#1
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.
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
