GREY GARDENS, my review

[steveshack]

Posted: 12/23/06 at 10:34am

Nothing short of a spectacular work of art. This is truly what theatre writing is at its highest level. The convergence of book, music and lyrics is seamless and artful. It's "Old fashioned" only in the sense that it's carefully, meticulously crafted writing. But it's not a "hat and cane" show. It's dramatic, scary, hilarious, poignant and, then, sad as we watch a society mother and daughter fall apart into madness and ruin right before our eyes.

Christine Ebersole rightly gets the most attention for her scary-real portrayal of "Little Edie" but Mary Louise Wilson, as her needy, manipulative mother is right there matching her stride for stride. If these two don't win a pair of Tonys, there is simply no justice in the world. They lead you on a journey seriously fraught with danger and laughs around every turn; a roller coaster of possessiveness and loss. The aching "Around The World" is a tour de force of writing, and is a perfect marriage of singer and song.

Composer Scott Frankel's music along with Michael Korie's inventive, clarifying, tight lyrics intermix with Doug Wright's carefully crafted book in ways rarely seen these days in any musical. The rest of the cast, including my friend, Bob Stillman (who starred in our first musical "The Last Session" as a fey pianist who clings to the family in act one, depending on mother Edith (also portrayed by Ebersole) for all his clothing and income, and who eggs her on to sing and then disrupt Little Edie's life, is spot on.

The show begins quickly in the present as we peer into their dilapidated home and Edith (Wilson) tries to sing an old song remembered from a party for Little Edie as she brings home her own Kennedy to marry (Matt Cavanaugh). We flash back to an elegant living room and our first image of Edith is that she's a classy society dame. What was amazing about the structure of the book was how we slowly see her fall from her perch. That she's an "actress" and "singer" who isn't good enough for the hoity toities of society.

And just as you start to feel sorry for her, you watch her destroy her daughter's life and pending romance slyly and viciously, setting us up for Act Two in which we see them years later, confined together in madness and fleas, cats and lost dreams.

I can't say enough. It was absolutely, brilliantly perfect.

(Fans of this show should click on my blog link for a very special surprise. Scroll to the end of this particular review).
Steve's NY blog

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 12/23/06 at 2:05pm

I saw the show this Tuesday and I agree wholeheartedly with your review. It was so nice to be seeing a real American musical again, one that was old-fashioned and plot-driven but also wonderfully unique. The cast was terrific--there's nothing I can say about Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson that hasn't already been said, and your friend Mr. Stillman was top-notch. I'd also need to mention Erin Davie, whose Act One performance as Little Edie was fantastic.

And thanks for that great surprise!

[steveshack]

Posted: 12/23/06 at 10:53pm

I'm so glad you agree. At intermission I overheard someone whining that there wasn't a "hummable" tune. And I thought, first of all, NOT TRUE. And second, that it was the intricacy of much of the score, and its clarity, that made it so great.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 12/23/06 at 10:56pm

AAH! I'm so excited. I'm seeing this February. Thank you for the great review.

EDIT: The video is fantastic, thank you!

Updated On: 12/23/06 at 10:56 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/24/06 at 5:36am

Not a hummable tune????? Are they NUTS? DEAF???

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/24/06 at 11:02am

jerby---I am floored lately (more and more) that people really CAN'T tell the difference anymore fundamentally between good music and bad. Between well-crafted and inept. Between "hummable" an forgettable. Between effective and ineffective. I'm not sure what kind of "musical appreciation" upbringing they've had (if any), but it is such a skewed, damaged and feeble perspective they are sporting, I have trouble carrying on conversations with them after that.

I suppose it's all just "differences of opinion," but I find myself not even wanting to sit in the same room with people who are THAT far off-base.

And steveshack---I loved your review, and I loved the show too. Just as much as you did. Thanks for posting this.

Updated On: 12/24/06 at 11:02 AM

[steveshack]

Posted: 12/24/06 at 11:57pm

I think what too many old-school theater people want are Jerry Herman songs in a "bouncy C" (not that there's anything wrong with that). But when something comes along that is innovative and isn't "Hello Dolly," they immediately think it's not "hummable." I love "Hello Dolly," but that show has already been written.

Grey Gardens is interesting, adult, meticulously written and perfectly played. Yes, it's sad. But does every show have to "bounce?"

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/25/06 at 12:33pm

After seeing Color Purple yesterday, I think I liked it more than GG

GG is great theater but we were blown away with how good Purple was . Sofia's understudy was on & she did not miss a beat. Some of the monor characters were out as well