Good-bye to "The Year of Magical Thinking"

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 7:51am

Farewell dear little show.

Thank you Vanessa Redgrave, David Hare, Joan Didion and especially Scott Rudin (for convincing Joan to do it) for creating one of the most beautifully haunting theatrical works I've ever experienced.

It will be missed.

eta: And also farewell to the only straight play on Broadway for the next few weeks.

Updated On: 8/25/07 at 07:51 AM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 8:14am

Much praise to Vanessa Redgrave for showing up and performing for all 167 performances over an almost six month run from the first preview to the final performance. Endurance like hers is a rarity on today's Broadway stage.

[bschneid76]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 8:38am

Yes, indeed! It was a wonderful show. I was thrilled to be able to see it! It was my Grandparents first Broadway show and they loved it. Vanessa Redgrave gave a tour de force performance!

[mattonstage]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 9:47am

I agree with all your sentiments, Vanessa and this play will be missed.
And on a very slightly cynical note, having been working as the bartender at the Booth for the past few weeks, I will also miss the 7 show schedule, and being able to go home at 8:15pm every night.
Come see my smiling (through gritted teeth) face at the Winter Garden starting next Wednesday. I'll be at the mezzanine bar, weeping quietly.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 10:23am

We see it the last performance

Mrs R initially said no since she lost her Mom in June. She changed her mind because Redgrave is an icon & she had to go. I would much rather have seen Frost/Nixon but.....

Updated On: 8/25/07 at 10:23 AM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 5:10pm

Imagine if HBO had filmed it. It would seem a natural in that it would be low cost & not many would have had to be paid

Well, too late now

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 5:15pm

I cried...I laughed...and I cried some more. "Haunting" is the perfect word to describe this piece. Redgrave gave a truly wonderful performance. Best of luck to all involved in their future endeavors!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 5:19pm

Mr. Roxy ~ I'll be there tonight too. Just got changed and am getting ready to head back.

I wouldn't rule out the filming possibility yet. Perhaps they've either done it quietly or they decided to do it sans audience.

Ok...time to head for the train.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 1:07am

God.

It was SOOOO beautiful tonight.

AND Ms. Redgrave did eventually come out the stage door and was SOOOO gracious signing and taking pictures. (Only one item per person because there were a lot of people there. BUT she did personally check my picture after I managed to get out how many times I'd seen it ~ I got pretty tongue tied.) (See new user pic!)

AND I got my book autographed by Joan Didion.

I don't think I'm sleeping for a while.

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:35am

Haha, I was standing right next to you at the stage door, jordangirl
We looked at each other. (I was the redhead kid with a white polo on)
I thought it was you for sure it was you, but didnt want to be like "Hi, you must be jordangirl" and then be...wrong, haha

Anyways, this show was incredible, one of my favorites I've seen
I'm definitely going to write a review in a bit, along with my JERSEY BOYS review
But yeah, highlight of my whole trip: meeting Joan Didion, what a suprise

Yeah, I'll post pictures and such later :)

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:41am

Oh cool! :) It would have been ok. Someone did the other night. One of those "Do you post on Broadwayworld?" things.

Were you still there when I told her it was as moving the 9th time as the 1st? Her face was CLASSIC!! One of the Kentucky boys captured the moment for me ~ it's on my blog (http://vertical-chaos.blogspot.com). HYSTERICAL. I love her face at that moment.

And yeah, it was funny. Everyone else had their playbills out with Joan Didion. I whipped out my copy of the book. I come prepared. (I also had my copy of The Vertical Hour in case David Hare had been there.) :P

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:53am

Oh yeah, I had Joan Didion sign my play script
So now its signed by both Didion and Redgrave, and Vanessa was telling me about how glad she was I bought the play and the book because they're both so different and all.
And yes, I saw you saying something to Vanessa and she was like "Whoooa", haha
I wish I couldve seen it more as well

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:08pm

Not that it matters but how long was the wait for her ?

We were surprised Didion was not called on stage or that Redgrave made no speech. Her standing O at the end was the longest I have heard in quite sometime. The parts about her daughter dying really hit home for Mrs R. She was surprised it was not more morose . We both loved it . The 90 minutes flew by

There were a group next to us that did not stand & people were looking at them. It was the only show in recent ememory where there was no one who came after it starte - we sat in the middle of the mezzanine.

Updated On: 8/26/07 at 12:08 PM

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:12pm

For Vanessa?
The show ended about 9:44 or so, and she didn't come out until 10:51 or so
Long wait.
And by the time she got to me, it was about 11:18 or so.
It was worth it though

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:20pm

Yeah. My picture was timestamped 11:23. So it was a wait, but it was worth it.

Yeah...when I said the 9th time was as moving as the 1st, she was like "What?!?!?" Then she smiled and said "You definitely win the prize. I must tell Joan about you." Hee! I was gonna tell her about how she inadvertently freaked my parents out because she pointed right at them when she said "You might want to remember that for when you're standing at your child's ICU bedside and the Vanc's not working." It was kind of freaky. But I got too tongue-tied. LOL. I'm such a dork.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:25pm

Amazing no straight plays on Broadway.

Boy, have things really changed. What a shame

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:28pm

It is a real shame.

Like, I was kind of disappointed in the audience. You could tell most of them were there because they couldn't get anything else decent at TKTS, but not really because they wanted to be.

After DEUCE, I was a little weary to see more plays, but now I'm planning to see quite a few this fall.

Oh, and my favorite line in the show: "Tears, Blood, Aisle 3" :) Haha, thats going to be in my signature.

[DG]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:33pm

A beautiful piece, with a mesmerizing performance by a true legend. I'm grateful to have seen it.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:43pm

DRG ~ I don't necessarily think that's so. I walked by tkts on my way over and there were a LOT of things on there. At least around where I was people were there because they wanted to be.

Did you see Marian Seldes in the audience? I could see her come in.

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:46pm

I saw Marian Seldes walk out of the stage door after the show.

And sorry, jordangirl, I think I was just annoyed with the audience members around me. I dont know, I just had some rude people next to me, and there was that guy who put his stuff on the stage, and then the cell phone went off during the show, and this one girl kept snorting when she laughed, and yeah, so I was just kind of like...err :P

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:49pm

The dumbing down of Broadway rears its ugly head

Probably many people do not know about no straight plays on Broadway & more do not care & that is really sad.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:55pm

DRG ~ I can understand that. I've had experiences like that too. I know there was one guy towards the front who bought tickets with an eye to selling them and was stuck with at least one because I saw him come in. He and another woman (the really obnoxious one at the door who the guard kept having to tell to move? yeah...she was in front of me) got run off by security before the show for selling on property.

I saw Ms. Seldes come out the door. But she came in shortly after I sat down. She was in the center in like the first or second row where the aisle starts in the front. I saw one person go over and speak with her...she seemed very gracious about it.

[DG]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 2:07pm

Jordan - love the av - she really is one of the most remarkably beautiful people I've ever seen. And such GRACE!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 2:11pm

Thanks DG. Yes, she is so gracious. I couldn't believe how much time she was taking with everyone!! I'd met her once ~ after the show on 4/6. But for whatever reason last night I was just tongue-tied. Definite AHHHHHHHHH..... moment. I was still shaking when I got to my apartment in Brooklyn!

I just adore her!!

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 5:20pm

Did any of you ask them if it was filmed?