Trip to Bountiful: Thoughts

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 12:53am

I figured I'd just drop my thoughts on this show.

This is my first time experiencing a Foote play, and I have to say I was more than a little underwhelmed.

First off, Tyson was awesome. She actually brought a lot of natural humor to the role. And the moment she finds out some devastating news in Act II and basically falls over the bench was pretty masterful.

Vaness Williams was a delight. I thought she was so effortless and you hated her character, but also sort of wanted her to like you, etc.

Cuba was AWFUL. Probably the worst performance I've seen on stage. Now, a friend of mine works on the show, and told me that Cuba - feeling like his character wasn't big enough and not getting any attention compared to the other two - felt the need to "camp" up his performance. He's basically doing the show as if he were in a Tyler Perry sitcom. And it comes off as so false and so wrong when compared to the beautifully natural performance of Williams and Tyson. Apparently Michael Wilson, the director of most major Foote productions, refuses to watch the opening scene because he's embarrassed as to what Cuba has turned the show into.

I'm sad I missed Condola, but her replace was okay. I don't really think she made much of an impression. She has a striking resemblance to Jennifer Hudson.

I thought the design was pretty, but I think in a smaller house it would have made a much stronger effect.

I liked the direction. Some of the choices were a little busy - with the constant flow of people in the train station, etc, but I thought it all worked fine.

The place itself didn't do much for me really. I get that she kept wanting to go to Bountiful and whatnot, but I don't know. It just didn't really do much for me. I thought there would be this big grand moment once she finally got there, but alas, I just didn't experience much. I was a little confused as to why Williams and Gooding took the roles in the first place. They don't do much.

Now, the audience. The audience was the WORST I've experienced at a Broadway show. I had no less than 5 cell phones go off around me in the span of 10mins. And it happened during Tyson's big speech in the train station before she goes to Bountiful. So maybe that's why the play didn't do much for me. Not to mention the fact that 3 of the largest women sat next to me, and then looked offended when I shifted over one seat. Also, it was Wine Wednesdays, so you get a free glass of wine with your ticket. Which was cool.

Thoughts? Anyone else seen it recently?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 1:03am

RippedMan, Horton Foote is one of my favorite playwrights and I don't think this is the best representation of the his work (the production, not the play). Don't give up on him.

Signature is putting on The Old Friends, directed by Michael Wilson and starring Lois Smith, Betty Buckley and Hallie Foote this fall. Don't miss it.

It's a true shame that you didn't see The Orphan's Home Cycle. It ranks as a favorite theater experience of mine.

Re: Bountiful I agree that Tyson and Williams are excellent and Cuba Gooding Jr is terrible. The tone of the whole piece is somewhat off too.

Keep going to other Foote plays and I hope you fall in love with him as I have.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 1:08am

I liked the production quite a bit, but I do have to echo your comments on the audience behavior at this show. I believe I mentioned it when I shared my thoughts on BOUNTIFUL, but the audience nearly ruined the experience for me. Cell phones throughout, taking pictures during the play, talking and making comments about how they'd "rather be at MOTOWN again" and how "bored" they were, I could go on and on. It was really embarrassing.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 1:25am

I def. want to see more of Horton Foote. And I have to agree that the tone felt off. As great as I thought Tyson was, in the opening scene I thought she was a bit "much." Just a little too "Tyler Perry" for my taste.

I love playwrighting. I love the craft of it and how each character means something, etc. But I'm just dumbfounded by this play. I felt like every character, minus Tyson, really was just a throwaway. And maybe that's the production, but even down to the Sheriff. I just felt like the play was almost "big" for no reason. I don't think we needed to see the man at the railroad station, etc. Why did we need to see her buying her bus ticket?

It also brings up another question. I really HATE when they do "all black" productions of plays. It just really annoys me to no end. I feel like it's just reveling in the whole segregation thing and can't we just move past that? And setting this play with black character in this time period, and yet there's no racial conflict, it just felt kind of pointless.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 1:56am

"Apparently Michael Wilson, the director of most major Foote productions, refuses to watch the opening scene because he's embarrassed as to what Cuba has turned the show into."

