You'll never guess who was at Grey Gardens tonight...

[ohjohnny]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 12:13am

Stephen King and John Mellencamp. Somehow I wouldn't picture those two venturing out to the Walter Kerr, but they've obviously got great taste. I say it was King who suggested it, but what do I know.

Anyway, this was my second time seeing the show. Saw it first in Previews for the Broadway run. I did think Christine Ebersole was a little less energetic than the first time around, and maybe she is getting over something because some of the vocals seemed a little clipped. Other than that, though, she was brilliant again, as far as I am concerned. My feeling is that the rumors of Ebersole "phoning it in" are a little exaggerated.

As I said, this was my second time seeing it, and though I have listened to both the Off Broadway and Broadway cast recordings about a thousand times, I was shocked that this time around I was discovering so much more depth that I didn't see in the first viewing. Grey Gardens, in particular, seems a demanding mistress. Sometimes dense lyrically, with the references and the subtext. So much more to see on repeat viewings.

The first act was less than thrilling for me the first time around and this time I was able to more appreciate the psychological set-up of the characters. The foreshadowing of 2nd act tensions between Little and Big Edie, the clear and ceaseless messages these women got about womanhood from the men around them, the abusive and absent Phelan Beale, the heartbreaking agony of Little and Big Edie in Act I, and the stunning betrayal they both experienced. All stuff I sort of got the first time around but didn't have the luxury of enjoying because I was so darned anxious to see Little Edie, circa 1973.

Ebersole got thunderous applause and hoots and bravos for Revolutionary Costume. Went on for quite some time. Her reaction to the adulation was all Little Edie. But then, it always is. I'm so glad you're here.

To go back to the notion of Ebersole "phoning it in", I brought a friend tonight for her birthday and she was blown away by the performances and the complexity of the Little and Big Edie characters. She didn't have any hesitation or disappointment about the performances. Maybe there's a little less energy on the stage, but it's still more than enough. At least for me and the people around me. It felt, again, like I was really, really lucky to be there. It made me proud to be a New Yorker and be supporting work of this caliber.

Oh yeah, and I can't help wondering what Stephen King and John Mellencamp thought. Maybe I should have asked them.

Posted: 7/13/07 at 12:40am

thats a beautiful story!

[Piazzaslight]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 12:50am

I was there tonight also, my second time. Why, oh why must it leave at the end of the month?

It is such a beautiful and devastating show. I agree that some of Ebersole's vocal's were a little weak, but she still gave the brilliant performance everyone is talking about.

And Stephen King... I missed him. Ah, well.

[broadwayboy1939]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 1:03am

When I saw GREY GARDENS, Christine's family was there to support her. It was so sweet. They came out of the stage door with her at the end but she still took the time to take pictures and sign her autograph! God, I love her!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 1:25am

I need to see both GREY GARDENS again and GYPSY before the 29th of this month, but I don't have a SINGLE day off. I don't know how on earth I'll do it, but I'm nervous!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 1:58am

munk - I agree. I have a day off here and there and have a bunch of things I want to see.

Hell, I still have never seen "Beauty and the Beast."

[allofmylife]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 2:15am

Somehow, if they got together, the result would be Stephen Cougar Mellenking, which oddly enough sounds like the perfect name for a writer....

[G_Schlozinski2]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 6:00am

Sounds like a married gay couple, the Cougar-Mellenkings.

John Cougar-Mellenking
Stephen Cougar-Mellenking Updated On: 7/13/07 at 06:00 AM

[folkyboy]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 6:37am

god WHY is this musical closing?! arg! i love it too much for it to close!

[Rypm25]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 7:12am

About a month or two ago, John Mellencamp was a guest host on Ebert & Roeper At The Movies. He recommended as a video pick, the original documentary "Grey Gardens." He then went on to say there was a musical version on Broadway, that he had seen and loved, so at the very least, this was his second trip back to see the show.

:)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 7:44am

I'm with ohjohnny, having seen the show again recently, as well. To partially quote Mark Twain, "the rumors of (Ebersole's) demise have been greately exaggerated..." She's just as damn good now as she was 8 months ago, despite minor vocal strain.

That's what you get for performing a role like this with minimal absences. I'd hate to see how many absences another actress would take.

[ohjohnny]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 8:00am

Rypm25 - thanks for the news on John Mellencamp. That's really great. I never would have thunk it. Is that Moose in your avatar?? Oh, and Piazzaslight, they were sitting in the third or fourth row, all the way on the right. I saw them when they came in and then again outside during intermission.

Broadwayboy-- her kids and everything?

