BETRAYAL Begins Previews Tonight- Page 2

[musicman_bwayfan]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 12:27am

Any merchandise? How was the stage door?

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 1:43am

"This is the second time that Craig has chosen a vehicle--- and here, a part --- that would be sure to let down his fans. Hugh Jackman in Craig's other ill-advised outing..." "and none of which held the slightest possibility of pleasing their fans."

You are referring to A STEADY RAIN, the play that got strong reviews, was one of the toughest tickets on Broadway in late 2009, selling out night after night with terrific word of mouth from people who thought both Jackman and Craig were excellent? That one? I don't have a need to call you names like some others on here but how do you expect anyone to take you seriously when you make comments like that?

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 7:16am

"That one?"

Yes, that one. A mega-bore of the first order that audiences hated. A tough ticket, yes, but because of its stars, and only because of its stars. Strong reviews? I don't recall that. But even if that was the case, it would only prove how woeful our critics are.

Updated On: 10/2/13 at 07:16 AM

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 7:46am

I thought STEADY RAIN was a fascinating two-hander, and I also thought that Daniel Craig was the more impressive of the two actors. BETRAYAL is hardly a scenery-chewer either, but Craig has the most interesting character (I assume he's playing the husband) and it can be like watching someone turning a knife in your gut when he talks to his wife about finding the letter. It is not a play where you can go and let it wash over you - you have to pay very close attention to what isn't being said. But not everyone's taste. Disappointed they took out the skydiving scene, though...

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 8:40am

I can't believe I find myself somewhat agreeing with After Eight here.

I disliked A Steady Rain and found it to be quite a chore to sit through. The two of them had I'll Eat You Last syndrome and sat in chairs on opposite sides of the stage all evening. They related a police case that wasn't all that interesting, and certainly wasn't presented in a dramatic way.

I can only speak for myself and don't think After Eight should be attempting to intuit what audiences in general thought of it either, but it was disappointing to see such a seemingly capable star sit there all night.

Betrayal is leagues better than A Steady Rain, but I disagree that Craig has the better of the two male roles. The letter scene really feels like his only moment and the rest of the play belongs to Weisz and especially Spall.

After seeing Craig in his two Broadway outings I think he has talent, but when he comes back for a third time I hope it's in something completely different.

[April Saul]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 9:15am

This is what the NY Times had to say about A Steady Rain, not that I agree with Ben Brantley on every single review:
“A Steady Rain,” which opened on Tuesday night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater, is probably best regarded as a small, wobbly pedestal on which two gods of the screen may stand in order to be worshiped.

I'm with Whizzer and After Eight on that one, it was just not a very good play for me either, though I love Jackman and Craig as actors. Nor was the Julia Roberts' vehicle Three Days of Rain an excellent play, and for that matter, Denzel's Julius Caesar was nothing to write home about! I do have the cheapest ticket I could find for Betrayal and will catch it next week.

My favorite stage actors--Butz and Esparza come to mind--have a percentage of bombs; the movie stars who dabble in Broadway every few years don't have the odds on their side, but yes, it would be great if they could pick really wonderful shows when they do come.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 10:03am

I was also surprised that Craig chose to play Robert, as Jerry is a much larger role. Robert is actually "supporting," really.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 10:07am

OMG, I've never been more bored than I was at A STEADY RAIN. Whenever people ask me to describe it, I tell them it was like watching two actors sitting on a chair describing a really boring episode of LAW & ORDER.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 10:18am

Craig has the potential to be very funny. I'd love to see him in a comedic role, like Mark Rylance's in Boeing-Boeing.

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 10:55am

I agree with you there.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 11:28am

Whizzer, I find it interesting that you thought Weisz's role wasn't very showy. I saw Kristin Scott Thomas play it in London 2 years ago and found her completely captivating. I really think this is a play that is incredibly dependent on what the actors (and the director) find in it and bring to it.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 11:37am

"I was also surprised that Craig chose to play Robert, as Jerry is a much larger role. Robert is actually "supporting," really."

I have always found Robert to be a demanding role and a plum one for the right actor. Ben Kingsley (in the film) and John Slattery (in the last revival) both made a great impression on me.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 11:39am

A Steady Rain got, at best, acceptable reviews. Stagegrade averaged it to a B-. Hardly something worth touting.

It's a boring play that's all tell and no show, but it was fortunate to somehow get two Hollywood A-listers in it. Otherwise, it would have come and gone and no one would've noticed.

