CAT ON A BLEAK TIN ROOF

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 1:58pm

I saw the current production of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and was very disappointed.

I'd seen the acclaimed 70's production of this play which starred Elizabeth Ashley, Keir Dullea, Fred Gynne and Kate Reid and it had left a deep and searing impression upon me. No one could be more spellbinding as Maggie than Liz Ashely--her every move and gesture was feline. She spoke with that magnifient throaty voice of hers that oozed sex appeal and titillated the audience. Sadly, the same cannot be said of Ashley Judd.

Simply put, Judd is out of her league. She's lost on the stage and rattles off her lines without illuminating anything she's saying. I have to admit she looks good in a slip, but she has no stage presence at all and totally lacks sexiness. Her Maggie is a young girl TRYING to be determined. Liz Ashley was a WOMAN who was FILLED with determination. Unfortunately the whole first act of the play is a virtual monologue for Maggie and in this production it's a long and tedious first act indeed.

Jason Patrick fares better as Brick. He's very easy on the eyes and had the mannerisms of an alcoholic down pat. This is one time where I could see the drunken stupor building in Brick as the play progressed. However, in the second act confrontation scene with Big Daddy, absolutely no tension is built and the play just continues to limp along. (Note: TSMrW has a much better 6 pack than Jason does!)

Ned Beatty is a good Big Daddy. He truly becomes the Southern red-neck. He dominates the stage from the moment he enters in Act Two. He contributes one of the better performances of the evening. However, in my mind, Margo Martindale steals the show with her perfectly honed Big Mama. This is exactly the character that Williams had in mind when he wrote the play and this actress hits all the right notes in her performance.

The question in my mind as I left the Music Box Theater last night was: why present a chestnut like CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF unless there's an illuminating factor to be found in it? This is a dull, uninspired production of a great play, but it merely coasts along without any real fuel.

Posted: 1/4/04 at 2:29pm

Beatty was damned good in the production I saw in London in 2001, as were Fraser and O'Connor. I'm sorry that that cast didn't make it to this side of the pond.

I too recall Ashley and her incredible undercurrent of sex appeal as Maggie. She and Fraser would be something to see if t'were possible.

Yours for more Williams on Broadway!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 3:22pm

Reasons for bringing it back

1. When in doubt, do a revival
2. Tennesse Williams wrote it
3. Many younger theatergoers ( 21 plus) may only have seen the sanitized movie version. Imagine that cast with the original text
4. They thought big names insure success . They obviously were not doing their homework after the Hasselhoff J/H fiasco. Hasselhoff, by the way,said his main new years resolution is to come back to Broadway. There is a scary thought

Updated On: 1/4/04 at 03:22 PM

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 3:24pm

I can not even begin to tell you how many times I yawned watching this dreadful piece of horse crap. This show can't close soon enough in my opinion

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 4:53pm

David Hasselhoff as Brick??? Yick!!!

[shermanslave]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 5:54pm

Dollypop, I agree with you completely about Margo Martindale. I was so sad for her when she spoke her last line asking Big Daddy if she could go with him to survey the land. I had never seen any production of Cat on Hot Tin Roof or even the movie so I enjoyed the show even though I knew that it was not the best production of it. I want to see Ms. Martindale do something else now. She was so wonderful.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 6:41pm

Yes, Margo Martindale was everything Tennessee Williams described in the stage directions of his play. In fact, she followed those stage directions almost to a tee. She didn't rip off her corsage as the directions state, but I've never understood why the character was supposed to do this or HOW it could be achieved night after night.

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 6:52pm

what does everyone think of the Mae character? I am unfamiliar w/ this actress.

I read for it but they totally blew me off. Guess they thought my East Tennessee accent was a bit off for Memphis? I did play Maggie 20+ yrs ago.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 7:11pm

Most times Mae and Gooper come off as charicatures. This is one time where both characters achieved a level of honesty. This Mae played down the hysterics--much to her credit.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 7:32pm

My daughter and I just returned from seeing the Sunday matinee. I'm with Sherman in that I've never seen it before and have nothing to compare it to. And I haven't read it in many, many years. Over all, I was glad to have seen *any* production of it, but I wasn't blown out of the water the way I was with, say, A Long Day's Journey. Random thoughts: sometime it just seemed so chaotic...was that Williams' intent, or the direction? Jason Patric as Brick grew on me as the show progressed, but the same did *not* happen with Ashley Judd. Her performance never developed layers. Maggie seemed the same to me at the end of of the play as she did in the beginning. The brother and Mae were irritating almost buffoonish...again, is that the intent or the direction? The character who made me feel the most was Margo Martindale's Big Mama. Even though I fancy that I am nothing like her, I realized how much of her I have in me...in many of us, I'm sure. I know that I have, at time, created my own version of reality in an attempt to maintain a sense of security in a less than perfect relationship.

My daughter, who very much likes Tennessee Williams, said it best...."I'm glad we saw it. I enjoyed the show and I liked, but didn't *love*, any of the individual performances." I suspect Big Mama has more to say to someone my age. Sigh.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 7:33pm

Just a question, wasn't Elizabeth Taylor Maggie in the movie? If so, how was she?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 7:58pm

The movie bewars very little resemblance to the play due to the 1950's censorship code. Therefore, it's impossible to say how good Liz Taylor was.

[MusicalComedyMan]

Posted: 1/4/04 at 9:34pm

It was my first time seeing it. I was falling alseep through most of Act 1. Thank God the rest of the cast came in and actually made it worth seeing. Ned Beatty was incredible!!!