And, yeah, it's so sad that it's closing...
Updated On: 7/13/07 at 08:00 AM

[starvingartist.]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 10:55am

I went in March and saw Bette Midler. Pretty awesome.

[sally1112]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 11:04am

...I would have guessed that!

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 11:08am

I thought you were going to say Daniel Radcliffe! Lol. I love Stephen King, so that's pretty cool. Hope he loved it.

[Clara's Pony]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 11:09am

There was a piece in the Washington Post recently about the Bush Administration refusing a former Surgeon General permission to attend the Special Olympics because of its links with 'that family' (meaning the Kennedys). And yet Laura Bush has been to see Grey Gardens. I love the irony.

[The Goat]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 2:17pm

How may of us were at the July 13th performance of "Grey Gardens" anyway? I was there too, for my 4th visit (2 off- and 2 on-Broadway), and, while I noticed some low-energy moments, what I was most struck by is how the entire cast was actually playing things more subtly--and more for the drama--than they were the last time I saw it, which was many, many months ago. Initially, I was thrown off, as the cast wasn't "punching" the laugh lines the way they had earlier--but then I realized that they were actually underplaying the material and were willing to sacrifice laughs for a more naturalistic rendering of the characters. And, by half-way through the first act, I was on the same page, and being involved with, and moved by, the characters in ways I hadn't been before. This was especially true of act II, when I found myself near tears during the 11 o'clock number ("Another Winter in a Summer Town"). So kudos to the cast for not playing things broader and broader as the run went on, which is very tempting with this material in order to get the big and easy laughs.
Updated On: 7/13/07 at 02:17 PM

[Scott89119]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 2:18pm

I was there last night too, in the next row over from them. I know celebrities see Broadway shows all the time, but Stephen friggin King surprised me.

This was my first time at Grey Gardens. What a beautiful show and a great night of theatre. As much as I enjoyed it I felt a litte melancholy over its closing. It's so beutifully acted and put together. But at least there are people out there who appreciate it for what it is.

And did anyone else notice the prolonged applause after "The Revolutionary Costume?" I loved the Christine love last night.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 2:22pm

I don't blame Laura Bush, she goes to Chippendale's too, so what does that tell you? Not with Condi though, imagine that!

It was great that Stephen King, Bette and John made the show. I hope some of you got to meet them. I wouldn't have mind to shake hands with King and Midler. Two of my favorites and I am reading one of King's book right now. It would have been great to see Midler in a new Musical too. She has such a presence.

Is it going on tour now, I forgot?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 2:28pm

If you guys want to keep GREY GARDENS, send over a $1 million check. I'm sure the producers would GLADLY keep your show running a bit longer. The show isn't making one single profit until it closes, which brings me think -- the only reason the show is still running is because Ebersole and Wilson both have nice run-of-the-play contracts and the producers do not want them to collect money without honoring the full contract. Poor gals.

This happened with Sarah Jessica Parker and the revival of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. Though that revival was losing tons of money on a nightly basis, because Parker had a run-of-the-play contract, they refused to close the show early and still have her collect an income. The revival ran the course of Parker's contract - no sooner nor later.

[genwesclark]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 2:35pm

Why was it such a surprise seeing them at Grey Gardens? They're either theater lovers or they're doing research for their own musical "The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County".

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/97125.html

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 3:05pm

Well, that is the way of things on Broadway. I guess the Theater is too big for this show? So no touring it seems? Too bad, I would have liked to see it.

Now that is news to me that Mellencamp and King are working on a show. Not a very creative title. As long as King doesn't do the casting, it might have some draw. The "Cain and Able" angle is well overdone but we will have to see what he comes up with.

[Nick Plasia]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 3:35pm

Run of play contracts don't mean that the actors are paid for the length of the contract terms, whether the show is running or not.

If an actor is fired, then that kind of thing comes into play. If a show closes, no one is owed any additional monies....

[LilBwayLady]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 4:27pm

this is a bit scary....I was at Grey Gardens last night too! I actually was sitting right in front of Stephen King!!! I really wanted to ask for his autogragh but figured he didnt want to be bothered...anyway it was my first time seeing the show seeing as im from Cali....and i thought it was pretty amazing...I already fell in love with the music but was anticipating the acting for a while and was pleasently surprised....except i must say....i really cant say i think Erin Davie is the best actress....she was an amazing singer...but didnt really impress me as far as acting goes....

were any of you at the stage door after the show, because i know there werent to many people there and i talk to a couple people and i think that would be hilarious if i saw or talked to some of you

[ohjohnny]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 4:38pm

I wasn't at the stage door last night, lilbwaylady, but I'm starting to think I should have answered the "You'll Never Guess who was at Grey Gardens tonight" question with this: "Half of this board." Ha ha.