I feel like Roundabout is so inconsistent in quality sometimes, but The Counter, currently at the Pels, is a gem of a show. At 75 minutes, it’s slender but not slight, and it reminded me of director David Cromer’s work on the similarly lovely A Case for the Existence of God at the Signature. Tender, emotion writing, directing, and acting, with flawless performances from its small cast of three. A real pleasure.
I enjoyed the intimacy and build of connection. I sat in the front right orchestra and got Edwards’ back for most of the play which I found frustrating. Susannah Flood is so good so I was glad to be close to see her facial expressions. I think I will try to revisit this later in the run as it has stayed with me since seeing it on Tuesday.
I thought this was really good, too. I also sat front right and got Edwards’ back for 95% of the show. If you are going to see this, I’d seriously advise not sitting on either the left or the right side but only in the center.
Agreed about the seating. I was fourth row center and that was good for faces, but the stage is SO high that I was glad to be done quickly. Sitting further back, skewing to the right is probably best. The folks on the left of me probably missed half the show by being blocked and so low. The show was a nice, brief, reflective bit of life. But the staging and set design is perplexing.
I actually loved it as well - was tightly trimmed at 75 minutes and held my attention with no "dead spots". I like how they get into "deep talk" instead of the superficial talk that they referenced and it's a sweet touching story that flies by. Such a welcome improvement from the shows they've been having on that stage recently, and I hope they keep it this way.
Upstairs, second row, almost as far right as you could get, was a good seat - no problem seeing faces. (And, like others, I thought the show was excellent.)
I was peeking in to see if anyone saw this. I hadn’t heard much about this production, but I’m always drawn to stories about seemingly ordinary people. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was such a lovely story of empathy and friendship. I saw it last weekend and keep thinking about it. I completely agree with the seating. It’s puzzling. I sat in the middle section of the orchestra so I had a good view. If I had gotten a side seat, I would have been pretty upset. I don’t know how you could see anything.
Hearing strong word-of-mouth about this. Any chance this extends or transfers to Broadway?
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
Matt Rogers said: "ACL2006 said: "Hearing strong word-of-mouth about this. Any chance this extends or transfers to Broadway?"
A 75 minute one act without any stars is not transferring to Broadway."
Anthony Edwards is a name.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
I just realized that this is the same author who wrote Napoli, Brooklyn, a play with a totally insane sound effect at the end of Act One that made all the octogenarian Roundabout subscribers reach for their defibrillators. I loved that play. This one sounds like it is….quieter.
Oh I loved this one, a really special show. The whole cast is excellent and Susannah Flood's final monologue is quite powerful. Some elements of the plot reminded me of Sound Inside, which I bet is what appealed to Cromer.
Also all three actors came out the stage door within minutes of the show ending