BRIEF ENCOUNTER - First Preview 9/10

[EugLoven]

Posted: 9/10/10 at 12:51am

The Broadway premiere of BRIEF ENCOUNTER, the Kneehigh Theatre's highly theatrical and widely acclaimed adaptation of Noël Coward's stage and film romance, starts Sept. 10 at Studio 54. The staging, adapted and directed by Emma Rice, includes songs, incidental music, dance, melodrama, film projections and comedy to create a unique hybrid.

Anyone going???

I'm anxious to see it tonight only because it has such a good reputation from the starting-line, and yet, I still know nothing about it!

[matty159]

Posted: 9/10/10 at 1:25am

I'm seeing the fourth preview on Sunday afternoon and am most excited.

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/10/10 at 8:40am

I saw it in Brooklyn and thought it was very well done.

[once a month]

Posted: 9/10/10 at 9:14am

I was extremely disappointed that I missed this production during its first run. I'm not seeing it until the end of November, but I have a good seat. Until then, there's Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Mrs Warrens Profession, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the Leonard Bernstein Tribute at Lincoln Ctr and another Cirque-Dralion in Jersey. It's looking to be an entertaining autumn!

[CarmenDeBris]

Posted: 9/10/10 at 9:36am

I've got a ticket tonight too. Very anxious to see it!

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 9/10/10 at 11:07am

Unfortunately I missed this in London, but had great write ups and word of mouth on here was excellent. Ben Brantley and Elizabeth Vincentilli both swooned at this in Brooklyn.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/10/10 at 11:10am

>>>"I'm not seeing it until the end of November, but I have a good seat."<<<

That news warms my heart to no end.

[dave1606]

Posted: 9/10/10 at 10:59pm

I know there will be different opinions on this, and I actually completely understand what the criticism will be for this show, but I want to put it out there that I love this show. I saw it once in London (which, in an old movie palace was the absolute best location for this show), twice at Brooklyn and now once again tonight I was charmed by this fantastic piece of theater.
Rather than do a straight play version of the film, Emma Rice went back to the one act stage version of “Brief Encounter”, Still Life for inspiration. What’s more, she fleshes out charcters who are only minor in the film to the point where they basically steal the show. Beryl and her boss, played by the brilliant Dorothy Atkinson and Annette Mclaughin respectively, are absolute highlights for me and almost would warrant their own play. The other star of this play is the fantastic musicians and the music. Taking some of Noel Cowards own songs, and using his poems this play is very near a musical.

There are lots of old stage tricks but I think all the smoke and mirrors work to make a story that would today seem outdated and frankly probably dull seem relevant and more importantly very entertaining. The film has none of this, but then again being from 1945 works on its own level.

I understand the issue the most will bring up with this play: that all of the side characters, music, and bells and whistles make the central story seem uninteresting, and at most pointless. For me, they make it all the more seem relevant in what becomes an interesting meditation on love and a damn entertaining one. This is a funny, beautiful, and darn entertaining night of theater. Ps. Stay after in the orchestra for a nice mini concert by the cast, and maybe even some cucumber sandwiches!

**Disclaimer: I want to make a note on the venue of this play—it is all wrong. This worked fantastic last year at St. Ann’s and even better in London at the Haymarket, but at Studio 54, it really swallows the show. The acoustics make many lines hard to hear from the balcony, and the intimacy that this show desperately needs is lost. Roundabout really made a mistake by putting this show in this theater, but even that said, I still loved the show, but I don’t know if new audience members will feel the same way.

Updated On: 9/10/10 at 10:59 PM

[Sauja]

Posted: 9/10/10 at 11:44pm

I saw this tonight and absolutely adored it. And let me confess, I was primed to be in a bad mood. I have a bad cold and as the show was about to begin, the ushers announced that anyone in the mezzanine could move forward to free seats. After the initial rush, there was so much hectic action as ushers shoved people whose seats were now occupied wherever they fit. There was so much chatter that I felt like I missed the first five minutes of the show entirely and then spent the next five minutes trying to figure out what was happening. But as soon as the annoyance cleared and my head started feeling less congested...blissful.

The show is just unbelievably charming. An adulterous love story of restrained emotion, it's filled with these wonderful moments of stage magic. Simple moments, beautifully portrayed. It won me over entirely. Hannah Yelland as Laura is fantastic, capturing the spirit of 40's films and broad melodrama while also getting to the heart of the her character so incisively. And Annette McLaughlin as the saucy shopkeeper is bubbly fun with a dark undercurrent.

After the show, the cast joined together at the back of the orchestra to play a handful of songs for anyone who stuck around. They did covers of "American Boy," "Don't Stop Believing," and...two others. I forget. It was a really joyful moment that brought the entire experience right down to earth.

If I have a quibble, it's that I agree with dave--the venue is all wrong. It feels out of place and really cries out for something more intimate. Studio 54 is probably my least favorite Broadway venue, so I often feel like shows feel out of place there, but this felt particularly strange in its home. I'm not even really sure I understand why the show is ON Broadway. It doesn't feel as though it has that broad appeal necessary to keep audiences coming, and the casual music and less than perfect singing are abundantly charming, but I worry about what the response will be.

