The Lehman Trilogy Previews Thread

The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, starring Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley, and Ben Miles began previews tonight.

I have to say my intuition was right when I was quite disappointed to miss this last year at the Armory, as it is truly a masterpiece work of theatre.

You can feel the effortlessness in both the direction and the acting, as this is the 4th leg of the production (2 London, 2 NYC), and the cast did not skip a single beat.

The direction tells the story in such a unique and fascinating way. Mendes provides as much clarity as he possibly can, putting a lot of the weight on the 3 actors. As seen with 1917, The Ferryman, Cabaret, etc., Mendes is a master at blending technical elements with incredible acting work.

Miles, Beale, and Godley are all shoo-in's for Tony nominations, as well as Mendes, the play itself, and it's scenic design. Not sure if any of the actors could win though, as none of the three were the clear highlight, for me at least. They are all sublime though, playing dozens of characters each over the 3 acts. They're giving the kinds of performances that you can't believe get rehashed every evening. Truly brilliant work.

The play ran about 3 hours and 20 minutes with TWO intermissions. Mendes and Scott Rudin were in attendance, both seeming pretty happy about how the show went. I am avoiding things like the stage door at all costs at the moment, so no update on that, but I am sure that they did not tonight.

I rushed and got a ticket at 6:45 PM, 40$ Far left orchestra Row G, Marked Partial View but I saw 95% of all the action on stage, and 100% of the exposition.

Thanks for your review! The only turn off for me is that the show, apparently, is VERY narration heavy? I hate that device used in theater. 

RippedMan said: "Thanks for your review! The only turn off for me is that the show, apparently, is VERY narration heavy? I hate that device used in theater."

If I remember correctly, it is only narration. There’s no dialogue. It’s not my cup of tea either, but every now and again I can deal with it. 

"I rushed and got a ticket at 6:45 PM, 40$ Far left orchestra Row G, Marked Partial View but I saw 95% of all the action on stage, and 100% of the exposition."

Are they offering rush for this show? I just did a quick Google search and did not find anything, but the box office did not share anything a few weeks ago when I visited.

Also, thank you for your review! This is just what I needed to convince my sister to go :)

Any word if the Broadway cast plans to travel with the show to LA? It is scheduled to play The Ahmanson in October

Fordham2015 said: "Hot Pants said: "This says they’re all shoe ins for nominations, but wouldn’t there be the strong chance that they vote split? Has any show ever gotten three leading actors nominated?"

I suspect the three brothers (and maybe the Six queens) will get a special Tony like the Matildas got."

That would certainly be nice. I could see that happening, but I’m not sure if it really will or not. Unlike the Matildas, all these performers are playing different roles, so to group them up like that might be a stretch to some people. Still, given how all nine of the people are apparently killing it each and every night, and they’re stuck in a bad position where they’ll very likely struggle to get some recognition, maybe the Tonys will realize this is the best way to reward them. I certainly wouldn’t mind Adam Godley finally getting a Tony. I personally believe he should’ve won for Anything Goes.

A terrific production of an engaging piece of documentary theatre, if not a great play. Three masterful performances and a fabulous staging by Mr. Mendes. It was remarkable that the three actors played so many characters, and thanks to the clarity of the performances and staging I never once forgot who anyone was for a second. I will say I think the acts actually got better as they went along. If you go, be prepared to have to learn a lot of information very quickly.

I'm glad three-act plays are coming back in vogue.

JDonaghy4 said: "i wish someone would explain what you mean by pure narration. this show seems right up my alley but i will be bored out of my mind watching a few people give well written lectures for 3 hours. can someone compare this to another "narrated" presentation?"

Not sure what play they saw, because is absolutely not "pure narration." In addition to the direct narration, the actors play 70 different characters, and they deliver dialogue in those roles. It's been a year since I saw it, but I would compare it to a radio play, with a lot of setting the scene, then acting it.

Watch this NT Live trailer to get an idea of what to expect:

https://youtu.be/bOPT5VC2kqw

Updated On: 3/11/20 at 12:23 AM

Impossible2 said: “...you're worried because of a few opinions from complete stranger on the internet?

JUST GO!”

Or you could take this advice from a complete stranger on the internet  :)

 

TerrenceIsTheMann said: "The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, starring Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley, and Ben Miles began previews tonight.

I have to say my intuition was right when I was quite disappointed to miss this last year at the Armory, as it is truly a masterpiece work of theatre.

You can feel the effortlessness in both the direction and the acting, as this is the 4th leg of the production (2 London, 2 NYC), and the cast did not skip a single beat.

The direction tells the story in such a unique and fascinating way. Mendes provides as much clarity as he possibly can, putting a lot of the weight on the 3 actors. As seen with 1917, The Ferryman, Cabaret, etc., Mendes is a master at blending technical elements with incredible acting work.

Miles, Beale, and Godley are all shoo-in's for Tony nominations, as well as Mendes, the play itself, and it's scenic design. Not sure if any of the actors could win though, as none of the three were the clear highlight, for me at least. They are all sublime though, playing dozens of characters each over the 3 acts. They're giving the kinds of performances that you can't believe get rehashed every evening. Truly brilliant work.

The play ran about 3 hours and 20 minutes with TWO intermissions. Mendes and Scott Rudin were in attendance, both seeming pretty happy about how the show went. I am avoiding things like the stage door at all costs at the moment, so no update on that, but I am sure that they did not tonight.

I rushed and got a ticket at 6:45 PM, 40$ Far left orchestra Row G, Marked Partial View but I saw 95% of all the action on stage, and 100% of the exposition."

 

"40$ far left"

This is not meant to be a criticism, but is it now acceptable to place the $ sign AFTER the number? When I was in school (shortly after the walls of Jericho fell) it was $ sign first and then the number. Ex; a $100 coat.

Just curious, not meant to threadjack.