I was there tonight and I thought it was exceptional. I didn't know much going in other than the cast, that it got incredible reviews in Australia, and that it was a modern retelling of a Russian play. I wasn't sure I would like it since I am not always a fan of Russian stories, and I'm not always a fan of "modernizing" things as I sometimes find it gimmicky and cheesy. For me, this struck the perfect balance. The play is written for modern times, but they don't try to do anything extreme with the staging. Aside from a fog machine that is slightly overused in one scene (there was so much fog I actually wondered if it was a technical issue since it was the first preview), they really just relied on the script and the strength of the acting, which I prefer.
The cast is really incredible. Not surprisingly, Cate Blanchette is a goddess. Her character is very complex and she does a great job of making you love and hate her at the same time. And she really has to go from one extreme to another in terms of emotions. I wasn't surprised that she was good, but I really was actually surprised at how hilarious she was. Richard Roxburgh was just as good, and equally hilarious and heartbreaking at different points in the play. His character is the guy you love to hate and hate to love--just a playboy who somehow manages to charm everyone. But really, the entire cast is amazing. I can't parse them all out because there really isn't a weak link.
I also really liked the play itself. It is long--3 hours with one intermission, and each act is broken up into two scenes. (Or perhaps it is four acts... I don't know the technical difference. Incidentally, I hope nobody left because some people thought the play was over at intermission. I heard people saying "I thought there was an intermission" or "that wasn't as long as I expected it to be"
The first scene is a bit slow and I was concerned the evening was going to drag on a bit. I'm not surprised by that, though, as this is a Russian story with a lot of characters who have very complex relationships. And aside from having a family tree in the playbill like they do in Great Comet, it takes awhile to introduce everyone and develop the characters. That's basically the first scene. But by the second scene everyone is drunk and the party has taken a turn toward the insane. (I think that was probably my favorite scene, and it's actually really comedic most of the way through.) Of course the play gets into the heavy drama, but I found there to be a good balance.
As far as the production, I would not have been able to tell it was a first preview. (Which is not surprising since it's essentially a transfer of a prior production.) There were two small technical glitches. During the first scene I saw what looked like something falling from the ceiling every couple minutes, but I figured out what it was during the fourth scene, and I think they may have had some leaking issues. There was also a stray gunshot when there should not have been during a scene between Cate Blanchette and Richard Roxburgh. Somehow they didn't even flinch, and I don't know how. (BTW, the gunshots are LOUD.)
I would definitely get a ticket to this if you can! No way to know what will happen come Tony time given how many good plays are forthcoming (and the fact that this will close long before nominations), but I would not be surprised if (at least) Blanchette were recognized. Her performance is remarkably real.
