"Hedda Gabler"- 1st Preview/Review- Page 2

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 1:09am

That's certainly what it looked like.

And did anyone else notice that Paul Sparks' left ear was bleeding in the second act?

[Gigi5]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 1:25am

I lost count of how many times I winced during this performance.

Parker's Hedda seemed to be on drugs....or maybe in need of drugs. This Hedda was nowhere near as interesting as Blanchett's Hedda at BAM, who exuded haughtiness, elegance and a keen sadistic insight.

It's positively heartbreaking to see an actor as intensely charismatic as Cerveris wasted in the role of Jorgen Tesman. I would have loved to see him as Judge Brack or Ejlert Lovborg.

There was virtually no chemistry between any of characters. The entire production was extremely disjointed. I only hope it gets better before opening night.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 2:41am

Oh, dear. If Cerveris isn't Eilert Luvborg this play is miscast. After his Sweeney Todd, Luvborg would be a piece of cake plus a lot more sexy. His acting fire will burn the other men offstage--and he's playing a Dud! Maybe that's why you think he's overacting. He's just one of our best actors and needs to have the most passionate role--lemme clue ya, that ain't professorly Tesman, even with his little whiff with what's-her-face at the end.

I've seen MLP do fine, fine work and I hope this production gets a major revamp from where it sounds to be now.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 3:26am

It was clearly a first preview... lines were flubbed constantly (including one from Cerveris when a cell phone went off and distracted him), people were dropping props (the paper on the flowers needs to go - it was SO LOUD), and the randomly placed chairs were in everyone's way.

I thought MLP was very good... I liked the more sarcastic Hedda. But Michael Cerveris was the high point for me. Ana Reeder was absolutely dreadful. I cringed whenever she spoke. Paul Sparks was Mumbles McGee up there, and I only caught every other word. Peter Stormare was painfully boring. And his last line was so incredibly ridiculous, the house erupted in laughter. Hopefully that's the first thing changed.

I don't think the music really added anything. The "danger music" at the end of the first act was another unintentional laugh. The set was fine, the lighting was fine, the costumes were fine. Nothing particularly memorable in the tech department.

At the curtain call, MLP looked a little embarassed. I'm not surprised, as this show was really not ready for an audience. I didn't think it was terrible at all; the adaptation is actually quite good. But the direction is sloppy and the supporting cast needs to get it together. They would've benefitted from a few more rehearsals. I waited by the stage door afterward (in the freezing rain) for over an hour, and no one came out. I'm assuming they were getting extensive notes and fixing things immediately.

I'd like to go back once it opens and see how things come along, because it has a lot of potential. This experience was a pleasure compared to the torturous first preview of PAL JOEY.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 6:43am

Funniest moment (I thought) was when Sparks couldnt open up the shades/curtain- the entire curtain moved, and then he had to get the other side, and move it towards the left !!!

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 8:37am

Yes Sparks throwing the entire curtain all the way over to one side and then casually having to fix it was hysterical.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 9:22am

My, my, my -- sounds like Roundabout has done it again. Hedda is a great play and, properly done and cast, can be gripping theatre. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Hedda requires a GREAT actress -- people like Duse, Nazimova, LeGallience, Ashcroft. I don't know that she ever played Hedda, but Zoe Caldwell would have been great in her heyday. Meryl Streep might still be a possibility, but otherwise, I can't think of any younger actress before the public today who could begin to do justice to the role. Any suggestions out there?

Updated On: 1/7/09 at 09:22 AM

[wonkit]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 9:23am

I had assumed that Cerveris was Eilert. Oh, dear... Or should I say, Fancy that!

[Testing1232]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 9:25am

Oh yes... his ear was definitely either bleeding or blood red !!! I just assumed that Debbie Allen was beating him up during the intermission !!! :))

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 11:25am

I have to agree with most of what was said here. I really hope Roundabout Theater Company gets its act together soon...there have been too many clunkers in a row. We need to get back to the good old days of Pajama Game, Apple Tree, and 110 in the Shade. Good luck to all involved trying to fix this production.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 11:41am

I'm def. going to have to check this out this weekend.

