I saw the show tonight, fresh off this afternoon's announcement that it would be extended one more time, to February 5. I thought it was quite okay.
The book is the real weak spot here — a disappointment because Anthony McCarten has had lots of practice thus far with biographical works (specifically onscreen), and he has nailed it from time to time.
Yes, the first act is slow and very expository, but it kept my attention the whole time. Things get more interesting in the second act when the two leads get to work.
Paul Bettany is all right as Andy Warhol, who here is approaching the twilight of his career. His artistic aim — let's call it "WarholVision" — is to glorify repetition and brand names. I think he does some solid work in the show, though his whine gets a little grating, especially during some of the later moments of act two. Also a filmmaker, his Warhol — who his agent states early "cannot respond to love" — is an elderly Mark Cohen of sorts, camera in hand, willing to capture his counterpart doing the job with him.
The only actor that manages to completely rise above the iffy material is Jeremy Pope. His Jean-Michel Basquiat on the rise is young, electric, eccentric, free-willing. Playing the art scene's latest wunderkind (and Warhol's polar opposite), his enthusiasm can be felt all across the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre as he prances around the stage. It was my first time seeing Pope in a show, and he's probably made his case for a Tony nomination in the spring.
Shocking that Erik Jensen has the bigger role than Krysta Rodriguez does. She's gone from Cinderella to this?
The onstage DJ was cool; I saw some people dancing in their seats pre-show to '80s throwbacks: "Don't You Want Me," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." Putting the "club" in Manhattan Theatre Club!
There were 6 consecutive empty seats in front of me, and a few more in the next 2-3 rows or so. The show started at 7:07 and I was outside the theatre at 9:07. There was a post-show discussion, but I didn't want to stay for it.
In conclusion, Basquiat says in the show that all art should have a purpose. There are some pieces of art about the process of making art that really shine, be it on TV, film, or stage. However, like MJ also proves five blocks north, The Collaboration doesn't really let us see the artist(s) completely, at least not through the schlocky writing, which could've made the show purposeless if not for the two fine leads.
“I am furious, but I am sailing.”
