Blithe Spirit 1st preview

gulliver35
#1Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:23pm

At intermission of Blithe Spirit right now. So fun. Angela Lansbury and Christine Ebersole...can't go wrong :)

dg22894
#2re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:24pm

Thanks for your short a sweet review!

RentBoy86
#2re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:28pm

Seems a little biased, ha. I think Lansbury did do wrong with her last Broadway outing.

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bundy5000
#3re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:31pm

Seeing Blithe Spirit next weekend!!! Hope you have a good time!


Herbie: "Honey, Don't you know there's a depression?"
Rose: "Of Course I know, I Watch Fox News"
-(modified)Gypsy
Broadway Schedule
December 5th- Hamilton, On Your Feet
December 19th- Noises Off, Edith Piaf Concert at Town Hall

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best12bars
#4re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:35pm

It's a wonderful, entertaining play with a killer cast.

Just what Broadway needs right now.


"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

Yankeefan007
#5re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:53pm

So is there 1 intermission or 2?

RentBoy86
#6re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:55pm

Is it that long of a show? i didn't know. Maybe I'll attempt the rush tomm.

Yankeefan007
#7re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:59pm

3 Acts, each of which has a brilliant final curtain device.

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BroadwayBoy2
#8re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 10:01pm

Can't wait to hear the full review. What was the runtime for the production?


I'll have them clawing at eachother, like drag queens at a wig sale"

Parks
#9re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 10:22pm

Ah! First preview totally snuck up on me! I have to see this ASAP!


"If it walks like a Parks, if it wobbles like a Parks, then it's definitely fat and nobody loves it." --MA

RentBoy86
#10re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 10:27pm

Really yankee? Hm...now I'm excited to see this. That, and I've never been in the Shubert before.

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nealb1
#11re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 10:48pm

Saw Angela and Marion together last year. They were both wonderful! The play itself, wasn't any good. Certainly not their fault. Angela got a Tony nod for it.

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bschneid76
#12re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 11:53pm

There was only 1 intermission. The show needs to be tightened up a bit. Jayne Atkinson is wonderful as Ruth. Ebersole is very good as Elvira. I had to warm up to Rupert though. Angela is fun, and needs to get a little more polished, but I think that will come with time! The sets are nice as are the costumes. Overall an enjoyable evening that will get better with each passing performance!


"Love the Art in Yourself. Not Yourself in the Art." -- Stanislavski

A Director
#13re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/26/09 at 11:54pm

Rentboy66 - You are too much. Have you considered renting out the space between your ears?

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WithoutATrace
#14re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:12am

The show was outstanding. Give Angela Lansbury the Supporting Actress Tony Award right now. She got entrance applause at the beginnning and exit applause for all three of her exits. It was incredible. The entire rest of the cast is killer too...Christine, Jayne, and Rupert hit it out of the park...I loved it so much! I can't wait to read the rave reviews...

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CurtainPullDowner
#15re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:23am

Do they Fly?
I Hope So.

Sounds like the Hot ticket,
Laughs thru the recession.
Perfection.

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WhizzerMarvin
#16re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:32am

What a wonderfully fun night at the theater! Angela is turning in a kooky, eccentric performance, much like in Death On the Nile. Her costumes are a riot, and she received lovingly warm entrance applause. She is a lock for a Tony nomination, will be one of strongest contenders.

Christine Ebersole is great as Elvira, and looks STUNNING in her costume (and at the stagedoor!). Jayne Atkinson surprised me the most because I was so excited about Angela and Christine that I neglected to think twice about her going in. Her timing is really wonderfully; just a perfect fit for Coward.

Rupert was good, but for me fell in the shadow of the great women on stage. A very respectable performance though. This will be the Boeing-Boeing of this season. Pure joy.


Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

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WithoutATrace
#17re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:33am

I hope it IS a hot ticket after the rave reviews come out. It is so wonderful. I am so happy for everyone involved in this production!! Can't wait for others to see it to share in the love for BLITHE SPIRIT!!

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WhizzerMarvin
#18re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:35am

I also have to make one last rave about the windowcard. They really did a beautiful job with the artwork. A befitting tribute to the magic that's happening on stage.


Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

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ColorTheHours048
#19re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:40am

So happy to hear such great things! Such a fun show with great casting. I can't wait to see it now!

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WithoutATrace
#20re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:43am

Seriously. Buy your tickets now.

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MiracleElixir
#21re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:48am

once again, it seems I'm the asshole here. I thought it was really mediocre, the play seemed creaky, stale, showed it's age, and WAAAAAY too long for something so frivolous. I didn't hate it, but I certainly never laughed, and didn't have anywhere near the energy/pacing/timing/infectious fun of "Boeing-Boeing."

Atkinson was the best of the group -- very good -- while Lansbury was fun, but nothing special; she just got love, deservedly, because she's Lansbury. Everett was serviceable, and, I guess I'm alone here, I thought Ebersole was AWFUL. I never quite understood what she was doing with her voice, and Elvira never resembled an actual person. Just a weird, vaguely broad, half-assed performance from an insanely talented actress.

I heard lots and lots of "Cute," "Fun" and "it's light -- perfect for this economy" on the way out; i.e.: "I just spent a lot of money on tickets and NEED to convince myself I liked that."

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musikman
#22re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 1:02am

Just out of curiosity, the Shubert being the pretty big house that it is, did they use mics or any form of amplification?


-There's the muddle in the middle. There's the puddle where the poodle did the piddle."

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MiracleElixir
#23re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 1:04am

Mics were used, but Lansbury had mic/vocal issues all night. I was struggling to hear a lot of her dialogue and some of the elderlies complained they didn't hear her at all.

RentBoy86
#24re: Blithe Spirit 1st preview
Posted: 2/27/09 at 3:00am

A Director - I never claimed to be a great knowledgeable person about theater. I'm here to watch, appreciate, read, and be exposed to new theatre. So pardon me.


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