First preview of The Winter's Tale

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 3:31am

Another fun year to visit the Delacorte. I loved watching The Winter's Tale, certainly not one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, but an enjoyable night of free theater all the same. Hamish Linklater once again steals the show, leaving everyone in their seats wondering who this tall drink of water is, and how on earth do you pronounce his name. I'm very curious to see how the Public's production of The Winter's Tale will compare to The Royal Shakespeare Company's production, which I'll be seeing next month.

Can't wait to see Merchant of Venice as well. I'm thinking about *gasp* DVRing the Tony Awards to see the 8pm Merchant instead.

As much as I loved tonights performance, I found myself longing for Twelfth Night. There was just something so magical about that performance last year. Another thing I've noticed, I prefer to watch the plays in the park when it's raining. It just gives them more character.

ETA: A word to the wise. If it is or has been raining recently, and you decide you want to stand around near the concession stand outside. The one in the very center, beware of the big banner hanging above you. It holds a ton of water and I've seen it pour puddles of water on people many different evenings. Just keep in mind it's there, and with one gust of wind you'll be soaked.

Updated On: 6/11/10 at 03:31 AM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 8:05am

I was there as well after the show got rained out on Wednesday. While I enjoyed it overall, they definitely have some things to fix. It's long and slow. Greif could speed up the pace a little bit. Also, I didn't LOVE Hamish. I thought he was playing the same role he did in Twelfth Night, which worked sometimes but felt out of place at other times.

The two stars of this show, in my opinion, are Linda Emond as Hermione and the breathtaking Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Paulina. Jean-Baptiste is an absolute stunner. The scene in Act 1 in which she confronts Leontes is the most effective in terms of everything coming together. Byron Jennings was also fantastic. I was slightly disappointed with how they did the statue at the end. The sheep sheering festival, however, was adorable.

Jesse L Martin was fine. Jesse Tyler Ferguson had the same problem as Hamish for me. A lot of the time the shtick worked, but sometimes it was out of place. I thought Ferguson faired better than Linklater though. I only had one really strong problem with casting. Ruben Santiago-Hudson was awful as Leontes I thought. I hope it was just first night issues and that he will get better with time. For me, his Leontes never felt the full sweating-bullets fury that drives him to madness.

In any case, I thought the show was in good shape over all. Again, it needs to be tightened, but a very strong effort by Greif and the cast.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 9:03am

How long was it?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 9:10am

About 3 hours and 15 minutes. I think we were out by 11:20.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 11:56am

Factor in the fact that it started fifteen minutes late and the intermission was close to twenty minutes, I'd say the production itself is actually three hours...maybe slightly less. Here are my thoughts as posted on ATC:

This season, like the last, starts off with a bang--a wonderful, fairly traditional staging of The Winter's Tale, directed by Michael Greif. The cast, all around, is quite good: Ruben Santiago-Hudson registers every facet of Leontes' complicated personality; Linda Emond (despite being too old by a decade or more) is a beautiful Hermione; Marianne Jean-Baptiste makes a fiery, captivating Paulina; Jesse Martin--who seemed to affect a weird lisp that I've never heard from him before--does well with the underdeveloped Polixenes. Professional scene stealers Hamish Linklater and Jesse Tyler Ferguson do not disappoint. Tom Kitt's original score is ambient and perfectly compliments the production. I don't think I've ever seen the difficult final scene staged so well. While Pacino's Shylock will likely get the lion's share of publicity, anyone would be foolish overlook this striking and satisfying production.

Updated On: 6/11/10 at 11:56 AM

[mallardo]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 12:35pm

Glad everyone enjoyed it. Personally, it's my least favorite Shakespeare play. The sub-Othello plot is unconvincing and the "rustic scenes", of which there are far too many, are several degrees beyond silly and, in my limited experience, impossible to stage effectively. Not sure why it keeps getting done.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 12:37pm

If you find The Winter's Tale unconvincing and muddled, you should read Robert Greene's "Pandosto," the story on which it was based. It makes Shakespeare's version appear the model of conventionality.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 12:45pm

Mallardo, it's my least favorite play of his too, but it does lend itself to some beautiful productions.

AC, for what it's worth, Linda looked stunning from the back of the theatre. I would have bought her as being the right age if I didn't know who she was. You really liked Ruben? I was so underwhelmed by him. I don't think his performance made it past the 10th row.

[PauloFanClem]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 12:49pm

Hey, will go to NYC this July for the first time, and I will like to know is it usually hard to get tickets for Shakespeare in the Park? Do I really need to wait from 6:00am? I can only watch Merchant for Venice btw, which I think there will be more people queuing for tickets.

ETA: Oh, my bad. Found the thread!
Updated On: 6/11/10 at 12:49 PM

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 12:58pm

Linda did look stunning, but (to me) she looked like a stunning woman in her late forties. And I did like Ruben's performance. It wasn't fire and brimstone like some Leontes' have been in the past, but I believed his journey. That said, I was fifth row center, so I don't know how it played in the back of the house.

[broadway_show_fan]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 1:05pm

I was there last night and overall thought it was a great night of free Shakespeare. It was nice to see a show that I had never read or seen before.

It definitely started late (at least 15 minutes, maybe 20) and the intermission was really long (yes, at least 20). It also felt really long - I agree that Mr. Greif needs to think about the pacing.

