THE ICEMAN COMETH (2018) Previews — Page 2

This is my first time post but have been a longtime message board viewer. But since I happen to be in the city for the weekend, and attended the first preview, I am excited to post my thoughts....for whatever they’re worth. Going into this, I thought it was going to be a slogfest. Surprisingly though the piece kept my attention throughout its 4 hr runtime. I am not very familiar with any of the iterations of this work and purposely tried to avoid all information relating to it so I could go into it fresh. My understanding of the plot as a whole was clear but certain key lines were lost under whispered/hushed delivery particularly from Morse. Denzel played a great character but kept many of his Denzel mannerisms (hitting of a baseball motion) which sometimes was distracting but sometimes also fit. The real standout for me though was Colm Meaney who It was great to see live after his Cat On Hot A Tin Roof NTL performance. He sported a heavy accent but all of his lines were clear and had crisp diction. I hope he gets nominated come Tony time. Although initially hesitant I am glad I saw it and would like to read analysis of its themes and symbolism to fully understand the work.

Two questions:

- Is the stage high?

- Have they taken out any seats in the orchestra, specifically dowm front?

LimelightMike said: "Two questions:

- Is the stage high?

- Have they taken out any seats in the orchestra, specifically dowm front?"



Stage was not that high. I was in 4th row. People in the front row were not straining. Yes, they did remove seats. Our original seats were front row but Telecharge called because they had to remove them to build out the stage.

Saw the show tonight, and I agree it's in great shape!

I saw the production at BAM a few years ago - which is my only other point of reference for the play, besides having read it a long time ago. The BAM production obviously had an excellent cast, but I think this one might have exceeded it - just by a hair. The supporting cast is consistently wonderful (with a few minor exceptions), each shining in their respective moments. Morse was a very understated Larry, which I thought worked brilliantly, and made him feel even more genuinely broken down by the world. Denzel does not have the same "larger than life" quality that Lane has, but I think Denzel out-acted Lane in terms of nuance and emotion. His final monologue was absolutely stunning - for me, the highlight of the production, and worth the price of admission. Lane was far too shouty and over-the-top in his rendition of Act 4, IMO, whereas Denzel quietly breaks down in his desperate attempt to make us understand his actions.

The only thing I miss from the BAM production was the epic and beautiful set design, and the fascinating lighting. The sets in this production were fine, but not nearly as jaw-dropping as the ones at BAM.

The show ran about 3h and 55m tonight - just 5 minutes past their posted running time. According to an actor I spoke with after the show, they did cut the text, which I didn't know was allowed, but it accounts for the shorter run-tine. I'm not familiar with the play enough to say what they cut, but I did find the play tighter and less eye-rollingly long.

Heads up: they say there are only 2 intermissions, but between acts 2 and 3 there was also a 5-minute pause, which was a nice surprise.

I got to the box office around noon today. I was told they sold out of the $40 rush pretty much right away (apparently there were about 10). But she offered me a "2nd tier" rush, which was $79, with a better view, and I ended up springing for it. Row I of the orchestra on the isle. I was a little worried because it was still marked "partial view," but I could see almost everything just fine, without even any heads blocking the way. It was a great seat after all!

Updated On: 3/25/18 at 12:41 AM

I do not have tickets for this show. I have read the play several times and consider it a great work. I have, however, only seen it live once, at the Circle in the Square in the 70s, in a production that starred James Earl Jones. I remember being bored out of my mind, to the point where -- 45 years later -- I still kid about it with the two people with whom I saw it lo those many years ago...we still generally use that production as the barometer / benchmark for comparing subsequent performances at which we have also been very bored, i.e., was it as much torture as The Iceman Cometh?

I have always assumed that the length and dreariness of the subject render this a better read than viewing, at least for me. But I also wonder whether the production I saw was just a bad one.. It may be too early in previews to ask this question, but here goes anyway. Has anyone on this board seen that production and this one? If so, do you remember what you thought of that one and what did you think of this one?

Part of me thinks that I should just see it, but the other part thinks it will cost a lot, it will take up a valuable trip 'slot', and 4 hours is a long time to commit (although I clearly recall that the prior production began at 7 and ended at 12:05, so it could have just been really badly paced). Feedback appreciated.

PS -- I have generally loved other O'Neill productions that I have seen, including at least 4 productions of LDJIN that I can recall, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Strange Interlude, More Stately Mansions, The Great God Brown. I have seen two productions of A Touch off the Poet, and have been bored both times.

I have to admit that I do not stage door; however, on a few occasions, my wife has wanted to...for Richard Chamberlain, Judi Dench, and Denzel. The first two were clearly years ago. Denzel was for A Raisin in the Sun. I remember wondering whether someone was going to get killed with the mess that was occurring outside of the Barrymore. People were on both sides of 47th St., and many ended up plunking themselves in the middle of the street, causing traffic to completely halt. The only other time I saw this was for Julia Roberts, when I was leaving something at the Music Box.

45th St. is much more 'congested' than 47th St., viv-a-vis theatre numbers and concentration. I am wondering whether his not stage dooming has something to do with that. Of course, given Iceman's length, everything else may already be out when it exits, so I may be off-base.

I have friends who work in the business and Denzel is definitely not very fan friendly. He's like Nathan Lane in that he puts his energy into performances but does not want to be intruded upon after performances for anything. Nothing wrong with that of course just an FYI for anyone who is going to Iceman Cometh and wants to stage door.

JBroadway said: "Denzel though, did indeed sneak out for real."

I can't imagine Denzel would go out of his way to avoid anything like this. If he doesn't want to sign, the security will say so, and he'll just get in his car.

Just popped up on TDF for 2 dates.

poisonivy2 said: "I have friends who work in the business and Denzel is definitely not very fan friendly. He's like Nathan Lane in that he puts his energy into performances but does not want to be intruded upon after performances for anything. Nothing wrong with that of course just an FYI for anyone who is going to Iceman Cometh and wants to stage door."

I also would be surprised if he stuck around after Iceman. But Denzel provided the most unique stage door experience I ever saw during his Julius Caesar run. For those that were waiting, they formed a line and Denzel would sign and take a picture with each person in line.