The Normal Heart 1st Preview- Page 7

[topherkraz78]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 7:12pm

Damn, you're good Pomita! :) Ok, so there is a show tonight hopefully we'll hear some good stuff tonight as well about THE SHOW. :)

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 9:13pm

You are a New Yorker right? So maybe not there he is but in LA he is pretty big as far as TV shows are concerned.

Well that's pretty dumb... TV is everywhere. Just because the show is shot there doesn't mean people in NY don't watch it/know who he is. That reasoning is terrible.

[Pomita]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 9:27pm

Let's put it this way. Anyone, anywhere in the world, who doesn't watch US network television, is not likely to have heard of Jim Parsons; and anyone anywhere who does, almost surely knows him and quite likely, loves him. More logical? :)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 9:34pm

Why is this now the Jim Parsons thread?

[Pomita]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 10:02pm

That's what controversy does. It can divert a whole conversation. :)

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 12:09am

I just returned from this evening's performance...

Not since the revival of Cabaret have I seen an audience walk out of the theater in stunned silence. This is an absolutely brilliant production of this important play. I'd go so far as to say that right now, you're not going to find better acting on a NY stage- from Joe Mantello on down, this company is giving a master class in ensemble acting.

Everyone was sensational. Mantello, who I hadn't had the privilege of seeing act before tonight, was heartbreaking. Ellen Barkin was outstanding- her act 2 monologue was eliciting sobs from the audience, and was only topped by Mantello's final monologue. Patrick Breen, so devastating in Next Fall, does it again. John Benjamin Hickey, Jim Parsons, and Lee Pace were all outstanding.

I don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said. I was shocked by how much this play moved and affected me. I didn't realize just how much emotional I had become until the end of Barkin's monologue, when I noticed the tears that were all over my shirt. The entire time I felt as though I was right there in the room with these men- I could feel the tension the entire time.

Ellen Barkin is going to win the Featured Actress in a Play Tony with probably about 90% of the vote. There is no one who even comes close to her right now. Mantello is in a much tighter race with Rylance, but at the moment, I'm leaning more towards Mantello who is just so devastating in this play.

This is by far my favorite production of the season thus far, and I'd go so far as to say that, in my opinion, it's the best show on Broadway at the moment. For goodness sake, just go.

Juliana Margulies was there tonight. Updated On: 4/26/11 at 12:09 AM

[topherkraz78]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 12:21am

The more I hear about this. The more I want to find a flight out there to see it. Sadly the expenses will be what wont allow that.

[Pomita]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 12:48am

I quite understand how you feel, seeing that these reviews have me day-dreaming of flying over to NY from Europe!

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 1:23am

Why is this now the Jim Parsons thread?

Because two newbies are tag-teaming it.

If you really want to talk about Jim Parsons, why don't you start a thread on the Off-Topic board? That's what it's there for. This thread is meant to be about one of the most important plays of its time, and not the pretty much irrelevant background of one of the actors in the show.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 1:25am

I was going to write about this yesterday but was so emotionally unbalanced it took time, I agree with all the praise and respect expressed about this production.
The minimilistic set, costumes and lighting give just enough information and then let the play speak for itself, and boy. does it speak. The acting was beyond my high expectations, Mantello (read all the intelligent posts above)is even better than that. It's a performance that creeps up on you, the perfect flawed hero whose own disease; anger, grows and then destroys him. Every single actor and Ms. Barkin, who got tears and cheers from the audience, is flawless.
However the directing chores were split up, it seems so simply and purely directed. that it appears seamless.
On a personal level, Lee Pace knocked my sox off. He is so strong and determined and believable as Bruce, and then Kramer gives him a devastating moment that came so close to something that I expereienced with a friend that I am still recovering. It's a memory I try very hard not to think about it, and there it was... See this production.

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 3:02am

Was there tonight as well. I love the play - I've read and seen it before, so I wasn't so insanely wow-I've-never-seen-this-play-before-and-it's-making-me-cry-so-it's-one-of-the-best-things-I've-ever-seen-on-a-stage bowled over by it, but it's unquestionably an extremely well done production, and well-cast from top to bottom. Will handily win Best Revival of a Play, and I think nominations for Mantello, Barkin, Hickey and Pace are in the pipeline.

