KING LEAR Previews- Page 4

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 3/5/19 at 1:00am

VotePeron said: "Oklahoma! will win thecombined Best Revival category."

In the past when there have just been two eligible musical revivals (such as 2010 and 1995), the Tony admin committee votes to create two categories. I think that precedent implies there will be separate categories.

Whizzer, thanks as always for your astute assessment... Though if I recall, everyone hated Van Hove/Rudin's The Crucible when it started, but after a long preview period it got mostly positive reviews and 4 Tony noms. So who knows.

Updated On: 3/5/19 at 01:00 AM

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 3/5/19 at 6:39am

Does anyone have an opinion as to why the artwork for the production has the title enclosed in brackets?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/5/19 at 8:28am

Can someone describe the set?

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 3/5/19 at 8:34am

3 ugly gold walls that looks like someone borrowed it from a community production of Aida 

Updated On: 3/5/19 at 08:34 AM

[hollebolle]

Posted: 3/5/19 at 8:36am

bwayphreak234 said: "Can someone describe the set?"

(Spoilers?)

Purple carpet. Three gold walls with a ledge/bench around the stage. The ledge is used as seating for the actors. That’s basically it, plus some furniture that gets moved around. 

Sorry if that makes it hard to picture—maybe someone else can describe it better.

Updated On: 3/5/19 at 08:36 AM

[AllThatJazz2]

Posted: 3/5/19 at 10:44am

Oof. I was going into my trip next week with this being the show I was most looking forward to. These reports have me seriously tempering my expectations. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/5/19 at 11:42am

SomethingPeculiar said: "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but if this doesn't find its footing and gets poor reviews, what's winning Best Revival??"

You do realize the awards are ancillary to seeing great theater and not the point of staging things?!

 

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 3/6/19 at 1:19pm

haterobics said: "SomethingPeculiar said: "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but if this doesn't find its footing and gets poor reviews, what's winning Best Revival??"

You do realize the awards are ancillary to seeing great theater and not the point of staging things?!"


Of course –– I don't think I implied that the show shouldn't be staged if it can't win Best Revival? It was more a commentary on a category with no clear frontrunner at this point in the season (and my prior theory that Lear would be the frontrunner).

Though if we do want to get nitty-gritty:  most shows are produced in the hopes that they will get great reviews and win awards to bolster their financial performance and solidify their place in Broadway history. If Three Tall Women had received bad reviews and no Tonys, that would have negatively affected its financial performance at the Box Office; the same goes for Lear (arguably a tougher sell).

[bjh2114]

Posted: 3/6/19 at 2:02pm

SomethingPeculiar said: "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but if this doesn't find its footing and gets poor reviews, what's winning Best Revival??"

Well, as of now there are 7 options: Boys in the Band, The Waverly Gallery, Torch Song, True West, King Lear, Burn This, and All My Sons.  If Burn This and/or All My Sons are well-received, I imagine one of those will be the frontrunner. If the reception to them is lukewarm, I'd expect Waverly Gallery to take it.

[stranger411]

Posted: 3/6/19 at 11:38pm

Just got out of this. I feel like I ran a marathaon and I was just an audience member. How Glenda Jackson is able to turn out a performance like that just boggles my mind. My grandparents are 82 and can barely find their keys. Won’t go in to great detail because Whizzer and other members have summed it up pretty perfectly but it’s A BEAST of a production. Lots that worked for me, some bits that didnt but this will definitely be a pretty divisive production for a lot of people. LOTS of walkouts at intermission. I mean dozens of people leaving who clearly weren’t coming back. Overall I was very glad I stayed and Glenda Jackson and Ruth Wilson are worth the price of admission alone. They also have seemed to remedy the issue regarding the incorporation of the live orchestra as it didn’t overpower the cast and I actually found it to be a nice addition. There’s a code for $39 balcony seats ($50 after fees) which I found to be a great view for the price. Again still unpacking and summarizing my full thoughts but figured I’d share my experience.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 3/6/19 at 11:54pm

I have to admit that I am not a big Shakespeare fan.  To  the best of my recollection, I can only remember three times when I have purchased tickets prior to opening: 

1.  The Macbeth with Christopher Plummer and Glenda Jackson that played the Hellinger a thousand years ago.  It  was a bloody bore, badly reviewed by the critics, and IT WAS SHORT.  Despite its relative brevity, I was bored out of my mind.  Even the scene where she tried to get the blood off her hands did nothing for me, despite the fact that she was excellent.  I was already in a stupor by the time that scene came,

2.  Hamlet with Jude Law.  I really enjoyed this because of the staging and Law's performance.  Cynically, I would say that I remember the staging as being more cinematic, frequently painting a strong visual image which held my attention when the words may have started me day-dreaming.

3.  This.  I only got tickets (and I splurged) because of Jackson.  Based the reviews thus far -- and I don't think I have seen anything to date by Sam Gold that's impressed me in the least -- I am getting scared that this is going to be one of those evenings where I am going to have to daydream to get through it.  As I  am in the third row center (it was a splurge),I am hoping that that will make a difference.  

Closing this post, I recall that several people previously said that there is a month to 'fix it.'  I am wondering whether that is  actually enough time to do so if it is as mediocre as some of you are saying.  Gold would have to acknowledge that his concept doesn't work, which seems unlikely,and he needs to have enough time to re-work it.  At least the actors will not need to learn a new script...but it still seems pretty monumental an undertaking, from the perspective layman.

