Grey Gardens... a SPOILER's review!

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 10:36am

I've been trying to figure out how I want to post my thoughts on this show... which I absolutely LOVED last Friday night, but I've come to the conclusion that I can't really do it justice unless I disclose key plot points and creative decisions that led me to this opinion.

So, enter at your own risk... but I'll be spilling the beans on this incredible show!

I'll start out with that word... "incredible." Because after watching the fascinating documentary several times prior to seeing this show, I wouldn't have believed that this complex, layered, stark film could be reworked into a full-length stage musical.

Grey Gardens, although chockfull of music, doesn't feel like a musical. It feels like a (straight) play with music. A classic American play, in fact... by Williams, Inge, Albee or Miller. I give much of this credit to the real-life Edith and (especially) Edie Beale for their funny, heartbreaking and often earth-shattering prose... and to the creative team, for realizing what they had and celebrating it, rather than trying to re-invent it, or modify it. What incredible minds at work! And what a sad tale of life and love on our small planet and the struggle to understand it.

I don't want to "short change" my thoughts on Christine Ebersole... suffice it to say that I'm on that (very large) bandwagon that feels this is one of those "legendary" Broadway performances that comes along so seldomly (unless your name is Helen Hayes, Cherry Jones or Julie Harris). This is Merman in Gypsy, Channing in Dolly, Streisand in Funny Girl, LuPone in Evita, Holliday in Dreamgirls... you can add Ebersole in Grey Gardens to that impressive shelf of honor.

I felt that all the performances were outstanding and extremely impressive. These are STRONG actors, but the best part of the evening was Greif's direction... he ALLOWED his actors to ACT... he gave them the time on stage to interact and bring forth their emotions before charging ahead with scene changes and song cues. This is becoming harder to find in a Broadway musical these days. Actors ACTING. I found none of it the night before in Mary Poppins, sadly... and I place much of that blame on the material and the direction, and only some of it on the performers.

But the real prize for me with Grey Gardens was and is Michael Greif's direction. He was given a big budget with this show... much bigger than I had imagined. I didn't expect "movable" houses in both Act I and Act II... but Michael didn't rely on the scenery to impress... instead, and particularly in the second act... the house set BECOMES a character in the show. That is so brilliant. At the climax of show, when Edie Beale is standing outside with her suitcase, and her mother is calling to her for food, afraid of what is going on... there is a long pause as we watch Edie (her face down, looking away)... and I mean LONG!! This allows the audience to write the subtext, which is a brilliant notion. What is she thinking about? Each of us in the audience can decide. I pictured her thinking about running away... where would she go? What could she possibly do with her life now, if she escaped Grey Gardens? Also, how could she live knowing that she abandoned her mother to (most assuredly) die from this abandonment? She was also being manipulated by her frighteningly domineering mother, and she had no choice but to go back. I saw all of this on Ebersole's face, as she slowly looked up... holding the long pause even longer... and finally uttering "Coming, Mother Darling." The audience gasped when she said that... not so much out of surprise... but out of the horror of understanding how human beings can build their own traps... and force themselves to live in them forever. And right after she said that line... the house slowly started to move down stage, enveloping her... pulling her back inside... the house became a character. It was alive, and forceful and commanding her to rejoin it.

Absolutely brilliant direction.

I have a feeling this show is going to do VERY well... at least as long as Ebersole remains in it... and hopefully even longer. The word will spread fast... and people will once again be watching PEOPLE on stage... feeling, hoping, dreaming.. not racing through dance steps or songs in order to get to the next cue or set change, making sure the audience stays awake. Grey Gardens is a PLAY about PEOPLE... with MUSIC. And I find that to be far more magical than the singing British nanny and her troupe performing down the street.

Updated On: 11/13/06 at 10:36 AM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 11:07am

a beautiful review..brought a tear to my eye.

[mortgageguy79]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 11:18am

WONDERFUL review! I couldn't agree with you more!

[luvtheatre11]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 11:28am

That is an excellent review! I saw it this past Sat. The matinee. I was completely blown away by the whole show. Ebersole and Wilson are incredible..and I agree about the direction..it's absolutely brilliant! I hadn't thought about how the house moves forward to draw her back in, but it's really true..I couldn't have put it into words as well as you did. Thanks for posting this..

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:00pm

Excellent review, B12B! I'm so glad you enjoyed this incredible show and Christine's fabulous performance. I love how you compared it to legendary performances such as Channing in Dolly, LuPone in Evita, and Holliday in Dreamgirls. I feel so lucky to have witnessed Christine's performance live and will definitely revisit Grey Gardens in the near future!

Updated On: 11/13/06 at 01:00 PM

[TomMonster]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:06pm

...brought a tear to my eye as well. The show and your review.

[JarNerdAV]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:12pm

I couldn't agree with you more. What a great review. I was in NY last week and saw 13 shows an 8 days. Grey Gardens was the first of the thirteen, but all 12 that followed paled in comparison. I loved every stinking litter box moment of it (even the-often-ripped-apart Act 1). It's the one show (and star-performance) that I'm telling everybody they HAVE TO RUN OUT AND SEE! Christine, the show and your review have made me wish I could run back to NY and see it again. Because, after all, who would ever want to leave Grey Gardens.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:55pm

"Because, after all, who would ever want to leave Grey Gardens."




Oh, JarNerdAV---That truly made me LOL!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:16pm

I remember that "leaving" moment in the off Broadway version.
I knew that Edie didn't leave and yet Ebersole's performance was so amazing that for a second I thought...

