The Country Girl 4/3/08...yikes

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:07am

I REALLY wanted to like this show. I was really excited to see it. I loved Morgan Freeman in most of his movies (especially Shawshank Redemption and Million Dollar Baby), and find him to be brilliant. Seeing him onstage was a chance I could not pass up.

Unfortunately, the whole thing is an under-rehearsed, poorly performed disaster.

The cast does not know their lines. Frances McDormand went up on almost every other line. Morgan Freeman referred to himself in the third person. Peter Gallagher, who should know better, kept referring to McDormand's character as "Mrs. Dodd," which is his last name, not hers. This happened about 7 or 8 times, and each time McDormand looked at him and said, "Please don't call me Mrs. Dodd."

I don't think the cast understands what the play is about, because their performances went nowhere. The entire thing was very one note, all the way the through. It would help if they understood some of their characters a bit, rather than just shouting at each other.

The set is ugly, and the changes are handled with musical interludes and a very long, strange sliding red curtain. The whole thing is very high school drama club-esque.

The play itself goes nowhere, and just kind of sits there. It never really takes off and comes across as extremely dated.

I honestly don't see how this thing can be salvaged.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:09am

The hell? How did that happen?

[JaredBway]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:10am

does the show have any gunshots?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:12am

I agree with everything you said, adamgreer. What a nightmare. I went in expecting brilliance and was shocked that it was so sub-par. None of them knew their lines and it was painful seeing them struggle through the text.

Also, that sliding red curtain in between scenes was awful. It reminded me of the red curtain used in Prince of Central Park. I was expecting Joanne Worley to come out and sing "Red I'm Seeing Red."

I hope they make excellent use of this short preview period...they're going to need it.

PS: No one came out of the stage door...I think they were too embarassed to greet the crowd.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:13am

From what I've heard, they've only run through the full show twice.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:13am

No, no gunshots, but there is a bitchslap (as I predicted there would be during intermission). Adamgreer can verify this.

Also, I must add...I've seen many first preview performances in the past four years and this was the most under-rehearsed first preview i've ever seen. even the first preview of IN MY LIFE went off without a hitch (though the show itself was still awful). At least Christopher Hanke and Jessica Boevers knew their lines for the first preview.
Updated On: 4/4/08 at 12:13 AM

[JaredBway]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:15am

thanks without a trace, id love to see it, but i only wanna see it if it gets better...lol at least theres no gunshots

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:18am

Why are you so opposed to gunshots?

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:19am

I felt the same way, but I thought the second act showed a lot of promise. In addition to learning their lines, they need to fix that door that doesn't close. The three principal cast members (particularly McDormand) seemed nervous and underrehearsed. The whole production felt like it was teetering on the edge of sheer terror. Chip Zien was a breath of fresh air every time he walked onstage.

Were all the "Mrs. Dodds" mistakes??? Holy crap. Frances McDormand came up with a hell of an adlib if that's the case.
Updated On: 4/4/08 at 12:19 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:23am

At first I thought the "Mrs. Dodd's" were part of the play. I was expecting a revelation at some point, that she was his ex-wife. However, one of the people we were with who was familiar with the play told us that they are not part of the play, and it was just a repeatedly dropped line.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:30am

Wow, I'm so disappointed with Peter Gallagher. I would expect it from everyone else, but not from him. They better get their act together.

My guess is that Fran or Morgan was filming a movie and held up rehearsals, thinking that he or she could walk in and act this play no problem with very little rehearsal.

Mike Nichols will get them in line though, he's too smart and too well-respected not to.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:37am

That's utterly insane. What did she say at one point? "I'm no lemon drop, but if you call me Mrs. Dodd again..."

