My Thoughts on CYRANO de BERGERAC (long)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 7:24pm

Every now and then, there is a production that just truly hits the mark. Everything blends perfectly together: cast, music, theater, staging, technical elements…Wagner called it the “synthesis of the arts” (in a long German word I don’t know how to pronounce or spell).

Well, if Wagner were in the audience of Cyrano de Bergerac, now enjoying a ten week run at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, he’d be overjoyed. The perfectly marvelous, dare I say, incredible, production, as directed by David Leveaux, and starring Kevin Kline, Jennifer Garner, and Daniel Sunjata, is not only the highlight of the season thus far, but the highlight of my theatergoing year.

Everyone is bound to know Edmund Rostand’s classic story, whether you’ve seen the Steve Martin movie Roxanne, the episode of PBS’ Wishbone many moons ago, or even one of the many productions through the years. This production, making use of Anthony Burgess’ translation from the mid-1970s, is perhaps the most accessible version of the original text.

Cyrano de Bergerac, poet, philosopher, soldier, is in love with Roxane (his cousin, and friend from childhood), but he’s ashamed of his flaw, his long nose. Roxane is in love with Christian, the handsome soldier who doesn’t have the same way with words that Cyrano does. And so, Cyrano sets off to help the two get together, by combining his beautiful poetry with Christian’s good looks.

The biggest, most important key to success is chemistry. The three leads, the love triangle, must have it in spades. And the dynamic team of Kline, Garner, and Sunjata indeed do.

Kline, perhaps the most talented and versatile actor around, is a wonderfully charming, charismatic Cyrano. Dry, caustic, and sporting that huge schnoz, he is one of few actors with such versatility that he can lose himself in every role he plays and still always manage to give an original performance. On stage for the bulk of the show, it’s a huge role, the kind Kline loves, the kind, you can say, Kline was born to play. And he doesn’t disappoint.

Jennifer Garner, in what may as well be her Broadway debut (she understudied Katherine Erbe in A Month in the Country but never went on), is a very pleasant surprise as Roxane. With perfect comic timing, she is a delight and pulls her weight with aplomb. You can tell this isn’t a vanity project for her, unlike recent productions with her Hollywood cronies like Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. It is one of the most impressive screen-to-stage crossover performances I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing.

Sunjata is a reliable Christian, funny, charming, strong. He’s not on stage much, but he, too, carries himself very well.

The rest of the cast is very strong, as well. Chris Sarandon is a passionate de Guiche, Euan Morton and Max Baker are hoots as Raguenau and Ligniere. Concetta Tomei as Roxane’s chaperone is delightful.

Gregory Gale’s period perfect costumes are sumptuous, Don Holder’s hazy, dreamtime lighting is exquisite (though heavy on spotlights), and Tom Pye’s wood and brick set is glorious. The gauzy curtains are gorgeous.

David Leveaux’s production is unspeakably beautiful and incredibly eloquent. As evident in his work in Nine, he is the master of staging romance and crowd scenes. Nobody gets lost in the shuffle and everyone, everything, is appropriately full of panache.

Perhaps there will eventually be a production which will play up the idea of Cyrano and Roxane being close in age like the text suggests. Perhaps there will eventually be a production where Cyrano’s nose isn’t long at all; it’s just his own feelings of inadequacy makes it long. Perhaps, perhaps not.

Until then, this production will happily suffice. The gentleman in front of me claimed to have seen many Cyrano productions in his time and that this was one of the, if not, the, strongest.

What a cast, what a staging, what elegance. Just glorious. Updated On: 10/20/07 at 07:24 PM

[Chason]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 7:37pm

Why would I type it? Aren't you about to?

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 7:54pm

Great! I have front mezz seats to see this in a few weeks...can't wait to read the reviews!

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 7:56pm

"Why would I type it? Aren't you about to?"

oh you pointed out a minuscule grammatical error! WoW ur liek so funny! LOL like wow im ROFL here!!!!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 8:01pm

Yeah, yeah. Noted, written, fixed, etc. Enjoy.

[EganFan2]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 8:14pm

I always wanted to see this play performed. I hope to see as good a production as this sounds, if I can't see this very one.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 8:22pm

Thanks, Yankeefan. I can't wait to see this on November 2nd!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 8:39pm

Thanks so much for taking the time to write that.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 8:46pm

Any time.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 9:42pm

Forgot to mention...

