Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - off Broadway

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:09pm

Has anyone seen this? I have, and I have some thoughts. 
 

First of all, if you are going to produce a nearly 3-hour play in the middle of the summer, maybe have an air-conditioner that is more than simply operational. It was hotter than hell in there, which does not make for pleasurable viewing. 
 

Second, please do not cast an actress with no stage experience to play Maggie. Per her credits in the playbill, she is some sort of a dancer and she’s been in a few movies but no stage credits are listed. As one guy put it when the lights came up after Act One, “She’s no Elizabeth Taylor.” I would be much harsher but I’ll leave it at that. 

Third, the director has apparently decided to set this in modern day for unknown reasons. There are cordless phones, modern dress, and Brick has tattoos all over his body as well as a modern foot brace instead of a cast. I have no idea why he did this. 
 

The guy who plays Brick is actually wonderful and so is Alison Fraser as Big Mama. 
 

The guy from The Young and the Restless is fine as Big Daddy, I guess, but physically he is miscast. 
 

The set is ok. The lighting is fine. 
 

I hope they fix their air conditioning but I don’t know if they can fix some of the other problems, especially an extremely miscast Maggie. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:22pm

This production has been on TDF for months but only recently have there been any photos of it

 It's one of my favorite plays but I think I'll skip it.

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:28pm

Dollypop said: "This production has been on TDF for months but only recently have there been any photos of it

It's one of my favorite plays but I think I'll skip it."

The full price tickets are like a hundred bucks plus fees for good seats. I figured, “how can you f*ck up Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?” so I sprang for a ticket. Now I know how you can f*ck up Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and I learned the hard way. 

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:46pm

Austin Pendleton is in this and The Minutes at the same time? 

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:53pm

HogansHero said: "Austin Pendleton is in this and The Minutes at the same time?"

What makes you think that Austin Pendleton is in this, unless that was some sort of sarcasm that we t over my head. 

[smidge2]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:56pm

An article says he’s supposed to join 7/25 the day after The Minutes closes. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:56pm

I think I readcthat Austin Pendleton was, indeed, in this production

I assumed he'd be Dr Baugh

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 10:01pm

Matt Rogers said: "What makes you think that Austin Pendleton is in this, unless that was some sort of sarcasm that we t over my head."

He's listed in all of the show's publicity as being in it. If he is joining on 7/25, that's interesting since this opens 7/24. 

Weird. 

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 10:02pm

Dollypop said: "I think I readcthat Austin Pendleton was, indeed, in this production

I assumed he'd be Dr Baugh"

Pendleton is definitely not in it. Doc Baugh is played by someone named Jim Kempner. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 10:38pm

I wonder if Austin knows he is being used for false advertising? 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 11:08pm

Pendleton was originally cast as Doc Baugh when this production was supposed to run in January/February:

https://playbill.com/article/sonoya-mizuno-matt-de-rogatis-christian-jules-le-blanc-more-will-star-in-cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof-off-broadway

It was postponed to the summer, supposedly with the cast remaining intact, though obviously Pendleton had the conflict with The Minutes:

https://playbill.com/article/off-broadway-revival-of-cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof-delays-until-summer-2022

He's slated to finally join next Tuesday after The Minutes closes:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photos-Meet-the-Off-Broadway-Company-of-CAT-ON-A-HOT-TIN-ROOF-20220713

"The cast of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof includes: Sonoya Mizuno (HBO's House of the Dragon; Crazy Rich Asians) as Maggie in her New York stage debut, Matt de Rogatis (Lone Star) as Brick, Christian Jules Le Blanc (3 Time Daytime Emmy Award Winner for The Young and the Restless) as Big Daddy, Alison Fraser (2 Time Tony Award nominee; The Secret Garden; Romance / Romance) as Big Mama, Spencer Scott (The Glass Menagerie) as Gooper, Tiffan Borelli (Million Dollar Quartet) as Mae, Jim Kempner (Red) as Doc Baugh, Milton Elliott (Biloxi Blues) as Rev. Tooker and Carly Gold (The Ferryman) as The No Neck Monsters. Austin Pendleton (A Beautiful Mind) will be joining the company as Doc Baugh on July 25th."

 

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 7:42pm

Yikes!

 

https://www.theatermania.com/off-broadway/reviews/review-cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof-off-broadway_94077.html