I saw the show tonight and I have to say, being a big Maureen Moore fan, I was thrilled with Davie's Countess.
I love America. Just because I think gay dudes should be allowed to adopt kids and we should all have hybrid cars doesn't mean I don't love America.
[turns and winks directly into the camera]
- Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) on 30 Rock
It's funny you should say that logan because I am a huge fan of Maureen's performance as Charlotte but I really liked Erin's as well. It was very different but very funny.
Her Act 2 is definitely better than her Act 1, and that is partially due to the lines that she is given. I've seen her 5 times, and sometimes her jokes hit and sometimes they fall flat. She's very hit or miss. I've never once seen her land the "cutting my throat on the tram" line, though she consistently lands "Happy Birthday to me".
^I agree. I've also seen it 5 times, and there are times I have left really enjoying her, and times I've left thinking she was a complete non-entity. She's total hit or miss. She does always get the laugh when she enters in act 2, carrying all the luggage- the expression on her face is priceless.
I think it's important to note that different audiences laugh at different things. There are some jokes that are universal. There are other jokes that certain audiences wouldn't get. Was her performance similar? I'm just giving her the benefit of the doubt. It might not have been her at all. Comedy is hard y'all.
I think there is something to be said for that Jazzy. When everyone was monitoring the running times for this new cast - it was noted that the performances on Friday/Saturday nights were typically running 3-5 minutes longer than during the week - and I think thats largely because those audiences tend to be the most enthusiastic.
A character like Charlotte would perhaps not register as strongly with say, a Wednesday matinee crowd.
Davie's performance has definitely been more consistently excellent with the new cast. Some of the earlier (more weepy) interpretation choices (which her London predecessor also did, so I assume was largely Nunn's initial directorial concept) seem to have been let go - she's found the character that should have been there all along and I think she's now an absolute highlight of the production.
I was at the Saturday matinee on 7/24, and that audience definitely got the humor in Charlotte, along with her other qualities. It was obvious throughout the performance, and they let Davie know about it at the curtain call. My 15 year-old daughter commented on how good she was.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson