#1
Posted: 4/18/07 at 5:14pm
...bad.
DEUCE, Terrence McNally's newest play, now playing to sold out audiences at the Music Box, has an invisible 6th character. This character, unnamed, is not actually in the play itself, but on the side. I think I'll call her "A Script Prompt Woman." Her voice appears a few times throughout the course of the performance, able to be heard loud and clear whenever there is a long pause. Of course, this should not be. In row D of the mezzanine, I should not have heard the "Script Prompt Woman," especially well into the 2nd week of previews.
DEUCE is a complete dud; an utterly pointless clunker so irredeemably awful that I wouldn't even subject my worst enemy to it.
Of course, we're all there to see Angela Lansbury and Marian Seldes who, thankfully, are still radiant well into their golden years. It's no surprise that they're having problems remembering dialogue - it comes in and out of nowhere with very little connection between segments, usually following the god-awful sounds of tennis balls panging back and forth.
Nothing happens, we don't care about either of them, though there's nothing like hearing Angela Lansbury use the "c-word." Michael Blakemore has directed them to sit for 99% of the show - was his input necessary?
The best performances are given by Joanna Adler and Brian Haley, as the tennis callers. They've got the most chemistry and charisma - if only their dialogue was relevent. Michael Mulheren does the best he can with his cliched lines.
At least the set was good.
That said, there's nothing like seeing the two oldies-but-goodies on stage together. Too bad it's in this and not a revival of Arsenic and Old Lace.
Following the show, the stage manager was gracious enough to relay the message that Mmes. Lansbury and Seldes would not be signing autographs, but brought down Lansbury-pre-signed Playbills, instead. He told everyone to come back after the evening show. I think I shall....some time soon.
DEUCE, Terrence McNally's newest play, now playing to sold out audiences at the Music Box, has an invisible 6th character. This character, unnamed, is not actually in the play itself, but on the side. I think I'll call her "A Script Prompt Woman." Her voice appears a few times throughout the course of the performance, able to be heard loud and clear whenever there is a long pause. Of course, this should not be. In row D of the mezzanine, I should not have heard the "Script Prompt Woman," especially well into the 2nd week of previews.
DEUCE is a complete dud; an utterly pointless clunker so irredeemably awful that I wouldn't even subject my worst enemy to it.
Of course, we're all there to see Angela Lansbury and Marian Seldes who, thankfully, are still radiant well into their golden years. It's no surprise that they're having problems remembering dialogue - it comes in and out of nowhere with very little connection between segments, usually following the god-awful sounds of tennis balls panging back and forth.
Nothing happens, we don't care about either of them, though there's nothing like hearing Angela Lansbury use the "c-word." Michael Blakemore has directed them to sit for 99% of the show - was his input necessary?
The best performances are given by Joanna Adler and Brian Haley, as the tennis callers. They've got the most chemistry and charisma - if only their dialogue was relevent. Michael Mulheren does the best he can with his cliched lines.
At least the set was good.
That said, there's nothing like seeing the two oldies-but-goodies on stage together. Too bad it's in this and not a revival of Arsenic and Old Lace.
Following the show, the stage manager was gracious enough to relay the message that Mmes. Lansbury and Seldes would not be signing autographs, but brought down Lansbury-pre-signed Playbills, instead. He told everyone to come back after the evening show. I think I shall....some time soon.
Updated On: 4/18/07 at 05:14 PM
