THE WAVERLY GALLERY (2018) Previews- Page 5

[NievesG]

Posted: 10/4/18 at 5:58pm

Wow, I wonder why they changed the cover art. 

Anyway, I wish I didn't have so much on my mind when I went into the theater but maybe going in being an emotional wreck just enhanced the performance for me. I had to remember May was acting at times, a brilliant performance of a very difficult subject.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 10/4/18 at 10:05pm

Saw the play last night and found it probably the best playgoing experience I've  had so far this season.  Elaine May was beyond incomparable.  She was so authentic that at times I had to remind myself she was acting.  Wringing heartfelt humor out of dementia is no easy task, but Lonergan's brilliant writing, so infused with humanity and understanding, accomplishes that feat.  The rest of the cast was excellent, too.  I'd never seen the original staging, so I have nothing to compare it to, but all I know is that I want to go back before the run finishes. 

By the way, I rushed it at about 10:15 a.m., right after successfully rushing The Lifespan of a Fact for the matinee (fine EE mid-mezz for that one).  I was told that the Waverly rush is often located way on the side and labeled partial view, but I guess I lucked out with fourth row (E) orchestra, near center.  Not bad at all for $40.  Of course, the raking at the Golden is nonexistent, at least in the first few rows, so you have to hope no basketball player sits in front of you.   

 

[52889j]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:21am

BroadwayConcierge said: "Playbill for first week of previews:





Playbill now:

"

If anyone has the original, I will pay you for it. DM me.

[Danielle49]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 3:10pm

I don’t think there’s a need to rush and get the first playbill. It’s likely that they’ll go back to the first playbill, no? The Elaine May one looks like what several Rudin productions do as far as having a rehearsal shot for previews, maybe they just weren’t ready for the first week.

That is, unless they go the way of Carousel, Iceman, Three Tall Women, etc. and just use a different photo for the remainder of the run. It just strikes me as odd, though, they would only use the show art for one week.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 3:49pm

So this production definitely has a rush, but they haven't publicly announced it?

[Danielle49]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 4:01pm

GeorgeandDot said: "So this production definitely has a rush, but they haven't publicly announced it?"

It seems so - Three Tall Women did the same thing (same theater and producers) until they stopped. That show sold a lot better though, so I dunno if/when they’ll stop for Waverly.

[Duckie4]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 10:58pm

Any merchandise for this show?

[@z5]

Posted: 10/7/18 at 12:19am

No march, as per usual with most Rudin plays. Was there tonight and saw nothing. 

[BenElliott]

Posted: 10/7/18 at 2:09am

Wow. Saw the show tonight and was moved to tears. The play is beautiful and the performances are absolutely stunning. I hate to even call it acting because they weren't even acting, they were living. I'm 19 years old and I'm not familiar with Elaine May's work, but I understand that she's a big deal. I'm a fan after tonight and I'll definitely make myself familiar with her work. She's just so natural that it's insane. I felt like I was watching my own grandmother onstage, which warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes. It's a performance that I will remember forever. Joan Allen is also absolutely stunning and her performance in that final scene is just heartbreaking and brilliant. Lucas Hedges is amazing and Michael Cera is wonderful as well. It was great to see David Cromer act onstage after seeing his beautiful direction of The Band's Visit and he's absolutely hilarious here.

Also, the direction is phenomenal. I didn't care for the design or the transitions, but I realized how ridiculous it is to be bothered by such things like that when you have performances like that up onstage. This is a must see and after seeing The Ferryman on Thursday, which I thought was wonderful, this is THE play to see right now, in my humble opinion.

[Capeguy]

Posted: 10/7/18 at 7:36am

A lot of people seem to have issues with the transitions. I thought that were very brief and they didn't bother me at all. It actually gives you a  minute to digest what just happened. Would you rather see the set change?

The performances are strong overall. Elaine May was astounding. I saw my mother in her. I'm going through this right now -- it was very accurate.  It was very emotional for me. This is a show not to be missed.

 

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/7/18 at 8:02am

BenElliott, here's some essential Elaine May for you. It's one of the greatest tribute speeches ever made. 

Elaine May Salutes Mike Nichols at the AFI Life Achievement Awards