#1
Posted: 3/20/08 at 11:47pm
Sooo glad I finally made it up to see these two shows this season both are not to be missed.
First let me say Ms. LuPone is in amazing form as she prepares to open this show. The Power this woman gives from start to finish is amazing to watch and a joy for the audience. Laura was great, not my favorite louise but she makes the character work for her and I think she brings quite a few levels in the latter part of the second act. Boyd is wonderful as herbie as I assume he was at City Center........always a joy to see him on stage. What made the show amazing for me were the final moments
*******SPOILER****** as the light bulbs were going out on the rose sign Patti was biting her fist and muffling a scream. Made me lose it ....soooo powerful! *****END of spoiler*************** get to the St. James and see this show.
At the end of the show I saw Arthur Laurents walk right past me with his AD going back stage with a steno pad to give notes That was AWESEOME!
The next day around noon before the matinee I ran into Patti LuPone outside the St.James as I was going to store. I told her great Performance as she passed by me she leaned over her right shoulder and said thanks love! It made my day.
Wednesday Night:
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof : WOW! Seeing my Idol James Earl Jones was far more rewarding than I ever thought it would be! first off, Anika was in rare form from the top of the show. Her maggie is a must see. Her levels and the way she handles endlessly caring that first act with almost no help from howard she is simply extraodinary. I guess they must have settled into the roles or the groove of the show because all of the things I read about it being extremely comical and like a black sit-com were not apparent Wednesday night at the theatre to me. There were places of inappropraite laughter but not at all throughout most of the play. Many of the dramatic poignant moments landed and made the audiences think as oppose to laugh. Terrence does a good job of playing brick. He had a few moments that I really loved, not at all my favorite Brick but a nice debut on the stage. Phylicia Rashad is a powerhouse and a force to be reckoning with. Like her or not I have never seen this woman on stage where she doesnt still the show. As I had assumed, Phylicia portrayal was DEAD ON( I read the script on the plane from Chicago).....her choices were not at all over the top and if they were it worked to perfection. She embodied a woman like my grandmother who is a rich southern black woman. Her vocal choices were annoyingly perfect and spot on.....I could not get enough. James Earl Jones bellows in a way only he can and commands his time onstage with Terrence. Watching him made me think debbie just let him do what he wanted to do and it worked so she didnt bother it. There were moments when all the actors could have been pushed further but I feel they lacked the directions in which to drive home intensity in certain spots. Overall I thought the show was great and I would say RUN over to the Broadhurst this one is definately not to be miseed!
At the stage door: Anika reconized my girlfriend and I from myspace. We had a nice chat she was lovely and very sweet. Shes the nicest ever and the first out of the stage door,A Broadway Legend in the making for sure! Terrence mentioned they didnt go as deep as they usually do tonight, I didnt really know what that meant other than he was apologizing for not feeling adequate onstage.LOL Not trying to be mean I just didnt know why he offered that info lol. Phylicia was gracious and in lovely spirits at the stage door, very cheerful but visably tired and slightly hoarse.
GREAT TRIP!
First let me say Ms. LuPone is in amazing form as she prepares to open this show. The Power this woman gives from start to finish is amazing to watch and a joy for the audience. Laura was great, not my favorite louise but she makes the character work for her and I think she brings quite a few levels in the latter part of the second act. Boyd is wonderful as herbie as I assume he was at City Center........always a joy to see him on stage. What made the show amazing for me were the final moments
*******SPOILER****** as the light bulbs were going out on the rose sign Patti was biting her fist and muffling a scream. Made me lose it ....soooo powerful! *****END of spoiler*************** get to the St. James and see this show.
At the end of the show I saw Arthur Laurents walk right past me with his AD going back stage with a steno pad to give notes That was AWESEOME!
The next day around noon before the matinee I ran into Patti LuPone outside the St.James as I was going to store. I told her great Performance as she passed by me she leaned over her right shoulder and said thanks love! It made my day.
Wednesday Night:
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof : WOW! Seeing my Idol James Earl Jones was far more rewarding than I ever thought it would be! first off, Anika was in rare form from the top of the show. Her maggie is a must see. Her levels and the way she handles endlessly caring that first act with almost no help from howard she is simply extraodinary. I guess they must have settled into the roles or the groove of the show because all of the things I read about it being extremely comical and like a black sit-com were not apparent Wednesday night at the theatre to me. There were places of inappropraite laughter but not at all throughout most of the play. Many of the dramatic poignant moments landed and made the audiences think as oppose to laugh. Terrence does a good job of playing brick. He had a few moments that I really loved, not at all my favorite Brick but a nice debut on the stage. Phylicia Rashad is a powerhouse and a force to be reckoning with. Like her or not I have never seen this woman on stage where she doesnt still the show. As I had assumed, Phylicia portrayal was DEAD ON( I read the script on the plane from Chicago).....her choices were not at all over the top and if they were it worked to perfection. She embodied a woman like my grandmother who is a rich southern black woman. Her vocal choices were annoyingly perfect and spot on.....I could not get enough. James Earl Jones bellows in a way only he can and commands his time onstage with Terrence. Watching him made me think debbie just let him do what he wanted to do and it worked so she didnt bother it. There were moments when all the actors could have been pushed further but I feel they lacked the directions in which to drive home intensity in certain spots. Overall I thought the show was great and I would say RUN over to the Broadhurst this one is definately not to be miseed!
At the stage door: Anika reconized my girlfriend and I from myspace. We had a nice chat she was lovely and very sweet. Shes the nicest ever and the first out of the stage door,A Broadway Legend in the making for sure! Terrence mentioned they didnt go as deep as they usually do tonight, I didnt really know what that meant other than he was apologizing for not feeling adequate onstage.LOL Not trying to be mean I just didnt know why he offered that info lol. Phylicia was gracious and in lovely spirits at the stage door, very cheerful but visably tired and slightly hoarse.
GREAT TRIP!
