The Best Man- Page 2

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 3/8/12 at 11:54pm

So I was there tonight and went to the stagedoor. As far as I could tell, everyone in the front was not at the show and was waiting there. The cast came out and pretty much only signed for the first row. I only got John Larroquette. And I was in the second row of the line. No Angela Lansbury, and James Earl Jones came out a different door after being told he was going to come out the regular door, but just wouldn't sign.

If you have individual questions please ask.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 3/9/12 at 12:09am

wdwfreak...thats odd for James Earl Jones. In the past, he has been very friendly. What about Candace and Eric? Came out, take pictures?

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 3/9/12 at 12:17am

They do come out and take picture upon request. Candace didn't look like she was going to stop until someone called her. Eric was really nice.

I think I'm just going to go back Sunday to get my playbill signed because I'm really disappointed.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 3/9/12 at 12:23am

I haven't encountered Mr. Jones in a while. But in the past, he was one who would carry on a conversation with you and talk about stage and screen.

[John G2]

Posted: 3/9/12 at 12:43am

I think you must consider that James Earl Jones is 81 years old, and when he's come out the stage door he's just got done performing in a 2 1/2 hour show, and probably many hours of afternoon rehearsal. What do you think it must feel like to when you're that age and have worked such a day, and just want to get home and to sleep?

[Will42]

Posted: 3/9/12 at 4:25am

Not to mention that he practically jumped from Driving Miss Daisy to do The Best Man. Just like Angela Lansbury did with Blithe Spirit and a Little Night Music.

[Vagabond Anarchist]

Posted: 3/11/12 at 8:54pm

Read on the ticketing site that they are now doing $31.50 rush tickets on the day of show. Has anyone done this yet? Wondering how early to go...

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/11/12 at 9:05pm

Yesterday, I stopped by at around 10:20ish just to see if they had anything and they only had one seat left for the afternoon show (I had tickets to JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and couldn't go to the matinee). I'm gonna try again next weekend, probably.

[Vagabond Anarchist]

Posted: 3/11/12 at 9:19pm

Great, thanks. Also, do you know how many each person can buy? Can you buy 2? Or only 1?

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 8:07am

You can only buy one ticket per ID.
I got there yesterday (Sunday) at 11am (no one else showed up until 11:45am). I got a box seat and had a good view from where I was; it wasn't that obstructed at all. The experience was well worth the $31.50.

[Vagabond Anarchist]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 7:41pm

Thanks so much, #1Elphie. I really appreciate the tips and info!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 10:13pm

We see it the last preview so it should be ok by than.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 3/24/12 at 11:21am

the board has seemed a bit quiet on the show - curious to hear others thoughts on the show

Right now, it's a toss up for me between this and VENUS IN FUR

Who has caught the show recently?

[musicman_bwayfan]

Posted: 3/24/12 at 3:39pm

I saw the show last night via rush. I got there at about 6:15 and got a terrific center mezzanine seat. The show is fantastic and the cast is really solid. James Earl Jones and Angela Lansbury, while it's not a surprise, still have it. I will most likely see it again.

On another note: The person sitting 2 seats over from me was with two other friends (all three were foreign). In the first act, he took out his cell phone and started to take pictures. During 2nd and 3rd act, he was fiddling around on his phone on Facebook, email, and browsing the internet. I don't know how anyone could be bored with James Earl Jones on stage or if he just had no manners what so ever. Everyone around him that I could see was giving him the stare of death and softly clearing their throats. Unfortunately, the ushers didn't see him, so he got away with his distracting behavior the whole 2 hours and 30 minutes.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 3/24/12 at 6:55pm

i would have kicked that guys' ass....how did he get away with that sort of behavior?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 10:15am

I saw it last weekend and it was exactly what I expected: a creaky play given a respectable, if uninspired production, with a great cast. Obviously, the cast is the reason to see it. Everyone except Kerry Butler was great (she was horrendous...she plays EVERY ROLE the same). James Earl Jones still had trouble remembering his lines and stumbled quite a lot. John Laroquette was great; he anchored the show effortlessly. And of course, even though her part was small, Angela Lansbury was brilliant as usual.

[timote316]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 10:32am

I also saw the show last weekend... James Earl Jones did stumble a few times on lines, but it was a marvel to watch him make the stumbles almost seem like character choices. Almost. Laroquette was indeed great... I don't necessarily agree on Butler, however, who I found pretty perfect in the role. Sure, she was playing the same role again, but it certainly fit. I was less than enamored with Candice Bergen.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 12:09pm

Anyone seen it recently? I'm really looking forward to seeing this soon.

[Will42]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 12:15pm

Is Lansbury's part really that small? How many scenes does she have? More importantly is she still using walking stick or her leg is getting better?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 12:22pm

She had a cane last weekend. She's probably in four scenes, tops. Her biggest scene is in the first act.

[Shakeshafte]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 1:53pm

Thanks for the update on this show - I'm going to try and go see it next week....

[Patash]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 3:34pm

Loved the show. I did notice that when Angela Lansbury is offered "the best seat" she seemed to improvise something like "no I'll sit here" and then sits on the sofa. I soon realized why. Clearly her script was taped all over the coffee table and she was reading many of her lines. She got lost at one point and kind of stumbled and improvised while finding her place on the coffee table.

I'm not complaining, mind you -- when I'm that age I wish I could do so well. And still she was amazing and radiant.

The entire cast was wonderful, and I can't believe how timely the show is and how well it holds up after all these years.

[beaemma]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 6:23pm

Saw it a couple of days ago and found it sharp, funny, and unbelievably topical. Nothing has changed in fifty years. Even a lot of the specific political issues are the same. The audience was very engaged. It is a play which assumes you are paying attention and giving some thought to what is being said, which might not appeal to some; and it is conventional in structure. The allover thrust of the piece is dramatic, but the clever, perceptive dialogue makes funnier than many shows officially classified as comedies. I thought the whole cast was splendid. In answer to the comments about Lansbury, she had two scenes, each about ten minutes or so. She nailed both of them at the performance I saw. I couldn't see the top of the coffee table, but I didn't notice her glancing at it. Her delivery was confident, and the cane was not an issue. Many people use them, and there's no reason why her character couldn't.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 7:11pm

looking forward to seeing this in a few weeks - thanks for the good words on the show...

[John G2]

Posted: 3/25/12 at 8:09pm

This person who says Ms Lansbury had her script taped to the coffee table has no clue what they're talking about. If this were so, much of the mezzanine would be able to see it. Also, Gore Vidal's script does have the lines in it that this person seems to think she improvised:

MRS. GAMADGE
(Narrowly)
She is here with you, isn’t she?

(RUSSELL pulls out a chair for her.)
Yes. This is the good chair.

MRS. GAMADGE
I’ll sit here, thank you.
(MRS. GAMADGE unfurls on the sofa.)