Desire Under the Elms Preview Reviews- Page 2

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 4/14/09 at 11:29pm

Was there a show curtain for the show? In Chicago it was a big canvas sheet that even covered the proscenium, I think it was just the Goodman Theatre's fire curtain.

[singtopher]

Posted: 4/14/09 at 11:40pm

That's what they had. A stark, un-appealing while trop with grommets.

I forgot to add to my first post that Pablo Schrieber is sex on legs. But I couldn't stand his acting. He and Matt Cavenaugh must have the same acting coach who teaches to put on a very sing-songy voice.

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 4/14/09 at 11:50pm

From what I understand, DESIRE uncut runs about 3 1/2 hours so its somewhat merciful that Robert Falls has cut the show down to an 1hr 40min one-act. But that's also the problem, though. O'Neill's verbose bloat has heft and gains in momentum as an evening goes on, cut literally in half the show becomes a rather flat, gappy melodrama that must have been predictable even in O'Neill's day.

Eh? I think the original play is like 60-something pages. Is there a gigantic O'Neill-sized version I didn't know about?

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 12:17am

Maybe some confusion with LONG DAY'S JOURNEY? I'm pretty certain there's no crazy, Extended-edition of DESIRE.

[being.jeremiah]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 1:07am

Caught the first preview tonight- thought the production was wonderful, well-assembled. The overall feel perfectly brings out the elements of Greek drama in this O'Neill classic, props to the direction. Dennehy, Gugino and Schreiber were all phenomenal as well.

Ephraim's monologue mid-show becomes more meaningful with the show's design and by knowing the meaning of the names of the male characters.

There is a great deal of truth in Isherwood's line, "The heat they generate... could melt a hunk of granite."

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 1:08am

Oh well good. Glad to know they didn't cut the crap out of it. I've never seen/read O'neil before so I'm excited. Although they did cut the Greek chorus, so I'm sure some time was cut out of it, no?

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 3:29am

For whatever it's worth, I just threw caution to wind and booked a pair for May 2nd! So excited to be having the pleasure of Brian Dennehy 'live and in-person' yet again. My first experience was on-stage for INHERIT THE WIND two seasons ago, to be able to witness his masterful work a second time around, is going to be a treasure in and of itself, I think. Truth be told, I'm not 110% fmailiar with this particualr mounting, I do know the gyst of the story, though. Very much excited for this one, and to return to the St. James!

P.S. - What's the Playbill look like for this one?
Updated On: 4/15/09 at 03:29 AM

[bschneid76]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 6:41am

I don't think the stage is that high for the first row. I was back in Row L on the far left and the view was perfect. I miss a few little things on the left side of the stage, but nothing that was necessary to the show.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 6:44am

Playbill nice (Yankee's avatar, I believe), but B/W already...
(

[April Saul]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 8:05am

Can somebody who's going this week please tell us where the student rush seats are? You could just ask at the box office if you're not rushing yourself...would love the info; thanks!

[jeffrey1dog]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 10:11am

Other than having a hard time understading the brother's accent's at the very beginning I really enjoyed this production. The stars all did a great job and it moves along at a nice pace. Gugino & Schreiber really steamed up the stage

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 10:54am

Yeah, I saw a guy on the subway with a black and white playbill for this show. I was bummed. Surely it will be hit and they can splurge and spend the extra bucks, but I guess not.

[esparza 333]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 10:58am

Does anyone think Carla Gugino has a chance at getting a tony nomination? Dennehy seems to have a good chance.

[jeffrey1dog]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 11:29am

Yeah, but I like the Playbill cover and don't think it would look right in color.
They could ALL get Tony nominations.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/15/09 at 12:14pm

Perhaps the Chicago audience were not being duitiful, perhaps they LIKED the play. I certainly did. Despite Mister Matt's depiction of Chicago theater audience as easily impressed numbskulls, the production stired widely varied reaction here in Chicago.

Perhaps the audience did truly think it was a brilliant show and perhaps I'm the numbskull. Just my thoughts and opinions based on what I saw in the theatre that night. The audience reaction for Turn of the Century was even more enthusiastic. They also gave a standing ovation for Moonlight and Magnolias. And from the reaction when I saw Bounce, you would have thought it had already won the Tony. I thought all three shows were mediocre at best, but hey, perhaps I'm wrong and every show is a masterpiece deserving of cheers and ovations, but given the pattern of audience behavior I've seen at the Goodman, I don't think my observation of calling the audience "dutiful" in their praise is that much of a stretch. If the show had premiered at the Alley with one of their regular celebs, I've no doubt dutiful Houston audiences would have reacted the same way. I've seen them do the same thing. This show happened to be in Chicago at a theatre known for producing plays by classic American playwrights starring Brian Dennehy. Had I thought the show was worthy of the praise, I wouldn't being saying this, but I didn't, so I am. I don't think the audience are numbskulls and I did not say as much. I implied that I felt they were cheering for the wrong reasons.