[mattonstage]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:39am

I was at the Majestic tonight,and Morgan and Frances came through the lobby just as Phantom was coming down. They both seemed really happy. I guess they shouldn't have been.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:50am

Can I also add that the audience was hideous? That crazy man who always asks people for extra tickets was right behind myself and my friend, and snored through most of the first act. Constant texting, whispering, shuffling, etc. through the first act, though it dropped off during the second act.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:50am

You had to post the same review on ATC AND here? It's the first preview for G-d's sake! What's with the savoring of imminent failure, after a couple of posters deem it doomed? Why is perfection expected immediately? I've seen plenty of GREAT actors flubbing lines way into previews, and then produced magnificent performances... Maybe it won't go ultimately, but why spread the negativity after 1 preview?

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:55am

Tinymagic, not perfection at all, by any means. However, nearly every line was stumbled over, particularly on McDormand's part. And Gallagher referring to her by the wrong name at least eight times?? I'm sure they will be fine in the roles but I was very surprised - it was like watching an amateur group of actors obviously stepping on one another's lines. As I said, I thought the second act showed promise and I can see how the performances will improve, but for a public performance it was woefully underrehearsed.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:59am

Tinymagic, they charged an admission for this evening's performance. Some people paid $100. At the very, very least, the cast should be expected to know their lines when giving a public performance. I don't think that's too much to ask, do you?

I should also mention that the only standing ovation came from the people in the first row of the orchestra. Perhaps they did it out of pity? I mean, if you can't get the first-nighters to stand, what hope do you have?

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 1:08am

I mean, if you can't get the first-nighters to stand, what hope do you have?

A lot actually. Shows usually only get better from the first preview.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 1:08am

No, it was more than the first row. Pretty much the entire center orchestra section except me, my friend, and several others, stood. I couldn't see the side sections but they were probably standing as well. Classic example of an audience trying to convince themselves they had a good time and saw something brilliant.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 1:19am

AdamG: Well, I do agree with you re paying full price and not getting at the least, a professional performance. Personally, I'm old enough to remember, that in the 70's, all previews were 1/2 price, and most people DIDN'T want to see them, feeling that the piece would be "unfinished".
I remember, though, a couple of yrs. ago, that play (?) with Frank Langella and Ray Liotta at the Plymouth, was previewing, and the supporting actress was fired, and the poor understudy HAD to go on WITH the book, WITH the asst. director sitting in Row A 107, actually throwing every other line to her. Everybody in the audience gave her a chance, and by ACT II, she didn't need the book, but it was a pitiful display (the director having to get up on stage before the play started to address the audience.
They didn't have understudy rehearsals yet!?) Soooooooo
embarrasing...all I'm sayin' is that IT happens, who knows why?

Updated On: 4/4/08 at 01:19 AM

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 1:29am

I still can't get over him calling her the wrong name all night. Having never read the play, I thought it was meant to be some sort of subconscious thing...

SPOILER!!!!!






...since his character is attracted to hers.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 1:37am

That's really funny, SHUBE, I guess sometimes a name (wrong name) gets stuck in one's memory for some weird reason. I hope he can unstick it.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 1:47am

WAT, were you at the stage door the whole time?

[amoni]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 8:21am

" and the poor understudy HAD to go on WITH the book, WITH the asst. director sitting in Row A 107, actually throwing every other line to her. Everybody in the audience gave her a chance, and by ACT II, she didn't need the book, but it was a pitiful display (the director having to get up on stage before the play started to address the audience."

Pitiful display? It's LIVE THEATER. Sh*t happens and I for one would have appreciated and been fascinated for the effort they went through to put on the show. Some of you very clearly don't love theater at all. It seems to be all about YOUR ego. Cut the crap about the charging admission, you are here, not some tourist that wandered into the theater, so you know full well a preview is a preview and absolutely no guarantee you will get a polished show. And yet you go specifically to see something happen or you would wait until opening instead of rushing to the first show and jumping on boards to give your over inflated opinions.

"I honestly don't see how this thing can be salvaged."

Oh my, how dramatic of you. Did you stay and tell Mike Nichols that? I'm sure he would have appreciated your infinite wisdom and saved them a couple of bucks by closing the show last night.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 8:42am

How full was the theater?