My Thoughts on Patty Heaton and Tony Shalhoub in THE SCENE (w/ spoilers)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 6:14pm

Got a general admission student ticket for this afternoons performance. Wasn't seated until 2:03, but got a primo spot in the third row.

THE SCENE, a sardonic and ridiculously funny morality play about the crumbling marriage of an out-of-work actor and his "frigid Nazi priestess" wife, is easily one of the best things I've seen in a year or two, at least. Theresa Rebeck has another gem with Rebecca Taichman's production and an expert cast.

Patricia Heaton and Tony Shalhoub, of "...Raymond" and "Monk," respectively, have managed to sell out the bulk of the 8 week run. Like any Hollywood-to-Broadway actor-transfer, I didn't really expect the best, but boy, was I surprised. Shalhoub is giving a brilliantly nuanced performance as Charlie, the actor who is tired of the nothingness of the world. His facial expressions are worth admission, alone. And then there was his butt, which I really could have done without. Heaton as Stella, the wife, gives a Debra Barone-esque performance to start out but manages to get away from that stereotype by the end. Still, the role required a screamer - something that she clearly wasn't.

Christopher Evan Welch is great in the underwritten part of Louis, his facial expressions, too, bring the house down with laughter.

Stealing the show is Anna Camp in a role that, if the show transferred to Broadway, would win her a Tony. As Clea, the sexpot, transplanted New Yorker, she's giving the most naturalistic performance of the bunch. Hopefully she'll be singled out the same way Julie White was for Little Dog.

Derek McLane's set, Natasha Katz's lighting, and Jeff Mahshie's lighting never fail to let me down. Note to McLane's team: make more mechanized set pieces! Seeing stagehands come on to move everything ruins the magic! Martin Desjardins' sound and incidental music choices did not seem to fit in with the show itself, though it didn't detract from anything.

Taichman's direction fit the production beautifully. The one disappointment was Rebeck's ending....after everything, THAT was the best she could come up with? He attains grace? Come on! At least have him jump.

The cast couldn't have been friendlier following the show, obliging every autograph and photo request. They haven't ruled out the possibility of a Broadway transfer - there are producers interested, but it would have to be when Tony's schedule permits. He's back at Monk in March.


Updated On: 1/10/07 at 06:14 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:12pm

Forgot to mention the cell phone incident.

A cell phone rang a typically annoying song during the pivotal scene in Act One (where Clea and Charlie begin their affair). Like pros, they continued on and ignored it.

Quoth Heaton, following the show, "I was hoping that a phone would have gone off playing Wagner during the scene where I walked in on them....it would have really set the mood."

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:18pm

I just want to verify that for the student rush it's $15 and you should be there about an hour before curtain right?

[Danielm]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:19pm

Thanks, It sounds very interesting. I would like to point out that Tony Shalhoub has done theatre--including Broadway theatre before. I know he was in The Heidi Chronicles and he has done some theatre around LA.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:21pm

frogs - Yes.

Daniel - I know he has, but we all know he's best known for Monk.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:28pm

I agree with you on the play and the actors, for the most part: What most impressed me about Heaton was that she was so completely UN-Debra Barone-like.

I agree Anna Camp is wonderful, but I don't put her in the same league as what White is doing over at the Cort.

Updated On: 1/10/07 at 07:28 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:35pm

Rath - I can kinda agree with you. Starting out, she struck me as Debra but managed to go steer away from it by the end. I wasn't clear enough in describing her depth in the role, something that I never knew she had. Still, her screaming underpowering compared to everyone else's. She pleasantly surprised me but still felt as she could have given more, at least in the scenes when she wasn't crying.

Still, a better stage performance than some of the other "high profile" ones we've seen in recent years.

What did you think of the ending? Was it as disappointing to you as it was to me?
Updated On: 1/10/07 at 07:35 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:43pm

Sounds like it's still the same ending, which is too bad. The night I went, very early on, there was a talkback with the director, and the entire audience seemed to agree that the ending was weak, predictable, and damaging to the rest of the play. I'm surprised nothing has been done.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:48pm

So they knew that the nobody liked the ending - and it's still there?

Boy, if I were the director I would have had it changed the next day.

It really does damage the play as a whole. The whole scene built up to NOTHING. At least if he attempted to jump, it would have been interesting, to say the least.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:51pm

The problem is you see it coming a mile away, and like I said in my earlier post - very weak. It's not the taste with which you should be left at the end of what is otherwise a very good evening of theater. I'm sorry they didn't change it before the critics came, but obviously it's too late at this point.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 7:53pm

Agreed.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:34pm

I don't think the point is that he should jump or anything, or that he attains some kind of spiritual gratification (actually, it's the opposite... he has become spiritually devoid). But I do agree that it's a pretty pat ending. It's very literary.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:56pm

Yeah....the whole thing was just one big let down....my example of jumping would have been a way to end it in the exciting fashion of the whole thing. His attaining grace (I call it that no matter what) is just predictable and has been done many, many times.

Let's just hope the critics don't think it's that bad, as well.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 11:39pm

We worked with Tony in Chicago many years ago, he was very nice and very funny.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 7:15am

He's remarkable in this part.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 8:16am

Where's the opening night logo, BWW?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 8:24am

They only do it for Broadway. Even the highest profile off-Broadway shows don't get it....usually.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 8:25am

WHY do I keep thinking this is Broadway???

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 8:42am

'Cause how often do "higher profile" actors choose to do Off-Broadway? That and it's good enough to be on Broadway (provided they fix the ending).

In retrospect, thinking about their calling Clea a succubus in passing makes me realize how much of a succubus she actually was. She slept with him and sucked out his life for her own purposes. And now I realize more-or-less the full point of the ending, yet it still is a let down.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 10:24am

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/stage/ny-etshal5046252jan11,0,6268626.story?coll=ny-theater-headlines

An interesting article about Shalhoub and Heaton's thoughts on the project.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:50pm

Oh, one more question- What's the run time on this?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:52pm

What an interesting article - who knew that Heaton and Shalhoub were such old and dear friends (despite their differences in beliefs), and that it's because of her that he is involved?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:53pm

2:20 with intermission.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 3:19pm

Thanks

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 6:40pm

Anna Camp also played the role of Clea when the show played the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville last spring. I thought she was excellent in the part. I'm glad the play has gone on to play NYC. When I saw it last year I really enjoyed. It was one of the standouts at last year's festival.