelligence, wit, and ultimately, pathos. She will be a serious awards contender and may very well win.

Cooper's understated performance as Torvald, a man resigned to accept a choice he had very little say in making, really worked for me. Jayne Houdyshell will almost certainly receive another Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress. Surprisingly, I was not as taken with Condola Rashad's performance as some other early commentators--she's good, for sure, but she doesn't have a full grasp of her character yet. The foundation for a memorable performance is apparent, but I think she needs a few more weeks under her belt to fully get there.

This is definitely a play I'm excited to see again, although it's already running fairly smooth. I can definitely see this garnering a lot of nominations as awards season gets under way. To me, this is the work that really announces Hnath as a major American playwright.

Side note: If anyone else was there last night, does anyone have any idea what was going on in the lobby/area behind the orchestra about thirty minutes into the show? A lot of loud voices and banging was heard, and it was so disruptive that nearly everyone sitting in the last 5-6 rows were turning their heads in unison to see what was going on. If the people responsible are staff, they really need to get their act together.

[BroadwayLuv2]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:00am

Rushed this yesterday.  By the time the box office opened at 12 there were about 15 people. 

The view from the front row is GREAT.  Stage isn't too high.  No obstruction other than occasionally you see the back of one of the actors heads but not a big deal in my opinion.  Great way to see the show. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:15am

I saw the matinee yesterday (with themysteriousgrowl!).

I have to say- this is my pick for best new play on Broadway this season. It's an inventive, tight, smart, impeccably performed piece. It's Hnath's most conventional play, certainly- very little of the poetry-like strings of dialogue or ironic conceits from his earlier plays are here. Its modern language aside, the play takes its concept- a direct follow up to A Doll's House- seriously, and it unfolds in a series of two-hander scenes between Nora and, variously, Torvald, and two minor characters from A Doll's House.

Laurie Metcalf is giving a tremendous performance while looking stunning in a gorgeous dress. Nora here is a self-actualized woman who has thrived in the years following walking out on her family, spinning her story into gold as a controversial novelist. Metcalf is really terrific- funny and strong, but willfully blind to her faults until being made to face them.

Metcalf is ably backed up by Houdyshell, Cooper, and Rashad. Cooper has the least showy role, but I think he's giving a great performance. The climax between Cooper and Metcalf is a great showcase for both.

The audience seemed to eat it up- as others have said, this is often a very funny play. It's never jokey; the humor comes from odd digressions, sly delivery, and off-beat turns of phrase. Although not required, I think a working knowledge of A Doll's House really could help deepen one's enjoyment.

[dave1606]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 11:51am

I saw the matinee yesterday as well.  I thought it was great. "There's the door Nora. I know you know how to use it." will be one of my favorite moments from this Broadway season. I think Jayne Houdyshell is so brilliant and really nails it here. Laurie Metcalf is fantastic and I also would be thrilled if she picked up a Tony for this performance. Condola Rashad holds her own and thought that she had a wonderful intensity to that part.  Cooper was good in a less showy role as well. Really it's such a finely assembled cast that I'd watch them all sit ontsage and read the phone book.

I was at yesterday's matinee and wondered if anyone noticed some music that was playing during the show? I saw other people noticing it too, and couldn't tell if it was one of the nearby theaters coming through the walls or something else. It just seemed really odd. 

[dshnookie]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 12:09pm

BroadwayLuv2 said: "Rushed this yesterday.  By the time the box office opened at 12 there were about 15 people. 

The view from the front row is GREAT.  Stage isn't too high.  No obstruction other than occasionally you see the back of one of the actors heads but not a big deal in my opinion.  Great way to see the show. 

BroadwayLuv2, what time did you arrive and what # were in line were you when you got there? Thanks!

 

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 12:09 PM

[BroadwayLuv2]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 1:00pm

dshnookie said: "BroadwayLuv2 said: "Rushed this yesterday.  By the time the box office opened at 12 there were about 15 people. 

The view from the front row is GREAT.  Stage isn't too high.  No obstruction other than occasionally you see the back of one of the actors heads but not a big deal in my opinion.  Great way to see the show. 

BroadwayLuv2, what time did you arrive and what # were in line were you when you got there? Thanks!

"

11AM.  Was number 1 and there were 2 shows that day.  Seems to be a pretty easy rush.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 2:15pm

For what it's worth, nearly everyone in the rear mezz was moved down to closer seating in the mezz on Sunday afternoon.

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 02:15 PM

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 2:23pm

I can't imagine that this show's weekly nut is very high. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 3:16pm

Dave1606, going tomorrow evening. Will be listening for music.

Is there any merchandise? I collect magnets.

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 03:16 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 3:16pm

I did not see any merchandise.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 5:23pm

Hoping to catch this along with Significant Other  layer this month.  I hope they'll both hang on.   The discounts are great, tdf and today's tix....so I just have to wait for the date I need!

 

I'm not crazy coming get into the city 3x from Boston in one month that, right?  

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 5:33pm

BakerWilliams said: "I can't imagine that this show's weekly nut is very high."

Is there a show where someone on here thinks their nut IS high?

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 7:03pm

haterobics said: "BakerWilliams said: "I can't imagine that this show's weekly nut is very high."

Is there a show where someone on here thinks their nut IS high?

 

"

The implications of some of the previous posts were that the show is not selling well, and my response is that perhaps it doesn't have to.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 1:24pm

 

I enjoyed this (with Kad!) over the weekend. There isn’t much more to add to his well-wrought evaluation. He’s especially acute in pointing out Hnath’s economy, which didn’t really register with me until just now. I’d like to sit down with the script. I suspect there’s very little, if any, fat.

The one thing I’ll go further in is my praise of Condola Rashad. We’re accustomed to Laurie Metcalf being exceptional (and she is here), but that has the side effect of seeing her considerable skills on display not feeling – I don’t know – revelatory. We expect her to be great, and she delivers. But I was incredibly impressed by Rashad. She has an extremely controlled, delicate, nuanced, and, in some ways, risky take on the character which easily could have not worked, but I couldn’t take my eyes or ears off of her.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 1:41pm

I saw the show this weekend and absolutely loved it. I was worried that it would come off as too self-important or too aware of its cleverness (as I often find modern takes on older plays do, such as The Present" and "Stupid F*cking Bird" ), so I was pleasantly surprised to find it neither. The show definitely allows for interesting thoughts for its audience to ponder, but I find that it really presents all sides of an issue, rather than it feeling like the playwright is imposing his own views onto the characters.

I've never had the pleasure of seeing Laurie Metcalf perform and - wow! I have yet to see all of the contenders, but I can happily say that hers is certainly a Tony-winning performance in my eyes.

All 4 cast members were excellent, but I do feel the ladies all stood out in their own ways. All three of them found a perfect balance of hilarity and despair/passion, which, despite numerous laughs, kept me truly caring about the characters.

I couldn't recommend this enough. I hadn't planned on getting tickets, but an opportunity came up, and am so grateful I ended up seeing it.

Updated On: 4/4/17 at 01:41 PM

[zzdawgg]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 1:45pm

Excuse my ignorance, but do I need to have read A Doll's House or know anything about it before going into this show?

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 1:52pm

I don't think one would need to do an in-depth study of "A Doll's House" to enjoy the play, but certainly reading the Wikipedia before going in would help.  

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 2:46pm

I'd also recommend reading it because it's a great play. Thornton Wilder has my favorite translation.