PS - I have seen shows at the Goodman I enjoyed very much. I just used relevant examples in cases where I disagreed with the audience.

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 3:34pm

I loved it...I have seen the movie version, but never saw a production onstage.

I think Pablo Schreiber was excellent, and I hope people will take as much note of his talent as they will his body!

Carla is great...I definitely think she has a shot at the Tony nominations

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 3:48pm

The movie version wasn't considered very good at the time of its release -- I don't know, I didn't see it and wasn't ready for O'Neill at that point in my life. But, as I recall, it was neither a critical nor a popular success.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 4:20pm

I'm going tonight and looking forward to it!

[April Saul]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 4:27pm

WAT, could you please ask about the student rush seats? Want to go with my daughter but would love an idea of what we're in for; thanks much!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 11:38pm

Just got back from the third preview and can't say I was overly impressed. The general impression I got from the production was ok, but the details were all wrong.

I agree with Mister Matt in that it was hard to tell when the play was supposed to be set. Carla's first costume looked liked something out of Sweet Charity. A short red dress and purple leather ankle boots? Who let those slip by? Pablo's hair cut is way too modern. He looks like an Abercrombie model. His hair does look more appropriate once it gets wet and curls a bit. I guess he found a hair straightener in his big floating house for those first scenes.

The first twenty minutes or so were a little rough. The opening goes on a little long and that music reminded me of something they would play at a Roundabout show. Did they combine the Hedda Gabler and Man For All Seasons music together in a remixed version? The pig scene made me think of "Out For Blood" and I was kind of hoping Charlotte would save the scene and come on to do her dance break.

Early on there is a Bob Dylan song that plays in its entirety. This really slowed down the play for me, and also snapped me out of whatever earlier time period the production was set in. I would just cut the whole song. Silence would have been better as Carla watches Pablo bathe.

As others have mentioned, the performances are VERY over the top. I mean they all went to the Bette Davis school of acting here. Carla was in All About Eve, Brian was in The Star and Pablo was approaching Baby Jane. I know it's melodrama but does every other line need to be shouted? It really took away from the moment that actually did call for shouting. The table was pounded, jumped upon and had sex upon. Dishes were thrown on the floor. If this only happened in the climax it would be ok, but they were yelling their lungs out from the start.

Despite this flaws I didn't hate it. I just thought it was middle of the road and was hoping for so much more. With all the hype surrounding the transfer it definitely didn't live up.

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 4/17/09 at 4:36am

Still sorting out my specific feelings on the production (though I'd definitely recommend it), but the opening 5-10 minutes are some of the most jaw-dropping -- just from an aesthetic point of view -- I've experienced in a theater.

[bschneid76]

Posted: 4/17/09 at 8:17am

Carla's voice reminded me of Piper Laurie, and I really liked it. Brian's monologue about the stars was mesmerizing. I couldn't take my eyes off him.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/17/09 at 8:58am

Really bschneid? I had the opposite problem during Brian's monologue: I couldn't stay focused on him or it. There was too much distraction going on with Pablo and Carla making eyes at each that I didn't know who to pay attention to.

I did like Carla the most by far, and was glad when she got the final bow. It also says a lot about Brian that he doesn't have a crazy ego to allow to bow after him.

[bschneid76]

Posted: 4/17/09 at 9:47am

I did get a bit distracted with what Pablo and Carla were doing during the monologue, but the I was more interested to hear Brian, perhaps I just enjoyed his performance the most. I liked the words from the monologue. I felt like I was watching a kind of ballet. But whatever, to each his own. I enjoyed it.

[tango]

Posted: 5/7/09 at 1:23pm

Enjoyed 5/6/09 performance to 50% full St. James. Set was awesome, cast tried their best, "heat" of passion might melt ice... but "granite" don't think so. Two leads carried play, but agree that accents were difficult to pull out. 100 minutes sufficed, 190 minutes would seem to stretch even an O'Niell play. With a great dinner before and a nightcap after, total evening was worth going out into the rain after curtain!