Brief comments on A STEADY RAIN

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/10/09 at 9:21pm

Keith Huff's A STEADY RAIN is event theater at its finest. The audience cares more about seeing Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig than the play itself.

Huff's play is your standard twisty turny "Law and Order," episode, nothing special, but it's a great character study. And Jackman and Craig are intensely watchable as they deliver the 90 minute duologue. Craig is more convincing than Jackman, but their chemistry is very apparent.

It's a treat to watch the two of them together.
Updated On: 10/10/09 at 09:21 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/10/09 at 11:22pm

Agreed.

[scaryclowns2232]

Posted: 10/10/09 at 11:33pm

Totally agree.

And I think its great that, while the audience is only there to see Craig and Jackman, they actually get a great performance from them. I thought the two of them were spectacular, and this was the perfect vehicle for them- what beautiful story-telling!

[jo]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 5:03am

Just saw it yesterday- I was lucky to be on the front row/center and it was like seeing them on the movie screen, with facial expressions playing on their faces as they deliver the impactful dialogue. I would give the slight nod to Hugh Jackman because his acting is more nuanced ( it is his character which undergoes the decline and shows a wider range) but Daniel is also very good. The chemistry is excellent and it is hard to imagine seeing a more convincing two-hander onstage. A joint TONY award wouldn't be farfetched for this kind of verbal duet on stage!

I think the TIME review captured the quality of the show and the performances very well.


Updated On: 10/11/09 at 05:03 AM

[mamaleh]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 10:49am

Agreed. Don't buy into the garbage about Hugh's not equaling Daniel. The latter is allowed to hide behind a rumpled suit and unflattering mustache. Hugh, aside from his slicked-back hair, looks very much like himself. For some critics, his good looks on display means he has not "disappeared" into his character. Look beyond that balderdash to his excellent portrayal of a wonderfully nuanced character who devolves from overly confident braggadocio to obsession on a fascinating and heartbreaking trajectory towards self destruction. Joint Tony, anyone?

[From32ndStreet]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 7:31pm

I must admit that I'm one of the many who jumped to get the premium tickets to A Steady Rain because of Hugh Jackman -- whom I've been a big fan of for years. Sure, it was a treat to see two mega movie stars on stage, but I walked out of the theatre thoroughly impressed by the two actors' skilled and committed performances.

As many reviewers have noted, Daniel's complete transformation into the character is remarkable, and I was drawn into his performance for the entire 90 minutes. As for Hugh, while he may appear to be "presenting" more than "inhibiting", I'm not sure what else he could have done with his undeniable stage presence. He speaks directly into our eyes, and brings genuine life to the character. Not to judge the quality of acting by whether an actor cries real tears or not, but seeing tears slowly well up and then finally fall out of Hugh's eyes in the end was absolutely heartbreaking. Hugh's passionate and committed portrayal of Denny blew me away.

Now, a little bit about the play itself. *** I'm not going to talk about specific events within the plot, but if you don't want to know "anything" about the story, please stop here. *** Towards the end, I felt that the string of events unfolding in front of us were a bit over the top. However, once I familiarized myself with the Jeffrey Dahmer case, which was mentioned in some of the reviews, I appreciated the character portraits in the play much more. I almost wish that it was explained somewhere that the play was roughly "based on" or "inspired by" the Jeffrey Dahmer case -- which, to me at least, would have made the plot twists more believable and the storytelling that much more intriguing.

In any case, I echo jo and mamaleh's sentiments that a join Tony nod would be nice for this dynamic duo.
Updated On: 10/11/09 at 07:31 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 7:34pm

I think Huff should be imminently grateful that Craig and Jackman agreed to do his play, because in my opinion it's the weakest component of the production. I felt as if he left no cop story trope unturned. Loose cannon cop? Hooker with a heart of gold? Evil pimp? All there and then some.

Updated On: 10/11/09 at 07:34 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 8:16pm

^totally agree. Loved their performances and was interested, at best, in the story itself.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/11/09 at 8:51pm

The play is what it is. And it is true that it wouldn't be anywhere near NY were it not for the coincidences that involved Craig, his agent, Barbara Broccoli and Craig's friendships with both Crowley and Jackman.

But that doesn't mean the play is bad.

It's a great play...at a 100 seat regional theater where the top ticket price is $20.

At Broadway prices? It's a little stingy. But enthralling.

[jo]

Posted: 10/12/09 at 6:30am

A little off-topic, but --

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Hugh Jackman today, October 12 !

Hope he regularly comes back to the stage - either in musical or dramatic theatre! Maybe even in classical theatre ( as critic Matt Wolf says, he thinks Hugh might make a fine Antony or Coriolanus).

All the best, Hugh!!

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 10/12/09 at 6:16pm

I agree with most of what you said, although I think you liked the actual play more than I did. I didn't find myself caring for either of the characters at all, and really struggled to get into it for the first 30 minutes. There were a few moments were I got really interested, but they were far and few between.

As for the two men, I think I'm one of the very few who went in knowing almost nothing about their previous work -- I've never seen a single Daniel Craig movie, and I've only ever seen Hugh Jackman in one. I thought they both gave great performances; they really brought the show up to an entirely different level.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/13/09 at 1:19am

I really think the play just is mediocre at its strongest. It's an hour and a half of telling but not showing- I feel like Craig and Jackman rarely actually spoke TO each other, more often ABOUT each other. I also felt that it manages to get some emotional reaction from the audience simply by pulling the right levers- child hurt, innocent killed, the puppy, the baby...

[Lori2]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 1:32pm

I have a silly question, do they have understudies for this show??
I’m seeing the show Saturday, I would hate to miss Hugh & Daniel!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 1:51pm

Yes, there are.

I forget who is standing by for Craig, but the very physically imposing Danny Mastrogorgio is standing by for Jackman.

[nealb1]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 2:00pm

I saw the show on Sunday, and really, really enjoyed it. The 90 minutes just flew by.

They were both fantastic. Hugh and Daniel completely transformed themselves. This was the first time that I ever saw Daniel in anything. And, I saw Hugh in "Boy From Oz" twice.

[Lori2]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 8:02pm

Great thanks, they better be on Saturday lol, would hate to miss them.. I guess I'm just paranoid lol. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing it :)