REVIEW: Hamlet- Page 2

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 10:47pm

Wow, I don't know what show you saw, but when I went to the first preview on Saturday night, I found it to be utterly thrilling. (I was also a fan of Mary Stuart, which this design really reminded me of.)

I thought Jude was incredible! His monologues were wonderful, as well as all his other scene work. His scene with Gertude after Polonius was killed was awesome. I thought the entire cast nailed their roles. Not a bad performance in the bunch.

The bare staging really allows you to focus on the text, and the actors definitely let it shine. This might seem like a stupid observation, but when I was walking out of this production it really made me say, "wow, this is SUCH a good play," even though I had read it before and enjoyed it then.

After seeing A Steady Rain the evening before and being bored for 90 minutes that felt like 5 hours, this 3 hour 25 minute production flew by. When the curtain went down for intermission I turned to my friends and we all said we couldn't believe how quickly the "first act" felt.

I guess to each his own, but I couldn't recommend this with more vigor and passion.

Updated On: 9/13/09 at 10:47 PM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 10:53pm

I happen to agree with you Whizzer. I think it's a dramatic, compelling, theatrical and lucid Hamlet, with Jude Law in excellent form. Also enjoyed Kevin McNally's Claudius, Geraldine James' Gertrude and Ron Cook's Polonius, in what is a generally fine supporting cast. And I love the design, particularly the lighting.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 10:56pm

My ticket isn't until November, but I might have to go and see this.

Are there two intermissions or what?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 10:58pm

One intermission.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 11:02pm

Yes Smaxie, the lighting was incredible, and although it's way to early to say, I hope it's in the running for a Tony nomination.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 11:09pm

RentBoy, you can check out the physical production in the montage on the HamletBroadway.com site - particularly Neil Austin's gorgeous lighting...

http://hamletbroadway.com/multimedia/

It's the video on the bottom right hand side.

[willep]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 11:30pm

That video looks fantastic!

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 11:34pm

It looks gorgeous.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 11:34pm

I hope everyone got their $25 tickets, because I went back to the box office to try to get another set later in the run and they told me every $25 seat had sold.

I don't want to spend the full orchestra price, but this is one of the few productions playing on Broadway that is worth a full price ticket.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 11:47pm

I didn't blame my boredom on the set and the lighting. I blame it on the performances. But the set and lighting didn't help. It's not that it wasn't nice to look at, but for almost 3 and a half hours? I was captivated by MARY STUART, but not by this, for some reason.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 11:49pm

Because you like other kind of shows...

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/13/09 at 11:51pm

Yep.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 12:30am

Thanks Smaxie, but I don't want to ruin it for myself. I have to wait until November, but still excited!

[amoni2]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 8:30am

"If staring at stone gray walls and cold lighting don't put you to sleep, I don't know what will."

Well, your "review" is pretty high up on the list.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 8:38am

If my 9-sentence review put you to sleep, we have bigger problems at hand.

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 10:27am

I found it reasonably well done, and Jude Law was quite good. But I thought that the dark lighting of the production was self-conscious and a real drag to watch. People are paying money to see the actors who are performing- not a spotlight on a bare stage with the actor(s) standing in darkness beside it.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 4:25pm

I know I am busting up in here talking about another "Hamlet" than the one on Bway, but I MUST HAVE THIS

https://www.rsc.org.uk/buyonline/shoponline/browse/item.aspx?cid=&pid=1e3e9420-c451-4bd7-9e00-d1343827ec0a