Three Days of Rain - jaw dropping bad

[LaurenB]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 2:12pm

I don't know where to begin. I got tickets to see this because I had seen the play 5 years ago in London (Colin Firth, Elizabeth McGovern, David Morissey) and enjoyed it and wanted to see another version. And of course with Julia.

I had been reading the reviews and posts, and here are my thoughts. (I tried to post on an existing thread, but could not find the appropriate one, but that's another story...)

Julia - I was so disappointed. Flat flat flat. I'm not a big fan of Elizabeth McGovern on stage, but by comparison, she's positively magnificent next to the performance that Julia did.

Paul Rudd - a decent performance. But not in the league, imo, of the nuanced performance given by Colin Firth.

Bradley Cooper - very good, best of the lot in NY. I preferred David's interpretation, but it was a close call, and very little to complain about. I preferred David's cadence, which I thought brought out more humor. But this is just a minor quibble.

I detected no chemistry at all between any of the characters in NY.

So the problem is...???

I think the play is a good one, especially if well performed. Is Julia that bad of a stage actress? Why could Mantello not get a decent performance out of her?

I thought there was a lot of irony and wit in the dialogue that just fell flat, so I thought the interpretation of the text was missing. In the first act, when Walker was chiding Pip to dazzle us with his theories on Booliean Algebra and Umberto Ecco, the interpretation of that part was brilliantly played by Colin. Where were those zingers from Paul? I heard him speak the lines, but the interpretation felt like a dud.

In the second act, Ned and Lina are supposed to fall in love. It was painful for me to watch Paul and Julia, because I felt nothing between them. Why would either of these people fall in love with each other? And Ned tells Lina that he didn't have the courage to be a flanneur, a wanderer, a walker. His delivery was, imo, flat. Did no one pick up the fact that he named his son Walker? No one that I was with did. And it's because the delivery was so flat.

It was painful to watch. Did the actors not "get it"? Did they not see the wit, the sarcasim, the irony in the dialogue? Did the director not see? Why did this play land like a thud? imo. I know others really liked it. But having seen another version, I thought this version was borderline ghastly.

[cpnchicago]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 2:23pm

I saw it three weeks ago or so and really thought it was pretty good. Granted, I have never seen another performance of this show, but maybe my expectations were so low that I was pleasantly surprised. I think the audience was really into it the night that I saw it, and seemed to get the references you're talking about. There was an audible murmur when Paul did the "walker" line in the second act that showed that the audience got it. There was a lot of dissecting bits of the play by the people sitting around me while exiting the theatre.
I know that you are certainly not the only one with your opinions, I just wonder if I saw a particularly good night, or if I just don't have much of a critical eye. I thought both guys did really well and that Julia was okay. Not jaw dropping bad , but not awe-inspiring, either.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 2:24pm

I enjoyed this revival - but I did not think it was particularly good. I loved the set and lighting and I adored the score. It was just a thrill to see Roberts on stage - good or bad.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 2:29pm

Having read the play numerous times and being a big fan of it, it was a thrill just to see performed - good or bad. I enjoyed it immensely....one of the best things I've seen this year. I didn't think Julia was particularly good, but it was an early preview.

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 2:32pm

I haven't seen either of these productions... but I do understand the frustration you must have felt sitting in the theatre knowing the level this play could have risen to, but didn't.

I can relate to that.

Thanks for sharing your review, LaurenB!

Updated On: 6/9/06 at 02:32 PM

[cpnchicago]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 2:45pm

I loved the set and lighting, too. I was so fascinated by the rain. I actually got to go backstage and stand on the set and it was interesting to see how it was set up to handle the rain. They had a rubber grid kind of thing completely covering the stage. Of course, my heel got stuck in it and I almost fell in front of Bradley Cooper. AND had to take my shoe off to get my heel unstuck. Classy.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 2:49pm

"It was painful to watch" -LaurenB-

I thought the exact same thing.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 3:09pm

I didn't think the actors were particularly bad per se, but I found most of the fault with the direction and the material.

[broadway86]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 3:10pm

I enjoyed it, and I thought that Roberts was decent. Although, it's quite obvious that Mantello doesn't know how to direct. Luckily, Glengarry had a tremendous cast of actors who worked well together.

[teebz]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 3:29pm

This was one of my favorite shows of the year.

I just found it to be a very engrossing story line and I actually really enjoyed Julia's performance. Even more so in the first act then in the second act. Her character was supposed to be up-tight and stiff and to me atleast-she portrayed it well.

I've seen it twice and plan on going once more before it closes.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 3:31pm

I enjoy Roberts' performance as well.

I will definitely return once more before the show closes.

And shouldn't the title read "jow droppingLY bad?"

[teebz]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 3:36pm

I wonder if they'll have standing room on the last performance?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 3:38pm

There's no reason why they wouldn't.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 6/9/06 at 5:30pm

Oh man. I just got the Walker/walker thing. Richard Greenberg is my hero. It's the same thing with Take Me Out, I read it over a year ago and things hit me out of the blue, little connections and metaphors and... goodness. Maybe it would have hit me if I'd been seeing it onstage... doesn't sound like it from this performance... but there are so many things you don't get just reading the plays.

I love Richard Greenberg ten times more now. Thanks for turning me on to that.