WTF? He's the director. It's his job to make sure an out of control performance is reigned in so the production doesn't suffer. Tell your friend that someone on this board said Wilson should do his f'in job.

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 3:59am

RippedMan, please explain how casting the roles with African-Americans" revels in the whole segregation thing. First, it's not an all-black production, unless people like Tom Wopat has been using a lot of makeup. And casting the young woman on the bus as black works well because it makes it easier for race to stay out of their burgeoning relationship.

If black actors can't be cast in roles of the period without bringing in racial conflict, how is that not segregation of a sort?

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 10:30am

I will have to echo many of the sentiments of RippedMan. Saw this a couple months back and did not enjoy it.

I love me some Vanessa but she just seemed like she couldn't have been bothered. Her accent kept going in and out the few times she was on stage. Cicely was good but I think it's been very overhyped because of her age. The less said about Cuba, the better. If you want to get an idea of his performance just watch him present at the Tonys and you've got it. Condola is good but I'm glad she has R&J to really show off what a gifted actress she is.

The play itself is probably good and I definitely saw the movie when I was younger but it does need to play a smaller house. It seemed like all the sets were being dwarfed by the magnitude of the stage. Once she gets to Bountiful you see this house that's rather large and the perspective of that seems rather off compared to the rest of what we've seen. Also I noticed a lot of people around me crying which I didn't quite get. I'm definitely one to cry but I didn't feel any reason to at this.

I have no problem with this being a (predominantly) black cast except for one thing. They tried to insert segregation into the play when that's not what it's about. If you noticed in the bus station scene there is a sign in the back with an arrow pointing to the "ALL WHITE WAITING AREA." It was small but it does kind of change the play in a way that wasn't the original intent.

Re: the audience, there were many cell phones the night I went. Someone took a picture (with flash) from basically the third row. People were late seated in the MIDDLE of our row while the side of the orchestra was basically empty. And two women behind me had to-go bags from their dinner that they proceeded to crinkle the entire second act (they weren't sitting there during the first). It definitely affected my overall enjoyment of the show.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 10:46am

Saw the show last night, and except for a crinkling plastic bag during act two, the audience seemed fully engaged. The thing started twenty minutes late and intermission seems to take forever, but that's a whole other story.

All I could think of with Cuba whenever he spoke was, "Was this the best they could find?" I thoroughly enjoyed Vanessa - essential playing her usual Vanessa role, but it is a real skill to keep that up. Tom Wopat was just there, he's harmless. And Adepero Oduye was lovely, but I couldn't help but think why this would have been enough material to give Condola Rashad yet another Tony nod.

But Cecely was just transcendent and I just wanted to give her the Tony all over again. I did hear someone say, "Oh they just gave it to her because she's old." But there was so much in that performance, and she never hit a false note. I didn't tear up so much during the final scenes - thanks Cuba - but alone on that stage, the final moment and her exit made me well up quite a bit.

[behindthescenes2]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 11:29am

I saw this play. I think it is an important play about the relinquishing of power and decision-making ability that eventually comes to everyone on this planet due to aging and lack of independent income and stability. The memories of our childhood and as a young adult become muddled between reality, and what we wished it could have been and realizing that the two were never the same. That is why this play is good.

To me, Cicely Tyson is a national treasure and should not be missed, as this will probably be her last Broadway venture. Vanessa Williams is underrated and should be used more. She is truly one of the most beautiful women to grace this planet, ever. With luck and smart directors, she is going to mature into an actress that few expected, but I did. She can sing with a beautiful voice and tone, and that alone in this day and age of so-called singers is rare.

You were lucky to see these two. Count your blessings.

[PianoMann]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 1:39pm

I saw this less than a month before the Tony Awards, and was overall very pleased!

I can't praise Cicely's performance enough; she had me laughing, she had me in tears multiple times, and I was completely transfixed by her on stage.

The rest of the production was good. Vanessa was just as good as I had hoped, but nothing entirely exciting. I was lucky to see Cuba's understudy, who played the role exactly as it should be, in my opinion. Condola was good in a very reactionary role, but I was expecting more from her considering the Tony nomination.

Set design was quite nice and functional, but didn't wow me either.

