Brief thoughts on MARY STUART
Brief thoughts on MARY STUART
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#1
Posted: 7/3/09 at 11:45pm
Great acting, featuring the most unsung heroes I've ever seen.
The play itself is a snorer, but we knew that.
The ladies, Janet and Harriet, are superb. It's just unfortunate that their titanic performances overshadowed the ones of Maria Tucci, John Hickey, Chandler Williams, Robert Stanton, etc. Another very memorable ensemble to add to the 2008-2009 season of very memorable ensembles.
Phyllida Lloyd's production is rather stunning; the same word can be applied to the Tony winning costume concept by Anthony Ward and Hugh Vanstone's shadowy lighting. The brick wall was the same the Donmar used in PIAF (different designer) and is using in HAMLET (different designer).
Overall, worth seeing for the acting. And the rain.
But if you're expecting something other than a talky, this ain't the one for you, no matter how good the acting is.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#2
Posted: 7/3/09 at 11:51pmI wish I had read this before I paid for it and sat through it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/09
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#2
Posted: 7/3/09 at 11:51pm
This was one of my least favorite plays I saw this season. As you said, I found it overlong and boring. It's not the length of the piece per se (I loved Joe Turner). But everything just felt so. drawn.....out....
I'm in the minority on this one, but I thought Janet McTeer went way over the top here. I was impressed with everyone else.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#3
Posted: 7/4/09 at 12:25amI agree with everything you said, yankee. The only thing that really made this production worth my time were the stunning performances. It wasn't bad, just not my cup of tea. McTeer should have won the Tony.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/09
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#4
Posted: 7/4/09 at 12:54amI thought Harriet Walter was far better than McTeer.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#5
Posted: 7/4/09 at 1:21am
I thought the production was riveting. One of the best I saw all season. And without the brilliant play, there would be no performances to speak of.
Updated On: 7/4/09 at 01:21 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#6
Posted: 7/4/09 at 1:28amI liked it, and I didn't the play was bad at all. It was an interesting idea, and there were many beautiful passages and the way it was all worded was quite beautiful. I loved it. It look a little getting use to, but I really enjoyed it, which I was surprised to find.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#7
Posted: 7/4/09 at 5:48am
"The play itself is a snorer, but we knew that."
Speak for yourself but don't speak for others.
The play is interesting if you know and understand the history, although it is probably fair to say you need a predilection for history in the first place. It is particularly interesting because it takes the opposite viewpoint to convention.
It would be easy to say that 1776 is a snorer to any non-American but I don't. I know and understand the history behind it and the show itself encouraged me to learn more.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#8
Posted: 7/4/09 at 10:01am
But if you're expecting something other than a talky, this ain't the one for you
Who would go to see German romanticism and expect there NOT to be talk?
I say to those who say it's too talky: Let them eat musicals!
I'm seeing it for a second time tonight, because I'm in the mood for REAL fireworks.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#9
Posted: 7/4/09 at 8:08pmI really enjoyed MS. Both the play and the performances.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#10
Posted: 7/5/09 at 8:24amOne of the most thrilling dramatic evenings in the theater I've ever experienced.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#12
Posted: 7/5/09 at 12:58pmI saw this on July 3. The acting was stellar as was the overall production value. I do have a certain affinity towards history so the subject matter appealed. That said, the pacing was appallingly slow. I did enjoy it more than some of the other nominated plays this year. I haven't seen God of Carnage though; I am seeing it later this month.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#13
Posted: 7/5/09 at 1:11pm
hat said, the pacing was appallingly slow.
Actually, I thought it clipped along amazingly well.
Perhaps it's your attention span that is "appallingly slow."
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#14
Posted: 7/5/09 at 1:19pm
PalJoey- Nice try, but no I have a quite good attention span and I was not the only one that remarked about this. Perhaps you should not be so quick to judge when someone criticizes a show. It was a direction issue for me. I just didn't care for the transitions between the scenes. That is it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/09
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#15
Posted: 7/5/09 at 1:38pmPalJoey, I understand where you are coming from, but it's really an unfair accusation. The opinion that a show is slow/boring certainly can reflect on the audience member, but it can also be a fair criticism of a production.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#16
Posted: 7/5/09 at 2:22pm
Um, I just feel like I should throw out my support and love for Mary Stuart. It was my favorite/the best play I've ever seen on Broadway. Of course, I am usually partial to the British-style of theatre and I love Shakespeare...
I keep going back and forth when I try and decide if I liked Harriet or Janet better...which may have been a Tony-voter dilemna also. But yes, the supporting cast was phenominal. Especially liked the Chandler Williams guy (he was the one who played the psycho-fanatic right?).
Great great great theatre in some of its purest form. Wish it was appreciated here in America more. Grosses for it make me sad...
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#17
Posted: 7/5/09 at 3:30pm
The transitions between scenes were swift and unobtrusive.
No, you must have missed your daily dose of Ritalin.
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#18
Posted: 7/5/09 at 3:39pmWhatever...you seem to have a problem with criticism of this show. I liked it; it just wasn't perfect.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/13/04
re: Brief thoughts on MARY STUART#20
Posted: 7/5/09 at 4:24pm
Totally agree with PJ, MrLong and Jordan. Aloing with RUINED and BLITHE SPIRIT, it was one of the best evenings of theater I have spent this season. Found it absoltely gripping and not slow at all.
I was unxpected for how much of it laced was with a droll, acid humor...notably Elisabeth's monologue on marriage with the French ambassador.
I'd love to see an identically staged and costumed MARIA STUARDA.
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