[pattilupuppy]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 3:03pm

Paul sparks was so horrible you couldnt understand a word he was saying

[Testing1232]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 3:08pm

<< Paul sparks was so horrible you couldnt understand a word he was saying
>>

You were lucky !!! I had the displeasure of understanding him !!

[pattilupuppy]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 3:15pm

displeasure indeed ...

I think my favorite moment had to be MLP's skirt almost going aflame from the stupid candles.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 3:19pm

As testing pointed out earlier, the part where he closed the curtain (and then it flew open on the other side) and he had to correct his mistake, was HILARIOUS. I also thought the laughter after the final line of the play was too funny. Thankfully, we won't ever have to sit through this again.

[pattilupuppy]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 3:24pm

that was freaking hillarious

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 6:10pm

Did anyone here see Kate Burton's take on HEDDA? She flounced around the stage like a child in her big sister's prom gown.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 6:20pm

I can just see the reviews now...

"Hedda Gob-bler"-- "this one is truly a turkey!"

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 6:25pm

That's exactly what they were saying about Kate Burton's production. It opened around Thanksgiving.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 6:31pm

>It opened around Thanksgiving.<

It opened on October 4, 2001. And just for the sake of clarification, here was Ben Brantley's review of it, where he called it "a pistol shot of a production".
Brantley on Kate Burton's Hedda Gabler

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 8:48pm

I was there, too. I had nothing on which to base or compare it, so I didn't think it was that bad, but I was often confused and the accent issues were beyond me. I see the direction problems, definitely. And I didn't mind Parker's Hedda other than the fact that the characterization didn't seem contiguous (not having read the play or seen another interpretation, I didn't realize that it wasn't supposed to be that way- some characters are written like that). Sometimes she was calculating, others insane. I enjoyed the dryness of her tone, and the sarcasm, but it didn't really help the piece.

Eh. Yes. I was confused. I'll leave it there.

Except I thought that Sparks' ear was supposed to be bleeding, as a result of
*POSSIBLE SPOILER*

his night out at the brothel et al.

*END POSSIBLE SPOILER*

Could that not have happened then? If not, I'm way more concerned. And Parker touched his ear, so I'd imagine it was makeup.

The curtain thing was hilarious.


E

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 1/7/09 at 9:49pm

I saw Burton's Hedda. No, it wasn't great, but she was still the best thing in it. Michael Emerson as Tesman was laughable (and not intentionally) and the others so bland that I can't remember their names. But it sounds like Burton was a helluva lot better than Parker.

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 2:02am

"We need to get back to the good old days of Pajama Game, Apple Tree, and 110 in the Shade. Good luck to all involved trying to fix this production."


The Apple Tree and 110 in the Shade were/are dreadful shows.

And lest we forget, Roundabout just last season put on the spectacular Sunday in the Park revival and the not-great-but-underrated-and-very-entertaining Les Liasones Dangereaus. They're hardly strictly producing bombs, though I agree this new streak isn't promising.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 6:45am

I have to go back to 12 Angry Men for a show from Roundabout that I found to be very solid. I'm one of the few who did not like Sunday... George.

[starlyricist]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 10:41am

I just saw this last night, and...wow. Just...wow.

This was just a mess. Were the actors all doing different plays? That's what it felt like. I wanted so much to like MLP's performance, but she looked just as lost up there as everyone else. I know it's early in previews, but I expected more from this line-up.

It might not be in keeping with some of the other sentiments in this thread, but I have to say Michael Cerveris was my favorite performer of the evening. It looked like he was trying so hard to forge some kind of - ANY kind of - connection with the characters and action on stage, without getting much in return. MLP is luminous, and even though I found her performance strange, and not in keeping with the rest of the production, it's hard to take one's eyes off of her.

Idk, hopefully this will get better.

*Spoiler* (?)

I know it's been mentioned that the end is just laughable (which I found it to be as well), but what about the scene where she rips up the book? I got this feeling of, "Oh well, ripped up the book, burned it, now it's done...let's move on".