THE ICEMAN COMETH (2018) Previews — Page 3

Updated On: 3/28/18 at 02:01 AM

Saw this tonight and first off, must thank TDF for the 6th row Orchestra Center seat.

As for the show, I was underwhelmed, but it was fine. In fairness, the Kevin Spacey Iceman in 1999 is seared into my brain, so this had a lot to live up to.

Denzel Washington is good, but not revelatory. He does make some interesting choices that mostly work, particularly his final monologue. If only George C. Wolfe would make him get out of the chair. It's performed like a direct address monologue and it's just awkward (but, well acted).

I don't get the set. I'm still processing it and trying to figure it out. As, has been said, it's not exciting, but it's certainly a choice.

My biggest issue here is the cast. Colm Meaney as Harry Hope is excellent and outshines everyone on the stage, including Denzel Washington. He is totally the character and is excellent. I couldn't understand most of what Frank Wood said and why is Neil Huff playing Willie as Ed Grimley for the first half of the show. He was better when he dropped that, later in the show.

Most of the other actors are okay, some better than others, but a few don't have characters at all. Now to David Morse. I have been a fan since the 80s and St. Elsewhere, but he is all over the place with this. I can't imagine anyone upstairs can hear him. He may or may not have an accent. Early on, I didn't know what he was doing, but later on, he got a bit better. Maybe he'll find his footing. Sadly, the character of Parritt needs to play an arc and he's dull and inert. It's a large part and it really detracts from the play that the performance is so weak.

I usually like George C. Wolfe as a director, so I was looking for something different, something new about the work, which I love, and, sadly, this just didn't do it for me and I'm not hopeful that this will change throughout the preview period.

Glad I saw it, but is was only 'okay' for me.

wolfwriter said: "Denzel Washington is good, but not revelatory. He does make some interesting choices that mostly work, particularly his final monologue. If only George C. Wolfe wouldmake him get out of the chair. It's performed like a direct address monologue and it's just awkward (but, well acted)."



I was weary when Denzel first sat down, but once he got going, I thought it was a fine choice. It's a bold move to have Hickey turn to the audience like that, but I imagine Wolfe wouldn't allow it if Denzel's performance wasn't so good, or even if it was a bit more bombastic. Since Denzel seems to be performing the monologue so intimately, I think the chair makes some amount of sense.

Can anyone who has seen the last couple of nights report how Denzel did remembering the monologue? He had to ask for two lines when I was there Tuesday, and I read that he had to ask for three a couple of nights before that. It's a monster of a monologue, for sure, and I'm sure he'll get it all in his head before opening.

Does anyone think the accents are more distracting than immersive? Like some who have reported, I find it hard to follow or even understand some of the characters many times. I know that they fit the time period, but for someone who doesn't watch a lot of old movies and is seeing the show for the first time, I wonder how much more I would've appreciated the play if I could understand more of what was said.

Updated On: 3/31/18 at 09:44 PM

Agree about David Morse. I thought his costume and his hair seemed somewhat contemporary. I just thought he was badly miscast. For a great Larry Slade, watch Robert Ryan in the film version. He was amazing. But the part is very difficult because he repeats himself so much and it's hard to keep variety in the character. Loved Washington, although he did have to call for line twice during his long monologue which was a shame because it took me momentarily out of the story. I liked the young man who played Parritt another devilishly difficult part.. I found his performance compelling and moving. Other standouts for me were Colm Meany, Bill Irwin and Michael Pitts. Why didnt they cast Bill Irwin as Slade? Now that would have been interesting! My biggest problem with the production is the sets. The styalistic changes were so severe that I was never sure where I was. I'm shocked that they didn't solve this! But I still loved the show and am so glad I saw it!

Updated On: 3/31/18 at 02:30 PM

BTW- was in row 3-perfect seat- very low stage- front row would be great for this one.

ICEMAN is challenging, because of its length if nothing else. I haven't seen this production but I saw Lane at BAM. A long long evening in the theater, even when it works.

BWAY Baby2 said: "I can't figure out this board- one of the greatest plays- by one of the greatest dramatists ever- a play that is so entertaining, complex, multileveled- starring a 2 time Oscar winning iconic actor who truly is an amazing presence- and nary a word about it- lots of Hello, Dolly- and no Iceman Cometh enthusiasm. I find that strange..... Iceman seems to be getting short shrift."



Okay, I'll go.

I saw this for the first time ever, completely unfamiliar with the play. Thought it was a great evening of theater. Great acting all around. Denzel yes a magnetic thrilling presence on the stage.The actors who portrayed Harry and Ed and Don and the harvard law character whose name I forget were phenomenal, I thought. Okay that was the character named Willie (I just looked it up). Loved the comic relief 'tarts'. Understood everyone (some above said that actors were difficult to decipher?). There was one though - Hugo. He spoke with a heavy accent which I found difficult but many people in theater obviously didn't because there was laughter several times after he spoke. I get that the character of Larry is kind of one note - he was a favorite at the start as the one who seems to see clearly yet became the least interesting to me by the end. I don't know if this is the actor or the part. I thought all the other actors/characters in the bar were so fantastically drawn and portrayed. I thought the costumes and make up were terrific. I thought that the opening moment, frozen, despite it being a barren bar/flophouse, was like looking at a painting, a tableau. That is such a credit to who exactly? The set designer, the costume designer, lighting director, all together and therefore the director? Being super close to the stage only helped to appreciate all of these details and yes stage is very low so too close doesn't apply here.

I never saw Denzel live and his style seemed very conversational and casual. So much so that when he was a fed a line I didn't even realize he needed one! Perhaps if I was familiar with the play I would have noticed that. It was so seamlessly done that my friend, also unfamiliar with the play and sitting further into the middle of the orchestra, did not even notice that it happened!

The evening FLEW by. I was worried frankly that I would get restless but I could not believe that four hours in the theater had passed by the time it was done (actually ran closer to 3'50".

I noticed the director and an an assistant with notepads at intermission. I am always so curious what the different changes are with something like this - a play that is famous and written - none of it gets cut I imagine. So subtle changes, I guess? To do with pacing, delivery, staging-- things that someone not intimately familiar with the play would ever notice? ...and I definitely DO plan to see this again ...

Updated On: 4/5/18 at 10:34 AM

With the new Elvis film arriving soon, I was reading about Austin Butler and was surprised to see that he was in this production. The New Yorker gave him the following rave: Although there are many performers in George C. Wolfe's staging of Eugene O'Neill's phenomenal [...] drama, The Iceman Cometh, [...] there is only one actor, and his name is Austin Butler.

Baz Luhrmann said the following about casting Butler: “And then I got a call from Denzel Washington, who gave me a cold call,” he said. “I did not know Denzel. And he said, ‘I’ve just worked with this guy on stage. I’ve never seen a work ethic like it.’ And I’m like, ‘OK, I must see him.'”

I’m just wondering if those who saw the production remember anything revelatory now that he’s positioned to be breaking out this year.

JBroadway said: "It seems like Washington was responding more to his work ethic and talent, which is very cool, but still a little strange that this is the specific project Washington would’ve recommended Butler for based on his work in Iceman. Unless Washington was so impressed by Butler that he called around to a ton of different Hollywood figures, and Luhrmann was the one to take the advice?"

My understanding of it was that Austin was up for this specific role, and Denzel called Baz to give him a boost.