THE WAVERLY GALLERY (2018) Previews- Page 3

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/26/18 at 3:52pm

Sounds like us in the mezz were lucky! No talking, no phones, no hearing aids...

[billyelliotfan123]

Posted: 9/26/18 at 4:44pm

At first I thought the hearing aid noise was part of the show (they spend a lot of time talking about her hearing aid not working) but when Ken Lonergan audibly said “you’ve got to be f***ing kidding me” I realized something else was up

[Addison D.]

Posted: 9/26/18 at 5:25pm

Are these the personal hearing aid devices of individuals in the audience?  Or some sort of augmented sound system that is provided by the theater?

And are they reacting to each other?  Or the tech equipment in the house?

The irony of the issue at this particular play is pretty rich.  Lonergan better keep hold of his temper--the optics of him swearing at an older theater patron would not be good...

[VotePeron]

Posted: 9/26/18 at 5:54pm

Patrons who use assisted listening devices must remove their hearing aids in order to use it. However, many think they don't need to, so they keep them in. The hearing aid and the assisted listening devices then creates the ear piercing noise. The punch is that the patron wearing these can't even hear the feedback! That's why all these issues happen consistently. If you ever overhear a patron wondering if they really need to take out their hearing aids, beg them to. 

[jv92]

Posted: 9/26/18 at 6:07pm

I know this is going to come off as unkind, but optics hell. Lonergan was trying to focus on his work and his play in previews. The rest of the audience deserved no interruptions-- not to mention the actors and the rest of the creative staff. Mr. Longergan could have said whatever he wanted. In his position, I would have been just as annoyed. 

 

A lot of Broadway audiences don't seem to give a sh*t anymore. People complain about younger people in their 20s and 30s, but the older crowd is mostly completely inconsiderate. As Cromer's character says in the play, "It's no fun getting old", but I link it's less about old age and more about not caring. 

 

Most of the people upstairs under 40 seemed really engaged. The lady in her 50s checking her email at the beginning of Act 2 had other things on her mind, I guess....

[billyelliotfan123]

Posted: 9/26/18 at 6:13pm

Lonergan wasn’t yelling at people. I was just sitting In front of him so I heard it u see his breath and it’s his show. He can say whatever he wants

Updated On: 9/26/18 at 06:13 PM

[Here I Am]

Posted: 9/27/18 at 7:18am

The ovation tonight was so huge that the actors had to come back out for another bow. The audience literally wouldn’t stop clapping until they did. I haven’t seen that in a while, but the cast truly did deserve it. There wasn’t a weak link in the bunch.

Elaine May was so natural that it didn’t even feel like watching a performance. It made me uncomfortable at times, which is exactly what the role calls for. I’d be pretty shocked if she isn’t remembered come Tony time.

I’m a big Lucas Hedges fan and he didn’t disappoint at all. He’s a truly gifted stage actor (I LOVED him in YEN as well). He delivered the amazing final line of the play in such a heartbreaking way that I heard sniffles all around me when he said it.

This is one of the best things I’ve ever seen Joan Allen do, and she’s always very solid. It’s a gorgeous, gut-wrenching performance.

Cromer was stellar in another amazingly real performance. My friend, who had a family member with Alzheimer’s, said that he played the role of the annoyed (but trying his best to keep it together) family member to perfection.

Yes, Michael Cera did have a fairly small-ish role and his Boston accent came and went, but overall he was very good. I liked him in THIS IS OUR YOUTH better, but I think that could be because he just had a better, meatier role in that.

The audience wasn’t too bad tonight. And TDF gave us Row K in the orchestra, dead center.

Updated On: 9/27/18 at 07:18 AM

[Stephen75]

Posted: 9/27/18 at 2:32pm

Here I Am said: "The ovation tonight was so huge that the actors had to come back out for another bow. The audience literally wouldn’t stop clapping until they did. I haven’t seen that in a while, but the cast truly did deserve it. There wasn’t a weak link in the bunch.

Elaine May was so natural that it didn’t even feel like watching a performance. It made me uncomfortable at times, which is exactly what the role calls for. I’d be pretty shocked if she isn’t remembered come Tony time.

