A TOUCH OF THE POET (all Reviews welcome)- Page 3

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 4:06pm

uncageg, Nora does say something to Sara about using the brogue to annoy Cornelius. It is also pointed out that they moved from Ireland to America when Sara was very young, so she spent her entire school career in the States. She shouldn't have the same accent as the other characters, who emigrated as adults.

[zelda]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 5:12pm

nondeplume. i like your response. but i think the mothers affection toward CON and her fear of failure really drives hermore than anything

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 5:14pm

I think it's more than obvious that Nora's motivation for everything is rooted in her extreme co-dependence on Cornelius. And to a much lesser extent, on Sara.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 5:19pm

We were in the upper mezz and lost a lot of dialouge. I did catch that they had moved and caught a bit of of her saying something to annoy him. We were straining to hear a lot. Again, Thanks for the clarification. It all makes sense now.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 12/3/05 at 2:50pm

Great article re Gabriel Byrne!

What he says of himself is on the same wavelength as what I expressed in the "stage door stalker" thread. I said:

"Actors should be able to enjoy and have lots of doting fans acknowledging them for the gift of themselves they express onstage."

And Byrne:

'Asked how he would classify himself, Byrne replies, "I honestly don't think of myself as an actor, a writer or a photographer. I'm a person who finds expression through these things."'

See:
http://www.nynewsday.com/entertainment/stage/ny-ffthe4533976dec04,0,4573877.story?coll=nyc-manheadlines-stage

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/7/05 at 7:18pm

My best friend and I are going to the opening tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how it's grown and changed.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 12/7/05 at 9:05pm

okay, i just got subscribed to the Playbill Opening Night Service (its my Christmas present!!! :) ), and this will be the first Opening Night Playbill they're sending me! *so happy* So this show will always have a special place in my heart... :)

Hope to hear more about the opening and such! Have a good time,Rathnait62!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/8/05 at 12:58am

Nice Playbill item with pics.
Opening Night Article

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/8/05 at 10:33am

Where's the opening night logo?

[zelda]

Posted: 12/8/05 at 11:36am

I will be at the opening as well. i 'm sure it will a great evening of theatre

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 12/8/05 at 10:18pm

Pretty soon the reviews will be out...

[Madame X]

Posted: 12/8/05 at 11:15pm

**stupid question warning**

How do we know at the top of the show (w/o having read the script) that this play is about Irish immigrants in America? I was 3/4 through the 2nd act before I realized it was taking place in America. I thought they were just an Irish family taking interest in American politics (for whatever reason). And the Americans were visiting Ireland. (through discussions w/ others new to the piece also, I've realized I am not the only one not to realize this play takes place in America either)

I've always found this to be a dirge of a play -- too long, too melodramatic, too static.

Sounds about right to me.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/9/05 at 1:43pm

Madame X, it's discussed by the two characters at the top of Act I in their expositional conversation, and then mentioned quite a few more times.

I'm waiting for the theater sites to publish the pics from last night - I saw Ellen Barkin, Jill Clayburgh, Laura Benanti, Katie Finneran, Amy Irving and Karen Ziemba - all of whom looked fabulous. Anyone see anyone else?

Updated On: 12/9/05 at 01:43 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/9/05 at 2:55pm

Here's a great gallery of pics from last night:
WireImage - POET Opening Night

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 5:31pm

I saw today's matinee. It's a very tight, well-directed and incredibly acted production of a criminally underproduced masterpiece.

Gabriel Byrne is beyond perfection as Con Melody, the Irish "nobleman"-cum-innkeeper in 1828 Massachusetts. Almost half as crazy as Cerveris' Sweeney, he struts around the stage in his uniform and presents himself as the gentleman he may have once been, but is certainly no more. It's truly a master class in O'Neill interpretation.

Dearbhla Molloy is a scene-stealer as Melody's lower class wife, Nora, the poor girl he married because she was pregnant, but truly does love. She is more like a sheep than a wife, and will do anything that he tells her out of her devotion to him. Molloy conveys the broken heroine divinely. This performance, I believe, will definitely be remembered at Tony time.

Emily Bergl is their rough-and-tumble progeny, Sara; a young girl raised in the US, who loves to whip out her Irish roots when necessary to piss off her assimilated father. When she falls in love with the son of a wealthy Boston family, Con sees it as his chance to make it in the brahmin Massachusetts elite.
Bergl is quite superb, if not always on par with Byrne and Molloy.

The supporting cast-especially the brilliant Kathryn Meisle as the boy's patrician mother-is beyond reproach. Santo Loquisto's set is completely mood-evoking.

This is one not to miss.

BTW-The WireImage opening night photos list Carolyn McCormick's first name as "Karen"...odd.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 5:34pm

Thank you for that great review, Meffie!