[EthelMae]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 9:26am

I don’t really like Shakespeare either but I did love Mr. Gold’s The Glass Menagerie starring Sally Field as well as John starring Georgia Engel and Lois Smith. I know I’m in the minority on that. Just do a search under those t shows and you’ll find scathing posts here! So, while this King Lear production is getting bad word of mouth already, I kinda still want to see it. I’ve seen it up on TKTS at 50% off already so maybe other discounts will become available.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 9:47am

EthelMae said: "I don’t really like Shakespeare either but I did love Mr. Gold’s The Glass Menagerie starring Sally Field as well as John starring Georgia Engel and Lois Smith. Iknow I’m in the minority on that. Justdo a search under thoset showsand you’ll find scathing posts here! So, while this King Lear production is getting bad word of mouth already, I kinda still want to see it. I’ve seen it up on TKTS at 50% off already so maybe other discounts will become available."

Its currently on tdf.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 9:54am

I loved John too...also loved The Flick and of course Gold’s brilliant staging of Fun Home. He and Annie Baker seemed to be a creative match made in heaven.

I hated his production of Glass Menagerie though, and Lear didn’t work for me at all either. Maybe I just don’t like Gold’s take on the classics, but dig his modern work.

With Annie Baker/Fun Home Gold’s direction only enhanced the pieces and never got in way of the text or the performances. With Lear and Menagerie it’s all about him and a bag of gimmicks and tricks.

[Samanthacq]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 10:52am

I was there last night. The show is now 3 hours and 30 minutes, but Act 1 is still way too long. I find the show very dull whenever Lear is not on the stage, but I'm still happy I survived the three and half hours and got to see Glenda Jackson playing Lear.

What I really don't get is the sign language. Not sure what value it added except giving one more actor a job. 

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 11:00am

WhizzerMarvin said: "I loved John too...also loved The Flick and of course Gold’s brilliant staging of Fun Home. He and Annie Baker seemed to be a creative match made in heaven.

I hated his production of Glass Menagerie though, and Lear didn’t work for me at all either. Maybe I just don’t like Gold’s take on the classics, but dig his modern work.

With Annie Baker/Fun Home Gold’s direction only enhanced the pieces and never got in way of the text or the performances. With Lear and Menagerie it’s all about him and a bag of gimmicks and tricks. "

I think he has something to "prove" when doing classic works. Like "this is MY TAKE" instead of doing a lovely straight-forward version.

It's also fairly commonly known that (allegedly) there was...help...in directing Fun Home.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 12:50pm

nasty_khakis said: "WhizzerMarvin said: "I loved John too...also loved The Flick and of course Gold’s brilliant staging of Fun Home. He and Annie Baker seemed to be a creative match made in heaven.

I hated his production of Glass Menagerie though, and Lear didn’t work for me at all either. Maybe I just don’t like Gold’s take on the classics, but dig his modern work.

With Annie Baker/Fun Home Gold’s direction only enhanced the pieces and never got in way of the text or the performances. With Lear and Menagerie it’s all about him and a bag of gimmicks and tricks. "

I think he has something to "prove" when doing classic works. Like "this is MY TAKE" instead of doing a lovely straight-forward version.

It's also fairly commonly known that (allegedly) there was...help...in directing Fun Home."

Uh .... first time I heard of this. Who helped direct Fun Home? I know about An American in Paris and allegedly there was a ghost director but Fun Home?

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 1:19pm

I heard from several pretty close sources a well-known director (i honestly for get who) came in at the Public and basically ghost directed/helped. I won't claim to know if it was just heavy notes or if they took over completely but I heard it was closer to the latter. I've heard it mentioned a few more times since, but again it's all alleged.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 1:55pm

Hmm, haven’t heard that Fun Home rumor.

I just looked up Gold’s Broadway track record and it is all over the place.

Seminar- perfunctory direction of a perfunctory play

Picnic- uninspired direction and production

Realistic Joneses- I despised this play, but that was the text

The Real Thing- bland and misguided

Fun Home- some of my favorite musical directing of the past decade

Glass Menagerie- Hated this

Doll’s House Pt 2- loved this play and the performances. Felt like a return to his direction with Baker’s plays

King Lear- like you mentioned, something to prove with all the gimmicks and tricks.

The Broadway credits alone don’t tell the whole story of course, but considering the pedestal I put him on after the Annie Baker plays, I can’t lie and say I’m not disappointed by this output.

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 2:55pm

Recently, Gold has become a bit obsessed with having a 'signature style' (doubtless because directors' theatre is all the rage right now) and it has not done him any favors. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 3:13pm

Is this a completely new production or is this a transfer of the West End production that Glenda Jackson starred as Lear back in 2016?

[wonkit]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 3:25pm

I have tickets for this in a couple of weeks. An earlier poster said the production was a bore when Lear is not on stage which means the supporting cast must be weak or badly directed. A good Edgar/Edmund pairing or a strong Gloucester can rip your heart out. I suffered through the LEAR at BAM with Anthony Sher last April and it was beyond tiresome but had a fantastic Gloucester. This may be a test of the old saying that I would go to see Glenda Jackson read the phone book.

[kade.ivy]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 9:58pm

I know there’s no official policy, but has anyone tried to effectively rush this?

[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 10:28pm

Wick3 said: "Is this a completely new production or is this a transfer of the West End production that Glenda Jackson starred as Lear back in 2016?"

I asked a friend this question and he said that it is different production.  

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 11:18pm

Wick3 said: "Is this a completely new production or is this a transfer of the West End production that Glenda Jackson starred as Lear back in 2016?"

Totally different production/concept/design/cast. The London (Old Vic) production was directed by Deborah Warner, and this production is directed by Sam Gold. Though the London production didn't get great reviews aside from Jackson, but this one doesn't seem much better in its current state.