Park Avenue Armory Hamlet/Oresteia schedule changes

[inception]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 9:48am

Due to an injury to Lia Williams performances of Hamlet & Oresteia have been postponed and the entire schedule revamped.   I just got an email this morning regarding the date for Hamlet at the end of July I had tickets for that has now been cancelled.  Unfortunately, I have had to ask for  refund as none of the new scheduled dates the week I am in the city work with my schedule.

I am impressed by the customer service offered by the Park Avenue Armory. 

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 9:51am

I got the same email for my performance in mid July. I thought it was odd that an actor injury would cancel one that far in advance but guess there's more to it. Honestly I'm fine with getting a refund since it's been on TDF and that'll be a cheaper option.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 10:29am

Perhaps an injury that requires surgery - or a broken bone.  (It would be difficult to perform any play with a cast on your leg.)

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 10:32am

It's an Achilles tendon injury. I posted the article on Wednesday:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1153239

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 10:41am

@ClydeBarrow and @Dramamama 

You guys are missing the important piece of info: they aren't waiting for Lia Williams to recover, they have already replaced her, and need time to adequately rehearse the replacements. 

Jennifer Ehle will be playing Gertrude in Hamlet, while Anastasia Hille will play Klytemnestra in Oresteia. It's interesting because Anastasia Hille has played Gertrude before, about 7 years ago with Cumberbatch. So if it was a question of adequate rehearsal time, it's odd that they didn't hedge their bets by putting Hille in a role she's played before, even if the 2 productions were very different, as well as VERY different cuts of the text. 

But then again, Jennifer Ehle doesn't seem like a Klytemnestra to me - though I haven't yet seen this adaptation. 

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 10:54am

JBroadway said: "@ClydeBarrow and @Dramamama

You guys are missing the important piece of info: they aren't waiting for Lia Williams to recover, they have already replaced her, and need time to adequately rehearse the replacements."

I didn't really do any digging into the reason. I was just going off the vague information in the cancellation email. Looks like they had to change the key art for Oresteia so I'm seeing that it's a major setback for them.

[supersam1026]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 3:16pm

They're offering 30 Under 30 tickets for all performances. They go on sale the Friday prior to the following week's shows. Just got a $30 ticket for a premium seat for the first preview, so definitely go check that out if you are able to!

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 9:30pm

TaffyDavenport said: "It's an Achilles tendon injury. I posted the article on Wednesday:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1153239"

I get it. Achilles.

[pippy1]

Posted: 6/4/22 at 8:09am

I could be wrong, but I did do a little digging when I got the email. (Thankfully we are local so other dates did work). I was under the impression (and like I said, I could be wrong) that both productions were going on simultaneously. I vaguely remember the schedule for Hamlet was not every day, so I surmised that perhaps the reason for all the changes was due to new actors’ schedule. This is totally a guess on my part. In any event, I am always sorry to hear about an actors injury and wish a swift recovery. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/10/22 at 4:40pm

Anyone seeing this tonight? I'm extremely excited to finally see it later this month, I'm a huge Luke Treadaway fan.

[DressedInYourPajamas]

Posted: 6/11/22 at 7:58am

I saw this last night and thought it was mostly great. Fantastic performances all around. It’s long and you definitely feel it as the first act was about two hours long (and there are two intermissions) I thought the final act was messy, confusing, and poorly staged, and much of the text was lost which is a shame because the rest of this production is so clear and wonderful. 

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 12:49am

Thought this was pretty awful. Alex Lawther is the worst Hamlet I've ever seen -- and I've seen some real clunkers in that role. Just endless screaming with no purpose or attention to the verse. The production is slow, plodding, and totally devoid of laughter.

Updated On: 6/12/22 at 12:49 AM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 1:31am

Well, I was just coming here to say that I thought this production and Lawther in particular counted as one of my top 3 or 4 Hamlets ever (and I know I have seen ten times that many including some of the greats. But to each their own. I heard things in this production I had never heard before and that's always a sign of a production that accomplishes something important. No, it is not trying to be a "classic" performance of Hamlet, but it is exceptionally faithful. I also thought it was clear (all the way to the end) and quite funny (and not in a hackneyed way). Sorry not everyone can like everything.  

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 4:16am

How is the use of that barn of a space? 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 7:26am

FWIW, I count Robert Icke's Hamlet as THE single best production of Hamlet I have ever seen, or probably will ever see. And it ranks among my favorite theatrical productions ever. BUT that was at the intimate Almeida. I haven't seen it at the armory, and I'm concerned it won't fill the space properly. Also, while I like Alex Lawther on screen, I wasn't impressed with his performance in The Jungle at St. Ann's.