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 11:42am

The fact people on this message board would call this play by Harold Pinter a "DUD" or a "STUNT PLAY" reveals a lot about your knowledge of theatre. If you don't like the play or the production that is one thing but to dismiss it just seems absurd.

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 12:01pm

Although the text indicates that Jerry and Robert are the same age, I think it works better with an older man cast as Robert. It layers the relationship. I don't see this until next week, but I was glad to see Craig take on the less showy role, and Spall seems like a good opposite pairing.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 12:09pm

perfectly, Who directed the production you saw with Kristin Scott Thomas?

When I think of "showy" roles/performances I'm thinking of Nina Arianda in Venus in Fur or Amy Morton in A:OC. I wasn't meaning to imply that Weisz gave a bad performance; to the contrary. I just felt like the role was restrained, subtle and more cerebral than grandstanding.

Maybe it didn't help that I was in the rear mezz, but Rafe Spall was the only one who ever was allowed to get fired up about what was going on. For the most part the three of them were so blasé about the affair that I had difficulty getting roped in.

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 12:23pm

"I was glad to see Craig take on the less showy role"

I wonder if Craig's fans will be equally glad. After all, he's the one they will have come to see, and he's off stage an awful lot. And when he's on stage, he has little occasion to shine. I think his fans will feel shortchanged. And as salt in the wound, they will also be left short of a hell of a lot of change.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 12:45pm

I'm always weirded out by people who just go to shows to see Hollywood movie actors. In New York theater. Doesn't make a lot of sense. It seems to me a show doesn't have to be amazing if a big name is in it. A Steady Rain and Three Day Of Rain are proof of that. It's like the groupies at Romeo and Juliet to see Orlando Bloom. Bizarre but profitable.

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 12:57pm

After Eight seems to be having a hard time understanding that not everyone is going to see BETRAYAL for the sole purpose of seeing Daniel Craig on stage.

But if someone is going for the sole purpose of seeing a movie star on stage, then he probably doesn't care much about the proceedings, and should be happy to be able to say he saw a movie star on stage.

Updated On: 10/2/13 at 12:57 PM

[curtain_call]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 2:17pm

So, does anyone have more details about last night's performance? What's the running time? Is it well-paced....or did it drag? Were you impressed with the performances? What did you like the most...and what could be better?

I'll be seeing the final performance on January 5, and I'm curious what to expect. Thanks.



Updated On: 10/2/13 at 02:17 PM

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 2:29pm

"After Eight seems to be having a hard time understanding that not everyone is going to see BETRAYAL for the sole purpose of seeing Daniel Craig on stage. "

Right. All six of you. Congratulations, Mr./Ms. Intellectual.

In other words, get off it, will ya? Please don't insult this community's intelligence by asserting that the reason this play has a nearly sold-out run before even opening is due to anything but the presence of movie star Daniel Craig. As if the general public is mad to see Harold Pinter's Betrayal. If Craig weren't in it, there would be no advance, and no run either. It would be lucky to do the business of Soul Dictor and run two weeks.

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 2:39pm

"Is it well-paced....or did it drag?"

I would say it dragged at a smooth pace.

I didn't pay attention to the show's length, but it seemed too long, however long it was.

The actors were good, but the play/production itself was something of a wet firecracker.



Updated On: 10/2/13 at 02:39 PM

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 3:17pm

Right. All six of you. Congratulations, Mr./Ms. Intellectual.

It's Dr. Intellectual, actually.

Here we have a play by a Nobel laureate. Directed by one of the most respected and beloved artists of theatre and film alive. Starring three well-known, well-respected actors, including an Oscar winner.

People are seeing the show for any number of reasons. Not everyone is as simple as you.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 3:35pm

The show started 10 minutes late and got out at 9:40, so the run time was 90 minutes exactly.

[DeNada]

Posted: 10/2/13 at 3:35pm

Whizzer, the Kristin Scott Thomas production was directed by Ian Rickson (director of Jerusalem). It was entirely a vehicle for Ms Scott Thomas - she's best friends with the producer Sonia Friedman who frequently produces shows for her to be in - and she played opposite Ben Miles (Tom in The Norman Conquests a few years back) and Douglas Henshall (who I don't think has done Broadway but is a fairly big name actor over here). It suffered from a distracting set.

The play itself is very cold and subdued (very Pinter, I guess). Scott Thomas was interesting - even in the latter parts of the play she remained very icy. I would have loved to have seen Penelope Wilton in the original production, a woman who I have never seen project anything other than innate warmth - I don't see Emma as being a particularly cold character, but that's Scott Thomas's forte.