Barkin kills with that monologue, for sure, no arguments there. I'm a little dumbfounded at the "made me cry/weep" declarations. It's not a particularly emotional moment/monologue, more of a cathartic explosion of anger than anything. Pace's big monologue is the one that gets me emotionally (I've heard it a number of times, still can't hold back tears), but diff'rent strokes, I guess. Nonetheless, as always, it's a highlight of the play, and earns the applause it gets.

However, and I guess I'm all alone on this one, but I found Barkin's performance pretty one-note otherwise. Granted, it's never been a terribly fleshed-out role - she isn't given much to play besides "Ned, you need to stop gay men from having sex!" over and over again in every scene - but I found her to just be flatly/angrily delivering her lines in the same tone-of-voice for all of her scenes. She's probably the favorite to win just because of that monologue, and I won't argue with it, but I'm wondering how much separation people are making between the actual performance, and empathizing/agreeing with what the character is saying in that scene.

Mantello, as everyone has said, is terrific. My vote would still be for Rylance - who I think is delivering one of the best performances I've ever seen (on a similar level with Geoffrey Rush in EXIT THE KING) - but I can't quibble with awarding Mantello here. Really a tremendous performance, and worthy of all the praise coming to it.

For those who asked, yes, it's worth making a point to see even if you saw the benefit production at the Walter Kerr. I was terribly impressed with the projections, directorial decisions, and a handful of the cast members are much better suited for the parts than who played them at the benefit.
Updated On: 4/26/11 at 03:02 AM

[Pomita]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 8:12am

Since it is impossible for me to see the show, there is nothing relevant I can comment about the show itself besides gushing over the reviews, so will go back to lurking and reading henceforth. Sorry if I went OT. Would just like to point out once more that we had only asked about this actor's performance, it was others who started the discussion on his personal life.

[Chad Eberle]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:18am

If this isn't going to extend, then would someone please film this for broadcast? Please??? This seems right up HBO's alley. It would really be a shame if this production didn't find a wider audience. I can't believe, though, with the reviews it is getting/is sure to get that it won't extend through the fall. (fingers crossed!)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:20am

I highly doubt Mantello would be able to extend with the production. Isn't he directing something soon?

[round2]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:27am

If Joe Mantello has to leave, could Raul Esparza replace him? Is Arcadia a limited run?

[Chad Eberle]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:28am

If they cannot extend due to casting issues, then they should at least do everything they can to film it for broadcast. The interest is obviously there, and there are many of us who simply can't be in the city during specific time frames to see spectacular shows such as this one.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:29am

I'll call to ask him.

Also, before you guys start talking about an extension, how about getting sales up so it can actually just stay open.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:37am

I'm still stunned by the power of the production. And to think they put it up in what? Two and a half weeks or something? Un-f*cking-real.

[topherkraz78]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:38am

Ive heard broadway shows never film for public view. I remember when Spamalot was running there was never any footage before they shut down. Dont they prohibit cameras and phones?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:41am

That's true. No Broadway show has ever been filmed before, not even the four that have been on HBO this season or the two that are going to be in movie theaters in the next few months.
Updated On: 4/26/11 at 10:41 AM

[topherkraz78]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:55am

However there was illegal footage of Spamalot when Clay Aiken was on. Them Claymates are evil!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 10:56am

Illegal footage?! Why thats just awful!

[topherkraz78]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 11:00am

Yup! Not a ton just a couple of scenes. But still there some sneaky evil people around. And I know Broadway is much tougher on their security then most tv studios. Do you go thru at least one metal detector?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 11:02am

Ok, here's where I see the problem.

You obviously have no interest in theater and your last post proves you've never even been into one. What are you doing here??

[Chad Eberle]

Posted: 4/26/11 at 11:04am

I seem to recall seeing a filmed version of "Passing Strange" on PBS, so I'm pretty sure there is precedent for filming a Broadway production. It can be done.