I’m a big Lucas Hedges fan and he didn’t disappoint at all. He’s a truly gifted stage actor (I LOVED him in ?Yen’ as well). He delivered the amazing final line of the play in such a heartbreaking way that I heard sniffles all around me when he said it.

This is one of the best things I’ve ever seen Joan Allen do, and she’s always very solid. It’s a gorgeous, gut-wrenching performance.

Cromer was stellar in another amazingly real performance. My friend, who had a family member with Alzheimer’s, said that he played the role of the annoyed (but trying his best to keep it together) family member to perfection.

Yes, Michael Cera did have a fairly small-ish role and his Boston accent came and went, but overall he was very good. I liked him in ?This Is Our Youth’ better, but I think that could be because he just had a better, meatier role in that.

The audience wasn’t too bad tonight. And TDFgave us Row K in the orchestra, dead center."

 

Don't know what anyone is saying with the negative reports. I saw the first preview and I thought it was incredible. May is stunning, and Allen really really stuck out to me. She was incredible, and she needs to be in more stuff. Both richly deserve nominations.

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/27/18 at 2:34pm

After seeing the raves here, I just jumped on a TDF ticket. It's back up for Tuesday 10/2 through Thursday 10/4.

Also, and I'm going to be that guy, did anybody do the stage door?

[Stephen75]

Posted: 9/27/18 at 3:07pm

quizking101 said: "After seeing the raves here, I just jumped on a TDF ticket. It's back up for Tuesday 10/2 through Thursday 10/4.

Also, and I'm going to be that guy, did anybody do the stage door?"

Not the first night. 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 9/27/18 at 4:47pm

Is there a rush for this production? Anyone tried?

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 9/27/18 at 11:12pm

any more stagedoor reports?

[raddersons]

Posted: 9/27/18 at 11:54pm

This is a good play but it’s not covering any new ground, imo. We’ve seen this story before. Elaine May and Joan Allen were both very good. Lucas Hedges was a little stiff, but that could just be the character. I did love his little part about “the most depressing thing i’d ever seen.” Not mad I went, but expected something a little more fresh from Lonnergan.

It feels bizarre for me to say that of the Lonnergan productions on broadway, Lobby Hero was my favorite, hands down. But I think it’s because it plays into my psyche the most.

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/28/18 at 12:26am

For what it’s worth, this play was written in/debuted in 2001.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/28/18 at 8:09am

>This is a good play but it’s not covering any new ground, imo. We’ve seen this story before.<

I'd argue that Lonergan's take on it - the play's naturalism, lack of sentimentality, and compassion for its characters, for all of their flaws - still feels startlingly different from the way such material is generally treated in other works of theatre, film and television. The messiness, the aggravation of dealing with an ailing family member, and some of the dark humor all is sharply realized. Vogue touches on what makes The Waverly Gallery different from other works about illness a bit in this piece.

https://www.vogue.com/article/lucas-hedges-interview-vogue-october-2018

"Lonergan renders this problem with an unwavering gaze and no false sentimentality. “There’s no beautiful, comforting Forrest Gump moment where she peacefully smiles and says, 'It’s my time,’ ” he says. “There are so many sentimentalizations of the most difficult parts of life in movies and TV and theater that I think it makes people feel as if they’re the only ones experiencing this the way that they are, and the truth is they’re not.”

Updated On: 9/28/18 at 08:09 AM

[AC126748]

Posted: 9/28/18 at 8:50am

I agree with everything Smaxie says. For context, I work for an organization that advocates for people living with dementia. The reality of the disease, and how it affects persons diagnosed and their families, often diverges markedly from how it's presented in media. I think of The Waverly Gallery often because it gets so much of the experience right, and it mirrors so sharply the many stories I hear every day. Lonergan's refusal to sentimentalize or wrap everything up in a tidy bow is refreshing. I haven't seen this production yet, though I have seen and read the play several times. I'm looking forward to seeing how this company handles the material. But overall, I think it's perhaps the most realistic portrait of living with dementia that I've ever seen.

