My thoughts on WAITING FOR GODOT

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 6:01pm

The beauty of Anthony Page's production of Beckett's WAITING FOR GODOT is its simplicity. Page and his game, A-list cast of Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman and John Glover (in order of speaking) don't try to tack an extra meaning onto the text; they let the piece, and its variety of possible meanings, speak for themselves. What we have is an uncomplicated, unencumbered, lovely and heartbreaking buddy play.

The chemistry and mutual trust between Lane and Irwin is what really makes this production special. Their's is a deep, long-standing, caring friendship. They'll do anything and everything for one another, they can't live without one another. That's the reason why they can't kill themselves; that's why they keep returning to one another. Their physical comedy, reminiscent of Abbott and Costello and Laurel and Hardy is wonderful.

If they are the common man, Goodman's Pozzo is the fat, wealthy landowner (since fat signifies wealth, and wealthy people own land) who is blind to the world around them (figuratively and literally). Glover's dazzling Lucky is the seen-but-never-heard butler who has brains beneath the facade.

And then there's the messenger, the little boy (name escapes me, the alternate), the angel of life, the younger version Godot, the angel of death, (-ot being a diminutive in French, Godot would mean "little God"). That's the reason why Gogo and Didi can't kill themselves; Godot still hasn't arrived.

Striking designs (Loquasto, Greenwood, Kaczorowski) and a fluid staging. Finding the humor and pathos, this is a truly wonderful production.
Updated On: 4/12/09 at 06:01 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 6:03pm

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have tickets for the 28th- I cannot wait. It's one of my favorite plays, and how can you beat a cast like this? (except perhaps the Stewart/McKellen production over in London..)

[willep]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 6:32pm

Thanks for the thoughts, and glad you enjoyed it! I really hope I can catch this one before the end of the run.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 7:12pm

I was lucky enough to catch the show last night and can say that it is the finest production of this play I have ever seen, and I've seen this done a lot. When I've been lucky in the past I've seen productions that haven't put me to sleep or bored me to tears, but this had me enthralled from curtain up to curtain down. There isn't a wrong note in the entire piece and I urge everyone to see it. It's certainly one of the best things Roundabout has produced in the past few years.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 7:54pm

Wow. Glad people are liking it...it just did not do it for me.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 9:06pm

I'm sorry to hear that.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 10:45pm

So glad to hear this! I am going to stop by the box office and buy some tickets tomorrow!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/13/09 at 8:08am

Everyone should.

[nearthestage]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 9:12am

It's Beckett. I expected to like it.

It's Godot. I expected to enjoy it. It is my favorite Beckett.

What I didn't expect was to see as near perfect a production of Waiting for Godot as I have ever had the pleasure of seeing.

There's really little I can add to Yankeefan's spot on review. My sentiments on this show would only serve to echo his observations, so I won't waste alot of time.

What I most enjoyed was the amazing chemistry of the two leads.

Bill Irwin and Nathan Lane are magic as Didi and Gogo. They had me from the opening scene. I found myself whole-heartedly involved with their relationship. Their caring and humor, hopelessness and fear, and the patience and impatience as they waited for the undefined, unseen Godot. I hung on their every word and action. So involved was I with their portrayals that I left the theatre thinking - hoping that Gogo and Didi would never lose one or the other. The thought of Gogo and Didi as anything less than a pair is hopelessly heartbreaking.

Before its closing, I will once again meet at 'the tree' with our eternal vagabonds, and will once again lavish in this exquisite production.

I would implore everyone to do the same - at least once.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 9:33am

I'm glad so many people are enjoying this wonderful production.

I was a disbeliever before I saw it. Roundabout? Nathan Lane & Bill Irwin? GODOT, of all things? Sheesh, that's strange, even for them. Then I saw it.

And now, I read the (cheeky) NY Magazine Q&A with the two, where it was Irwin who mentioned that he proposed it, as a vehicle for himself and Lane, to Todd Haimes & Roundabout.

http://nymag.com/arts/theater/features/56149/

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/21/09 at 9:40am

Yankee, your review, as well as my complete and total love for Exit the King convinced me that I really have to see this. I'd never seen an absurd drama before EtK, and I'd love to see more of them. plus, I have a friend coming up to visit who really wants to see Godot. definitely adding it to the list.

[eujenni]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 3:54pm

I'm looking forward to seeing this play next month.

Here's a link to Nathan Lane's interview on GMA on 4/21/09.
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7388776

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 4:12pm

Thanks for the thoughts nearthestage!

And I'm pretty sure Nathan Lane is one of the very best interview subjects. He's always so engaging and entertaining.

[mc1227]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 6:21pm

Can't understand the turn around on this play. After the first couple of previews, people were ripping it apart. What has changed so drastically that it is now perfection?

[Kad]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 6:23pm

I seem to recall the first few reviews were from people who weren't fond of the play to begin with.

[scott68]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 6:34pm

Or were unfamiliar with it, at the very least.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 6:35pm

Nothing changed.

The people who reviewed the first previews (WickedRocks, WithoutATrace) had no prior experience to Beckett, and the only other experience to absurdism/existentialism was EXIT THE KING, which they didn't like very much either, if memory serves.

[willep]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 7:37pm

Thanks for the link, eujenni! Man I really want to see this, and those clips during the interview look fantastic.

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 7:42pm

I agree with Yankeefan and nearthestage; this is a brilliant production. I am very familiar with the play (have read it many times) and I was thrilled to see it done so well on stage.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 10:58pm

Well it's all a matter of taste. Not every can like everything and not everyone does. I still haven't seen EXIT so I can't say much about the production although I hope to go next week at some point.

But GODOT just didn't cut it for me at all. Maybe it got better, but I was bored out of my mind.

Like I said, I'm glad others are enjoying it. I'd never wish ill wishes on a show. It just comes down to a matter of personal taste I think. Beckett and GODOT aren't for everyone...and I guess I'm one of those people.