I can't wait to see the show on Broadway, though i will miss Sara Gettlefinger, I thought she was great.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:32pm

What a wonderful, thoughtful review. Now you can see why we GG fanatics are so passionate about this beautiful musical, and how it touches so many of us...including some who have lived through ther own "Big Edies"!

For me, the most exciting post I've read today was on ATC where someone posted:

"So I saw it, LOVED it, now listening to the CD and have questions.

Why was "Better Fall out of Love" cut for the transfer, I think it's a great song?

Are Peale, Gould and Jerry real people? I've never seen the documentary.."

The fact that someone loved the show who NEVER SAW THE DOCUMENTARY is thrilling news, and should hopefully dispel the notion that only those people who are fanatics about the documentary will enjoy the show. This isn't a 'niche' musical.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:36pm

I went for my second time on sunday with two friends who had NOT seen the documentary (i had before my first time) and they both enjoyed it. I don't think it matters. I mean clearly if you've seen it you get certain references - but they didn't seem confused or off put or anything at all....

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:08pm

What a gorgeous review, best12bars. Not one critic put it as eloquently as you did in that the directing is as "revolutionary" as Ebersole's performance, and that the actors get the rare opportunity to explore their characters and present them carefully to the audience.

Why was "Better Fall out of Love" cut for the transfer, I think it's a great song?

"Better Fall out of Love" is a great song, but personally I thought it felt out of place in this show. When I saw the show Off-Broadway, I remember feeling the mood of the evening stop cold when both this number and "Being Bouvier" came in. "Better Fall out of Love" sounds like a song out of THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and "Being Bouvier" sounds like a song out of THE MUSIC MAN. Two great shows, but not shows that depend upon and utililize strong character development the way that GREY GARDENS does.

Are Peale, Gould and Jerry real people? I've never seen the documentary.."

Jerry is a real person. He was in the documentary and, if you look at the opening night pictures either on this site or on Broadway.com, you'll see that the real live Jerry was there opening night, just a few weeks ago and celebrating at the party afterward. As for Gould and Peale, I don't know. I'll leave that to someone else to answer.

Updated On: 11/13/06 at 05:08 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:13pm

I only saw the documentary recently, so I can't speak as one who went in "cold" without knowing the source material.

I can imagine it helps if you do. For example most of us knew Ray Charles when we saw Jamie Foxx with his uncanny performance in the movie "Ray." It helped us to know his music, his voice and a little about the man's life. Same thing with Walk the Line, or Jersey Boys... or even Wicked. We know what's coming, either musically, or with the character's lives.

I kept watching Act I of Grey Gardens, completely riveted to the inevitability of Act II. The seeds of their eccentricities and their crippling emotions are planted, as they move around in the lavish 1940s environment equally suited for The Philadelphia Story or Holiday. And then... we flash forward 30 years in Act II to a mother & daughter both living like variations on Miss Havisham from Great Expectations.

If it doesn't register to you in advance that this is coming (while you're watching Act I)... I'm not sure it would have the same impact.

They do have the brief prologue, where you get a tiny glimpse through the window of what they will become later in life... although I'm not sure what kind of impression this glimpse leaves, as you watch the rest of Act I "cold." I hope it helps those who have NO idea about the Beales and their lives. I'm glad to hear that for some, at least, it does.

[somebear]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:20pm

Thank you for your review. I wasn't able to enjoy it as much because I had a wrapper-crinkler behind me and two women having a complete conversation just down the aisle. Totally ruined many important scenes for me, but I could tell that it was an amazing show.

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:25pm

A fascinating review, best12bars. And I definitely agree with your comment about Ebersole's performance, as I said in another thread, I had never been so haunted and impressed and awestruck by a performance since I saw Donna Murphy in the original production of Passion.
I do have a question, what did you think of Matt Cavenaugh and Erin Davie's performances???

[fflagg]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:45pm

I hope that the show can run. This may not be an easy sell to mainstream America especially during the holiday season.

If Mom and Pop from Boise, Idaho, come to town for the holidays they are prob going to want to see something simpler and blander like WICKED, LION KING, or PHANTOM.

This is a special show with great perfs by all; Mr. McMartin has never won a Tony but am not sure if his perf and role are large enough to stay in Tony voters minds.

Critics who like "hipper" shows will shower praise over SPRING AWAKENING which is being pitched to fans of RENT and Q. I have no interest in seeing this show.

As long as GG can make it through the spring, Tonys can go without a doubt to Ebersole and Wilson.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:52pm

I am going to say this one last time (I hope) lol.

GREY GARDENS WILL NOT CLOSE BEFORE THE TONYS!!!!!

THANK YOU!!!! :P

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:54pm

George Gould Strong was a real person, Edith's accompanist. He did not kill himslef, but died of a gastrointestinal disorder some years ago, according to his family, I read.

Norman Vincent Peale was also real. He was a Christian preacher with a radio show, as well as the author of numerous books (The Power of Positive Thinking).

Peale's program is heard in the film, in passing.

[fflagg]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:57pm

I hope you are right. . .

Art isn't easy.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:58pm

i KNOW i am right.

[fflagg]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 6:09pm

You're cute.

Humble, too.

[All_For_Laura]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 6:11pm

Totally agree! Best show of the season!

[Ghost_Rider]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 6:15pm

He's right. This show ain't goin nowhere for a while at least.

[fflagg]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 6:18pm

Cross your fingers.

[Bubba2]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 6:21pm

"I do have a question, what did you think of Matt Cavenaugh and Erin Davie's performances???"

I think they are stellar myself. This is Ms. Davie's Broadway debut mind you. She is kicking major a$$! Could you imagine this being your first show on Broadway?

I would love to hear more of Matt and Bob personally. They have such wonderful voices.

Of course Christine is freaking amazing.