Updated On: 9/28/18 at 08:50 AM

[Fanboy99]

Posted: 9/28/18 at 5:17pm

Stopped by the theater today and ask about a rush policy. They said they're $40, two per person for day of performances. The seats are usually located in the sides.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 9/28/18 at 5:45pm

 

Updated On: 9/30/18 at 05:45 PM

[PrinceCaspian]

Posted: 9/29/18 at 12:37am

Saw  Waverly Gallery tonight with a TDF ticket (orch row N) and agree with a lot of what has been said on here. Mainly: set changes take a long time, Cera misses it with the accent,  Allen and Hedges are fantastic and worth the price of a discounted ticket alone but my main, big takeaway is James Franco was there wearing a black denim jacket with big zippers 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/29/18 at 4:19am

Just end me when the first or fifteenth thing I say upon seeing one of the legends of the entertainment industry performing on Broadway for the first time in half a century is that the scene changes took a long time.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 9/29/18 at 4:22pm

Scarywarhol said: "Just end me when the first or fifteenth thing I say upon seeing one of the legends of the entertainment industry performing on Broadway for the first time in half a century is that the scene changes took a long time. "

Agreed.

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/29/18 at 4:44pm

That was a huge emotional roller coaster confined in a 2 hour and fifteen minute runtime. This play is a real punch to the heart and gut. That being said, I absolutely loved this from beginning to end.

The acting is top notch with Elaine May being the true standout in a truly heartbreaking performance. Joan Allen, Lucas Hedges, Michael Cera, and David Cromer were also all fantastic. Michael Cera has gotten on my nerves to some extent in every performance I have seen him give both onstage and onscreen prior to this. He was really great here in a pretty small role, though.

I thought the set was lovely and very realistic. The transitions didn’t bother me at all and none of them felt overly long to me. It would have been nice if the set changed between the locations in front of the audience without the curtain being lowered between each scene change, though.

Overall, I really loved this. The run time simply flies by. The play is very emotionally engaging and tiring. It’s a lot packed into a short time, but I mean this in the best way possible. I highly recommend this.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 9/29/18 at 4:45pm

Wow. I was not prepared for this one.

For whatever reason, I went into this thinking this was just another show to tick off the box for this season. Boy, was I wrong. This is an immensely special production with some of the finest stage performances I have ever seen. What hit home for me the most was how real everybody was. This did not feel like an act-y, act-y, look-at-us-acting Broadway play. This felt deeply intimate and real, like we were truly watching this family's story unfold before us.

The sheer reality of the show might be why I almost burst into tears during:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Lucas Hedges' final monologue right before blackout. It is only after Gladys' death that a character steps forward to make comments about the bigger picture of life, death, and memory. And coming a few minutes after the agonizing moments of watching Gladys be dragged out of the downtown apartment, it takes a toll on you.

 

There are moments of Elaine May's performance which will be forever seared into my memory. That is all I can say about her.

Lucas Hedges and Joan Allen are giving master class performances in what it's like to constantly being right at the brink of wit's end (without ever fully exploding, because their characters know an explosion won't lead to anything productive). Hedges is wonderful to follow throughout the show as Gladys' steadfast grandson. Allen is also wonderful throughout the show, but her acting during the Act 2 "don't feed the dog" scene is especially noteworthy. 

David Cromer is excellent as well. Michael Cera is good in a small role. 

My only real criticism of this production is the painfully long scene transitions with lighting that doesn't really make any sense. It looks like it's supposed to be like natural lighting or something, but it's not? But it is a small qualm to have with performances like these that really punch you in the gut by the end of the show.

In terms of Tonys, I see this getting a Best Revival nomination easily, and I especially hope we see Elaine May, Lucas Hedges, and Joan Allen remembered come Tony time.

Updated On: 9/29/18 at 04:45 PM

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 9/29/18 at 4:50pm

Would you suggest this to someone who doesnt really watch plays?

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 9/29/18 at 4:56pm

Bwayfan292 said: "Would you suggest this to someone who doesnt really watch plays?"

Since I know you're more of a musicals fan, if you're able to pick up on nuanced, thoughtful acting performances in musicals, then you would probably appreciate this. This is not a show with performances that reach out into the audience and shake you or anything, but if you can lean in and soak up beautiful performances, then you might like this. If you liked The Band's Visit, for example, you would like this.

In terms of keeping with a general "musicals" attention span, this play is definitely not a slow, dreary show. I think it moves pretty quickly (and it's rather short—currently running two hours and 15 minutes with an intermission).