I guess all that's to say that neither Hogan's nor Synechdoche's posts surprise me very much, and I'm very curious to hear more reactions

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 9:58am

HogansHero, what do you mean by 'faithful'?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 10:32am

By faithful, I mean (and I am not sure what else I could mean) that it utilizes Shakespeare's words to tell Shakespeare's story. There are, of course and as there always have been, many takes on that story, and this one, like all, makes choices, but the choices here are in aid of that story, not working against it (as one might say of Sam Gold, for instance). 

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 11:04am

Fascinating. I found the compete opposite experience. 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Basically every line that Hamlet speaks is a pun or joke of some kind. Hamlet is always stuck inside his own head, which is why he can't 'act' for such an long time. Alex Lawther played the whole thing so sniffly and angry -- he was ready to shoot Claudius in the head basically right as act II started. Where is the playfulness or depth? To me it just seemed shallow and loud for such a lengthy performance.

But that's what great about Hamlet. There's so many different ways to watch it. I was a bit huffy last night and basically said that you should only see it if you're a masochist, but I don't really think that's true. Hamlet is always worth seeing -- I just didn't think this made a very strong case for the play.

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 11:54am

Did they keep the Q1 scene in which Gertude conspires with Horatio? And how's Jennifer Ehle?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 1:53pm

@Synechdoche,

At the risk of harping too much on this same point - your comments about Alex Lawther were precisely what I was concerned about. Andrew Scott's Hamlet wasn't necessarily the best I've ever seen, but his portrayal of the character perfectly matched Robert Icke's production; extremely tender, contemplative, with potent emotions that were more deep than intense. He was very much up in his head, and also had a dry, understated wit. I can see why a more overtly brooding, bitter Hamlet would not fit well into this production.

But as for the handling of the text, I'm very much with Hogan. Icke's production is an absolute master class in implementing a directorial vision on both micro and macro scales, where he had a clear interpretation of the play, and infused it into every moment beat, and every line, in a way that felt totally organic, and in line with the spirit of the text.

This production, for me, was THE case for Hamlet in the modern age.

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/15/22 at 11:46pm

Anyone else see it this week?

[jbird5]

Posted: 6/19/22 at 9:49am

Got a $30 rush ticket through TodayTix.  They seem easy to get so no excuse.  The play is long but didn’t drag too much.  A young boy was with his family was asked he thought it was an”8” and he said maybe higher.  I thought Lawther was the weakest.  He is the right age for the part but plays much younger.  Like a moody teen.  I thought the opening scene was incredible, a perfect way to modernize it.  Also might be the best use of Bob Dylan’s catalogue this season.  Jennifer Ehle is good, her part doesn’t make or break a production.  Luke Treadaway is wasted as Laertes being absent for much of the play.  He probably would have been better as the lead.  Kristy Rider is an affecting Ophelia.  Angus Wright as Claudius didn’t make me dislike him enough.  Peter Wight as Polonius grows on you and may be the best of the bunch.  I wish Tia Bannon and Michael Abubakar had been given larger parts (Abubakar may be more suited for Macbeth with his brogue).  Not a perfect production but a really good one.  The Armory is my favorite place to see plays.

[SisterGeorge]

Posted: 6/19/22 at 2:39pm

jbird5 said: "I thought Lawther was the weakest. He is the right age for the part but plays much younger. Like a moody teen.....Luke Treadaway is wasted as Laertes being absent for much of the play. He probably would have been better as the lead.... The Armory is my favorite place to see plays."

I absolutely agree about the two actors. I found Lawther irritating, one-note, and shallow from start to end. When Hamlet reminds you of Evan Hansen, that's not a good thing. Treadway was terrific, brought much-needed energy and passion to a lethargic, bloodless evening. Ehle was still a bit tentative early this week and there were sound issues throughout. The opening scene was nearly incomprehensible (I was second row center) and just about everybody's mics malfunctioned at some point. Turning Hamlet into Boy from the North Country didn't work for me.  Dylan songs come with so much specific narrative baggage of their own that I found them disruptive rather than complementary. 

Fat Ham, on the other hand, which we saw the day after Hamlet, might just be the most fabulous new play in the universe right now, and thrilling to see how both works inform each other. We left the Armory feeling completely let down on Tuesday, but we left the Public euphoric. Since we're from out of town, initially we were pissed that The Oresteia was canceled, but that allowed us to grab two Fat Ham returns and alls well that ends well.

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/20/22 at 5:16pm

Are they selling any Hamlet window cards? Then again, I really wouldn't want one unless I was able to get Lawther to sign it, which may not be an option...

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/21/22 at 11:18pm

This is a thrilling, epic production. I was even a bit scared at times as there are elements of horror and blood pumping dramatics. The set and video designs are amazing. It’s very long but doesn’t drag. I was thrilled to once again see Luke Treadaway on stage and I have to say I would love to see him play the title role. Definitely not to be missed.