Elaine Stritch in "ALNM"

I saw the show in September and last Thursday and there were many more pregnant pauses this time around. Whether it's part of the performance or forgetting her lines I don't know for sure, but it was far more evident.

I am convinced that the pauses were so she could remember the next line...but it all worked because it was consistent the entire performance. Someone next to me thought everything was part of the performance until someone called form the wings.

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I had seen the show with Bernie and Stritchay a few months back and they were both outstanding. I had read prior to going to the show about all of the issues Stritch was having on her first few nights then saw the show and thought people might have been taking her "Where was I"'s as her actually losing her place.

I then went back on Friday night (1/7) and she was visibly struggling throughout the show. Liaisons came almost to a halt multiple times, she struggled with the Wooden Ring speech and almost entirely lost the "Losing your teeth is a catastrophe" joke had it not been for Fredrika's prompts. It was uncomfortable to watch, to say the least.

The show also ended at 11:20PM clocking in at 3h18m with the pacing (in large part due to Stritch) very slowed down.

Glad to see that I wasn't alone. Fredrika helped her a lot

I agree. When I went, Keaton Whittaker was on, and when Elaine couldn't think of something, she prompted her with, "remember when you were going to tell me that story about...." and Elaine actually recovered pretty promptly.

I think it's fair to say that she started and ended the run roughly. She was pretty perfect from Sept-early Dec. At least the times that I saw her then.

Updated On: 1/13/11 at 04:35 PM