I agree about Molloy at Tony time - this is her second appearance on Broadway, and she garnered a nomination with her first. I knew when I saw this play that she'd have another nod to add to her resume.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 5:42pm

I doubt that she will win though, sadly. By the time of the awards, this play will have been closed for almost six months.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 5:44pm

I agree. Politically, it's near to impossible.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 11:30pm

I saw the play again tonight, first time since previews and the difference I noticed the most was that it has settled into an elegant rhythm.

The actors aren't rushing anything, they're fully interacting, and Gabriel Bryne, Dearbhla Molloy and Emily Bergyl have created the most beautiful pacing for the show.

Bryne seems to have refined his character even more over the weeks. The delirium tremens of his character Major Melody's drunken hands is just a little more subtle, the work of a master. The tender scene with Molloy toward the end has been developed by both to be very touching. And Emily Bergyl is a great ingenue spitfire.

Very fun to see how the show has grown and quite an evening!

[Ger]

Posted: 12/24/05 at 10:40pm

We reviewed the play favorably. See http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/touchrev.html.

[armchairdictator]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 2:03am

Updated On: 12/29/05 at 02:03 AM

[armchairdictator]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 2:03am

I just saw this play tonight knowing little about it before. Forgive me all for my "provincialism" but I've seen a reasonable number of plays before and think that I'm an intelligent progressive person who has some taste for good literature and productions. Many of the reviews I read seem to be severely tainted, especially by those patrons of the arts who feel challenged in saying negative things about the arts due to various fears and bias.

My overall feeling about Poet was that the actors were good. The story and dialogue is DREADFULLY SLOW. It takes a full two and a half hours to go through a day in a life that is played out to the point of absurdity and the "deeper" conversations, most of which occur in the shorter second half, seem to be repetitive in nature.

A challenge with the play and potentially the venue are the brogues, very difficult to hear if you are in the mezzanine and we were front row. Byrne's war buddy's dialogue is sometimes near impossible to decipher. This adds to more frustration to the experience.

The set up is really where a huge part of the problem is, IMHO. The first act goes on just telling us the basic story line and then adding in details ad nauseum. Should it take this long to have us figure out that (1) "Con" grew up rich, is now poor, and has been living in a drunken state unable to cope and takes it out on wife and child (2) Wife is hopelessly devoted to this abusive and unappreciative man (3) Ditto the daughter who has fallen for some dreamy son of a wealthy family and the potential for them to get married? That's it. The other characters are completely filler with the exception of the limited appearance of "The Mother" which was noteworthy and altogether too short.

There is little humor in this play and it doesn't do much to lighten up the atmosphere. Honestly, if the playwright wasn't famous I don't think many would have bothered with the effort. I haven't read the play so I can't say for certain. But the movement only occurs in the second half, and when it does, it moves WAY too FAST. First comes the "surprise" which happens in the last 20 minutes. Then comes the long winded explanation and abrupt changes and histrionics of the daughter with poor, overdone dialogue to deal with Con/Daddy's change of person. And poof, it's done.

The person I went with also felt that the first act/half was interminable. The second was bearable, if only because you sat there for so long you just wanted to see the ending. This play was almost like "The Matrix Reloaded" for theatre without the action -- and that should say it all. The all important sick gentleman is never seen. None of the conversations are heard but only reflected upon second hand by characters.

Is this play worth going to? The performers are good. I'd hate to say don't patronize the theatre and these good people. But in my honest opinion, I'm not sure I'd recommend going unless (1) get seats close to the stage unless you have excellent hearing and can pick out an Irish brogue (2) you have read O'Neill and you like O'Neill (3) You like long, talky plays on a relatively predictable subject and little "character development." I will say that the theatre was completely sold out. The clapping at the end was not overwhelming but probably more due to the material rather than the talented people on stage who made the best with what they were given.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 10:17am

I was there last night too and I completely agree with you, armchairdictator.

"My overall feeling about Poet was that the actors were good. The story and dialogue is DREADFULLY SLOW."

this statement perfectly sums up my thoughts on the show. i'm glad i saw it, but i wouldn't recommend it to any of my friends.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 12:28pm

That's the genre - I happen to be a fan of that genre, but obviously many people aren't.

I have to speak to the mezzanine comments - the second time I saw it, opening night, I was in row LL in the mezz - that's pretty damn far up there - and I heard every word. And it's not just becaues I already knew the play - my companion that evening had not seen it before and didn't miss a word either.

[armchairdictator]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 12:37pm

I didn't say you couldn't hear the words. Amplitude was fine. But unless you can pick out Irish brogues with ease, I was guessing that being closer to the stage would make this task easier. As you say you are a fan of the genre, that might explain your ability to decipher every word. Others here seem to reflect a similar challenge and was glad I wasn't the only one.

For the most part, Con's wife was easy to understand, his daughter no problem, Con good for the most part but not Con's buddy the corporal. The opening bartender who had just filler lines was also challenging. I'm guessing this has more to do with the actors than strictly the audio. Quite honestly, there were so many words that missing some of the dialogue was far from fatal!