Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks to Close Nov. 23

[tkts]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 8:13pm

It almost lasted six weeks.

[GladysBumps]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 9:31pm

Granted the play ain't "Angels In America," but for what it is, it's heart is really in the right place. What I cannot get over, is how it's always shoot the playwright, while a totally inept director still gets away with murder in this town. Costume changes while we watch two stagehands violate the performance space and strike props? This is Broadway, sweetie, not Coconut Grove. Could not that have be covered maybe with some well done socially significant slide's of various retirees coping with the indignity of retirement in South Florida? Ya know, park benches, early bird special lines, tour buses, Epcott, the likes? Maybe Mark Hamill, God bless him, would not have to work so hard if Ms. Bergen, who is totally capable, was encouraged to allow a bit of her characers closeted feisty-ness to peek through and provide him with something of an obstacle. As it stood it seemed like he was just bullying the hell out of the poor defenseless lady. Watching these two charming seasoned professionals out there flailing around without any sense of a directorial hand was just infuriating.

[JKB2]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 10:22pm

Your comments on SDL are *very* interesting, and among the few thoughtful, intelligent criticisms I've heard so far. I saw it both in Coconut Grove and in New York -- in New York more than once, with Polly Bergen and with her standby Kathleen Doyle. The first time I saw it with Polly Bergen, I did get a bit of that vibe of "bullying" that you're talking about, though I thought Lily eventually stood up to him as things got moving. The next time, I thought Polly Bergen's Lily stood up to Michael earlier on, by virtue of her stiff back, if not feistiness. The next time I saw it, with Kathleen Doyle, Mark Hamill had greatly toned down the abrasiveness and was playing up the impish side of Michael, and Ms. Doyle was doing the feistiness; I didn't get any sense of bullying at any point. I've since heard that Mr. Hamill has been playing it less abrasive all week, with Ms. Bergen back on stage. When did you see it?

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 10:23pm

Add one more to the list!

[GladysBumps]

Posted: 11/22/03 at 12:19am

I saw the show on Wednesday evening, so granted the recently returned Polly had just done a matinee and was a bit "delicate." Still, she managed to rise to the occasion spurred on by the generosity of Mister Hamill. At one point he did one of her longer speeches and got her back on track, seemlessly. I am only aware of this because there was one of those dreadful subtitle machines on stage left, and though I did my best, it was hard to ignore. Again, about the play, if there is enough there to have captured Uta Hagen's imagination . . . 'Nuff said.

[GladysBumps]

Posted: 11/22/03 at 12:19am

I saw the show on Wednesday evening, so granted the recently returned Polly had just done a matinee and was a bit "delicate." Still, she managed to rise to the occasion spurred on by the generosity of Mister Hamill. At one point he did one of her longer speeches and got her back on track, seemlessly. I am only aware of this because there was one of those dreadful subtitle machines on stage left, and though I did my best, it was hard to ignore. Again, about the play, if there is enough there to have captured Uta Hagen's imagination . . . 'Nuff said.