I too didn't love Hamish; I thought he was a little too over-the-top. (I preferred Jesse Tyler Ferguson more.) Linda Emond WAS wonderful! She was such a heart-wrenching Hermione. Marianne Jean-Baptiste was amazing. I had only seen her on TV thought she was phenomenal in this production. Her portrayal and delivery was, I think, tightest of all. Wouldn't want to cross her Paulina at all! Jesse L. Martin WAS doing the weirdest lisp/speech impediment thing. I'm glad to know I didn't hallucinate hearing it. It sounded like he'd been shot with novacaine or got a fat lip right before the start of the show.

Tom Kitt's music was perfect for the production - I could really tell it was his "sound" before I looked it up/saw him in the audience. It sounded so much like N2N at certain points, too.

I think the lighting could use some tweaking. Was I the only one who thought that it was extra shadowy and dark??

I'm really glad I got to see this production - my first Shakespeare in the Park show. After seeing this though, I am sad that I hadn't put more effort into going to others (specifically Twelfth Night and HAIR). From here on out, I'll be going to the productions for sure! Can't wait to see what Merchant has to offer.

[scripps]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 1:25pm

Marianne Jean-Baptiste tore it up last night!! A long evening, but it will tighten and hopefully Hamish Linklater, who I walked in wanting to love, will improve. His performance just isn't there yet. Enjoyed Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Can't speak for the bear effect.

[PauloFanClem]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 1:26pm

Totally off-topic, but scripps! ADORE your avatar!

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 1:50pm

Can't speak for the bear effect.

OMG, I had forgotten! It is, to be fair, the hardest Shakespeare scene to stage from any of his plays. Short of having a man in a bear costume, figuring out the right way to do it is a challenge. That being said, they should rethink the shadow puppet.

[broadway_show_fan]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 2:00pm

Wow, I guess I'm the only person who liked the shadow puppet idea. How else do the bear without, as you said, putting a person in a bear costume? Isn't that tackier than the puppet?

I thought it "went" well with the other elements - banners, draped cloth, the bird puppets (very a la Taymor, don't you think?). I think it just needs to be executed better, but it was only their first preview. Perhaps they could have it appear even longer (it seemed like you heard the bear noises for ages before you saw the actual shadow). Maybe they could add better lighting for that moment. Maybe it could be a shadow of a bear figure and not just a puppet - a human in costume that would give a bear-like silhouette? Not sure, but I thought it worked nicely.

In thinking about the bear noises, I was reminded how I loved some of the sound effects, the simple drum noise when Hamish or Jesse slapped one another and especially the excellent sound/light for thunder/lightning.

[scripps]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 2:28pm

The shadow puppet idea is fine, the silhouette just needs improving. Gerry Bamman did some beautiful work as Antigonus, the air fraught with tension and then BAM! a cheesy bear silhouette behind a sheet. I don't know, kinda killed the moment for me.

Hard to stage I know, but last season's bear effect during the Bridge Project was just alright too.
Updated On: 6/11/10 at 02:28 PM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/11/10 at 2:35pm

Gerry Bamman did some beautiful work as Antigonus

In that scene, yes. However, I really disliked him earlier in the play. It was like he was in a different production with the hamming it up.

I can't believe I forgot to mention this in my review before... BILL HECK! He is so wonderful in his small role. He makes the most out of it. His monologue at the end about "seeing the two kings is a site to see, not to speak of" was BEAUTIFUL! That man... what a talent.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/20/10 at 12:55am

I loved it. Thought it was the strongest show I've seen in the park in years.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/20/10 at 9:37pm

True, it doesn't catch lightning in a bottle like TWELFTH NIGHT last year, but this WINTER'S TALE is really a marvelous outing, if 15 minutes or so too long.

Hudson is captivating, Emond is luminous (and her age doesn't register in the way-back), Martin/Wright/Ferguson/Jennings are all quite good, and there's lovely chemistry between Francois Baptiste and Heather Lind. However, Marianne Jean-Baptiste is a force of nature and runs away with the whole show.

Grief's production, as per usual, is a bit heavy handed in terms of symbolism, though having Antagonus and the child playing the Chorus is an interesting idea. Their appearance at the end is also an interesting idea, that doesn't quite work.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/20/10 at 9:46pm

>>>"OMG, I had forgotten! It is, to be fair, the hardest Shakespeare scene to stage from any of his plays."<<<

Sorry, the apparition of Banquo's ghost in Macbeth's banquet scene is more difficult to stage--unless you have a stage elevator.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/20/10 at 9:48pm

I thought the bear was effective, though nothing special.

Regarding Banquo's ghost, I thought Rupert Goold's staging was shockingly effective...and I thought it was even more effective the second time!

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/21/10 at 9:33am

Was Goold's staging the one where Banquo jumped up on the dinner table and walked around?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/21/10 at 9:37am

Yeah. And then they did it again after intermission, but without Banquo.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/21/10 at 9:38am

Sorry Dolly, but I don't agree. I've seen Banquo's ghost done beautifully on several occasions. I have never seen the bear done well. I agree about Goold's production. AC, yes, that's the one where Banquo walked around the table. Stunning.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/21/10 at 9:41am

The bear scene is so much harder to stage, I agree. It almost always comes off as a joke; here, it's done well enough that you barely notice who ridiculous it is.

Speaking of Goold and Shakespeare, can we get his fabulous wife Kate Fleetwood to do something at SitP? Her Lady Macbeth is simply the best I've ever seen, and there's a long list of Shakespearean roles I'd love to see her tackle.