But honestly, I went for the sole reason of seeing Cicely Tyson perform this role, and she did not disappoint in the slightest. Anything additional from the cast was bonus.

[jaxandmci]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 2:45pm

RippedMan:

I saw the show early on in its run and thought it was just OK-- Tyson is the reason to see it. I saw the movie 30 years ago and it has haunted me ever since. The play didn't affect me emotionally at all. I think it fell flat for me because I was expecting the emotional wallop of the film.

*** SPOILER ***

The ending seemed sweetened up to the point of completely blunting its impact. In the movie, Carrie's walk through her childhood home was nearly unbearable to watch. She realizes that her last chance to once again experience happiness and independence has evaporated and has nowhere to go but home with her son and daughter-in-law. She retreats in utter defeat, overwhelmed with the knowledge that she will just be returning to her one room prison to wait out whatever is left of her life sentence.

I got none of that in the play. Tyson seemed like a crafty child who had pulled a good one over on her parents. She gave the impression that she was coyly appeasing their demands--all while rolling her eyes and shrugging her shoulers, letting us know she had no intention of going along with any of it.

*** END SPOILER ***

Perhaps the tone of the ending has changed some since I saw it. Even if it has, I'd rather watch the film again than revisit this production.

[broadfan327]

Posted: 7/18/13 at 11:22pm

I saw it tonight and echo RippedMan's comments. Cell phones were going throughout. The usher before the play started told the audience, no food is allowed. I noticed candy wrappers on the floor as I was walking out.

Tyson is enough reason to see this play. She acts the part both gracefully and with great comedic turn. Cuba was not good. I did notice the colored only sign at the bus ticket window, but race does not play an overt role in this work. The sign made me feel more sorry for the main character, as those were the times she lived in.

Dividing The Estate was a much better play than this one. I look forward to The Old Friends in tne fall.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/19/13 at 12:04am

Jax, I totally agree. To me the play felt so slight. I just didn't feel any emotional punch or emotional drive or anything. I just couldn't quite understand it. But hearing your explanation of the movie, it gives the whole story a lot more heft than I think was seen on the stage.

And my comment about making it all black, etc. was more like "why can't it just be a mixed-race cast?" Like why does it always have to black and white? I mean, sure Tom Wopat is white, but he's the sheriff of the town. So.... it makes sense contextually. I mean, they wouldn't have had a black sheriff at the time. So it's not like it's that creative of casting.

And the MIchael Wilson comment is that he's tried to reign Cuba in, but there's only so much he can do. The producers don't want to lose Cuba because he's a major draw for the audiences, so the director can ask him to reign in his performance, but what else is there to do? The audience was laughing and loving it, so who knows.

[gchris11]

Posted: 7/19/13 at 12:27am

I enjoyed it. Saw it very early in the run. There where no problems with cell phones or talking or picture. It felt like I was in a Coke ad. The audience sang along with the hymn which was a surprisingly nice touch. It was a little slow in spots., but as a whole what I saw was a nice gentle piece of theater.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 7/19/13 at 9:57am

It felt like I was in a Coke ad.

WTF does that even mean?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/19/13 at 3:12pm

Vanessa William's character mentions wanting to drink a Coke or going to have a Coke every like 5 minutes. I think it was to show how she was into the new trend, etc where as the Mother was stuck in the past.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 11:30am

I wept through both acts. Ive never seem the film or other productions, so maybe that is a good thing. Maybe it wasnt meant to be so humorous, but it was heartbreaking enough as it was. I appreciated the humor.

I thought Cicely was transcendent-the rest of the cast did what they needed to do. I appreciated Cuba-he played the role like a petulant child and I liked his choices. Vanessa created a believable nemesis.

Foote's writing is astonishing. Many people are bored by realism, but I am transfixed. I love watching people talk on an ordinary day.

The audience was dead quiet, but some did sing with Cicely. That was very sweet.

Overall, very moved and very blessed to have seen this.

[Musical Director 109]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 1:57pm

I loved the show. Very gentle, real and moving. Ms. Tyson was amazing. I liked that did not try to be anything that it wasn't. A wonderful night in the theatre.