I hope it takes off, though. It really is completely wonderful.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/11/10 at 12:20am

So excited to see this again!

Is it worse - venue wise - than the Carry Fisher show?

[EugLoven]

Posted: 9/11/10 at 1:58am

Brief thoughts:
Did enjoy it (didn't love it didn't hate it)
Very clever staging (almost 39 Steps-ish)
I'm a hopeless romantic, so easily fell into the story and the characters
GREAT music (especially the "Go Slow, Charlie" soloist)
Excellent featured actresses (especially Atkinson who played 4 very funny and distinctly different women)
Nice marriage of 21st century and old-school theatre techniques (projections, music, vaudeville, minimalism)
Again, totally a head-over-heels kind of simple love story (the kind you can guiltlessly get sappy over)

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 9/11/10 at 6:07am

I'm heading to the city today and will try to get a matinee ticket. From the comments I've already heard, sounds like Roundabout has once again screwed up by putting it in Studio 54, a theatre which I abhor. But I'm praying that the show will defy the Roundabout's standard stupidity and that the piece itself will shine through.

[wexy]

Posted: 9/11/10 at 6:29am

I saw it last night and really enjoyed it.They often stick subscribers with first previews but everything was really tight.

The entire cast came to our series after party and are all very nice friendly people.
I think the reviews and audience reaction will all be positive.

[wonkit]

Posted: 9/11/10 at 5:47pm

I'm seeing this on Wednesday. I know the movie very well, and love it, but I also know Coward's original one-act version was quite different and much darker. So I will do my best to keep an open mind. I much prefer live theater to movies for immediacy of impact, anyway.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 9/11/10 at 6:13pm

Overall this production didn't work for me. I appreciated the wonderfully talented cast and clever direction, but it was all a little too 'clever' for my tastes in the sense that it ultimately was all style over continent. I would have liked to have cared more for what was going on in the story -- definitely borders on camp - a fascinating evening but a little too at the detriment of anything of real substance.

[stevenycguy]

Posted: 9/11/10 at 11:58pm

Would you say it's similar to both "The 39 Steps" and "The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged"?

[dave1606]

Posted: 9/12/10 at 12:06am

Definitely a little less manic than the 39 steps, but they both use similar stagecraft, and often a similar sense of humor. Haven't seen the other so I can't comment.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/12/10 at 2:19pm

I saw the show last night. I definitely liked it. It feels long for a 90 minute show and it lags in the pacing at certain points but it's, overall, a pretty ingenious production. There are a bunch of absolutely gorgeous moments and it's undeniably charming. The audience loved it...huge applause breaks after some particularly funny moments and roaring applause the second the show ended. The performances are lovely, particularly Annette McLaughlin who provides strong comedic support and Hannah Yelland who injects the lead female character with a bunch of gusto and a strong, old-school stage presence. I hope the direction is remembered come Tony time, but it's doubtful. The strong moments definitely outweigh the ones that drag. There are some really brilliant sequences here and the final product is definitely one worth seeing.

*** out of ****

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 9/12/10 at 3:41pm

I went to yesterday's matinee and thought the production was generally quite good. I'm not sure that I share Brantley's comments about how innovative it is because I've seen these techniques used variously at past shows. My biggest caveat is that I just don't like the play (Still Life), which has always struck me as glorifed soap opera, at best. But I wouln't discourage anyone from going to this. Just my thoughts.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 9/12/10 at 6:40pm

I saw this today and I just didn't get it. I've never seen the film and knew nothing of the story beforehand. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more had I been familiar with the film, but knowing the source material shouldn't be a requirement to enjoy a show. I just didn't care at all about the main love story, I'm so not a fan of that kind of melodrama, and for the first hour or so I couldn't even see what the point of it was. The actors are all very talented and I liked the staging for the most part, I just couldn't get into the story until it was more than half over.

[TheColorOfFlame]

Posted: 9/12/10 at 6:43pm

The "Go Slow, Johnny" soloist is Damon Daunno, who just played Romeo in THE LAST GOODBYE at Williamstown Theater Festival. Boy is workin' it!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/12/10 at 6:45pm

I saw the show this afternoon and simply adored it!!! Another import Roundabout only wishes it could take credit for.

[matty159]

Posted: 9/12/10 at 7:52pm

Arghhh!!! I had to miss the matinee today because of a last minute schedule change at work. Thank goodness the folks at Roundabout are good about honoring dead tickets...I called when the box office opened this morning, and they couldn't have been any nicer.

Thanks for all the early reviews...they are getting me even more excited to see this than I was before (and just added the movie to my Netflix instant queue to tide me over)!

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 9/12/10 at 11:31pm

Even without seeing the show at St. Anne's Warehouse, I could tell this venue was all wrong.

That being said, it was pleasant. I have no desire to see it again, but I wouldn't stop someone else from going. Loved the band, the music, some of the staging, and Dorothy Atkinson, Damon Daunno, and Annette McLaughlin. I guess my biggest quibble was the leads. I think it was more the writing than the actors, but I just didn't like them. If they're the ones I'm supposed to root for...it makes for a long 90 minues.

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 9/13/10 at 7:42am

Add me to the "I loved it!" camp. I had so much fun and walked out inspired. I will definitely see it again before it closes.