The show was greeted with a nearly instant standing ovation...Orchestra was 99% full, front mezz completely full, rear mezz empty, save the last two rows. I moved from my $20 last row seat to the last row of the orchestra...though in terms of distance, it's probably the same. The sound was quite bad from the rear orchestra, FYI.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 9:50pm

What was the run time?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 10:07pm

About 2:45 this afternoon.

[IsolatingAge]

Posted: 10/20/07 at 11:02pm

Thanks so much for posting this. I was really curious about how Garner would do in a non-action role.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 7:52am

She's a very strong actor. I was quite surprised.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 7:53am

WAT... I will be there on 11/2 as well ! See ya then !

[April Saul]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 9:20am

Hey Yankee, I shared your enthusiasm for this production! A perfect role for Kline (better than last season's Lear at the Public) and Garner was terrific, light years away from Julia Roberts' Broadway debut. A couple of things: at the performance I was at, a few of us in the audience felt that the only weak spot came at the end, that they didn't quite nail the last scene for some reason, and I was thinking that might come later in the run (I was there last Wednesday and people were still flubbing lines, a curtain hit Kevin in the head) Did you feel that in this otherwise terrific production the ending was at this point just a bit flat? I paid face value and was smack in front of the stage but I did get the feeling it'd be hard to hear from the back. And also wanted folks to know that the day I was there, Cyrano was up on TKTS board; I can't imagine it will be later, once it's been as well-reviewed as I suspect it will be, but for now, it might be something for people to take advantage of....

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 9:23am

Thanks for sharing that Yankeefan!

[stella985]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 9:29am

Thanks for writing your review. I agree with a lot of what you said. I was really impressed (although not totally surprised) by Jennifer Garner and the amount of effort you could tell she put in to her performance, especially considering that she so easily could have tried to just get by on looks and charm.

I've heard a few people say that the last scene isn't quite there yet, but I feel I can't really comment on it since the night I was there was when they had to stop in the middle of the second act because of the curtain getting stuck, and so I don't think it's that surprising that it was a little off that night.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 9:55am

It's (surprisingly) been up on TKTS for a number of performances. Kline, Garner...I figured for sure this would be a sell out.

Re: the last scene (from the point of Kline/Garner on stage together alone)- Yes, a bit flat, somewhat unconvincing, but a convincing death is always the hardest thing to stage. If you play it with no subtlety, with arms, legs flailing, it's unconvincing. If you play it as subtle as can be, it could turn out unconvincing.

The death was middle of the road - not over the top, not as subtle as it could have been. I think the biggest problem was that I didn't feel it was as sad as it should have been...but the woman in front of me was sobbing buckets, so I could just be completely devoid of human emotion!

Re: Sound - up in the last row of the mezzanine, I heard everything very well. When I moved down to the orchestra, that's where the trouble started. I heard everything from down there, but I was straining.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 11:06am

Thanks for an enjoyable review.

Cant wait to see it next week !

J*
Updated On: 10/21/07 at 11:06 AM

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 11:11am

I really would like to see this. Hopefully some half-priced seats will show up at TKTS.

Anywho, the word you were looking for at the beginning is Gesamtkunstwerk.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 12:01pm

I'm really excited to see it in a couple of weeks.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 12:24pm

Chances are, it'll be up on TKTS. Even if the seats are in the rear mezz, take 'em.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 6:40pm

I saw the show on Thursday, and I wholly agree with your review. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy, and I knew people that only stayed for the first act (which was long enough, I guess, with intermission not coming until 1:45 into the show). But I never felt the 3 hours go by, and that is a credit to Laveaux as well as the incredibly strong cast and the beautiful design.

My only concern is that you could tell a lot of people will stay for the first act only (perhaps they don't realize what to expect, they just saw KLINE or GARNER and bought a ticket), and I saw a good portion of empty in the Front Mezz after intermission. But those who stay will be thoroughly satisfied.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 6:52pm

Yes, I can understand that. They really need the running time placards that Roundabout uses at the American Airlines Theatre.

FYI - Act I ran about 1:25, Act II ran a little over an hour as of yesterday's matinee.