Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
#1Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:35am
This came up in a conversation with an old time theatre friend of mine who lamented the fact that New York theatre is in a current static creative place because of a lack of great, visionary theatre directors. He pointed to the sixties and seventies when plays and musicals seemed blessed by the talents of such directors as Peter Hall, John Dexter, Tommy Tune, Michael Bennett and Mike Nichols.
Its true we aren't getting the kind of landmark productions today we experienced during that time period - but since the theatre boom is at an all time high in New York - the crop of talented directors must be strong.
Who do you think are the best directors currently doing work in New York and why?
Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#2re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:39amThey all have their flaws, but I'd have to say Jack O'Brien.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
#2re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:42amI would have to agree.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
sidjones09
Leading Actor Joined: 1/4/07
#3re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:47amAlthough he hasn't done much yet, I would have to say that Bartlet Sher's first couple of turns in NYC were promising. I thought both Piazza and Awake and Sing were wonderful productions. I guess we'll have to wait to see what he does with South Pacific before we put him in this category. Any thoughts?
"If you've got something to say, say it, and think well of yourself while you're learning to say it better." - David Mamet
keen on kean
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/1/06
#4re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:47amPersonally, I'd have to say John Doyle. Not because of the instrument thing but because he has a fine sense of stage placement - and, NO, let's not turn this interesting thread into a John Doyle debate.
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#5re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:53am
I'll have to agree with Jack O'Brien. His extensive resume can easily prove his versatility, going from one extreme (Hairspray, Full Monty, et al) to another (Invention of Love, Coast of Utopia).
I've yet to see a bad production by him.
#6re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:55am
Both Doyle and Sher show extreme promise, that's true.
You're right, Yankee. O'Brien can do everything from campy comedy to Shakespeare. And win Tonys for both.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#7re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:57amSher is a wonderful director, although not quite as good with actors as some (I'm told he's "all about the design")...I also think Kenny Leon has amazing potential.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
myManCape
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/26/05
#8re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:03pm
I don’t know if I would call her the best, and I don’t know if she counts as working on Broadway now, but you have to throw Kathleen Marshall’s name into the mix as both a director and a choreographer.
"Have they come yet?"
sidjones09
Leading Actor Joined: 1/4/07
#9re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:09pm
I would second Kenny Leon. He's another one I'll need to see a couple more things from though. His all black 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' will be his biggest challenge yet, in my opinion.
Thanks for the word in Sher, Borst. It seems interesting to me though that he would be "all about the design" since he seems to get such wonderfully nuanced performances out of his actors and in the scenework. Do you really think it's all in his casting and there is not much help there otherwise?
"If you've got something to say, say it, and think well of yourself while you're learning to say it better." - David Mamet
#10re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:13pmEASILY Jack O'Brien.
#11re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:14pm
All of the directors mentioned are worthy candidates. I find myself agreeing with those who say Jack O'Brien, mostly because he can so effortlessly segue from one theatrical form to another. I don't think there's another director working who is so at home with everything from Shakespeare to Stoppard to the modern musical.
I'd also add Robert Falls and Dan Sullivan to the ever-growing list.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#12re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:21pm
Of all of the directors working on Broadway, I would have to agree that Jack O'Brian is the most versatile and does the most consistently excellent work.
But in New York Theater, not just Broadway, I have seen productions guided by two directors who have marvelous talent: William Pomerantz and Jessica Davis Irons. They are both gifted and do extraordinary work. Just not on Broadway. Yet.
Cheyenne Jackson tickled me. AFTER ordering SoMMS a drink but NOT tickling him, and hanging out with Girly in his dressing room (where he DIDN'T tickle her) but BEFORE we got married. To others. And then he tweeted Boobs. He also tweeted he's good friends with some chick on "The Voice" who just happens to be good friends with Tink's ex. And I'm still married. Oh, and this just in: "Pettiness, spite, malice ....Such ugly emotions... So sad." - After Eight, talking about MEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so honored! :-)
Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#13re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:24pm
Well, a successful production of any good play is 95% casting. In Seattle, Sher had a tendency to cast some of Seattle's best actors and then let them get away with their glaring worst habits. He also has a tendency to create sets that are very cavernous so the actors have nothing to bounce their voices off of and need to shout to be heard. Generally, I've found that young actors are a little frustrated with him and older actors adore him.
That said, he is very very talented and I hope he does some more Shakespeare in New York. His productions of CYMBELINE and TITUS ANDRONICUS in Seattle were extraordinary.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#14re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:32pm
Jack O'Brien
George C. Wolfe
Howard Davies (brilliant with revivals)
Daniel Sullivan (especially for play revivals)
Elizabeth LeCompte (visionary genius with her Wooster Group)
Nicholas Hytner
Doug Hughes (consistently good with new work in recent years)
Mark Brokaw (inconsisent with revivals, but has been very good with new work)
Edward Hall (specifically his Shakespeare work with his Propeller Theatre UK)
Declan Donnellan (UK)
Michael Grandage (UK)
Stephen Daldry (UK)
Michael Blakemore
Bartlett Sher
Emeritus (old masters who are still active):
Hal Prince
Peter Hall
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
neddyfrank2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
#16re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 5:44pmA case could be made for Mike Nichols.
BSoBW2: I punched Sondheim in the face after I saw Wicked and said, "Why couldn't you write like that!?"
#17re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 7:28pmMaybe in days past, but Nichols works so sporadically now that I can't see him being a contender. I assume that the original poster was referring to directors currently working, and SPAMALOT is the only play Nichols has directed in 15 years.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
MinorAdjustments
Swing Joined: 4/21/06
DecepitDesiree
Swing Joined: 10/28/06
#19re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 7:41pmDefinitely John Rando. Definitely.
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#20re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 7:44pm
Well, Nichols did direct the all-star SEAGULL in the Park in 2000 with Streep, Kline, Walken and company, but my sense there as well as with SPAMALOT is that 99% of his work is done in casting and he really doesn't bother to do much actual "directing," but acts more as a traffic cop at best. In SEAGULL, some performances were solid, some were awful, some were bland, and no attempt seemed to have been made by Nichols to impose any overall vision on the production or performances and as a result they never cohered as an ensemble and it was just a series of unrelated star turns with acting styles that were all over the map. It was fun to watch because of all the stars, but it was pretty bad Chekhov.
I also thought SPAMALOT lacked a truly coherent overall vision and only worked at all because of the great cast and those classic sketches that much of the audience came into the theater knowing by heart (and recited aloud line by line along with the performers on stage) .
I think he probably was a great director once upon a time, but with his shelf full of Oscars, Tonys, Emmys and Grammys, I get a sense that he basically coasts on his reputation and no longer has any desire to actually work all that hard anymore.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
#21re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 7:47pmI completely forgot he did THE SEAGULL, and I agree with you that it was an entirely mixed bag. It was a production that would've been forgettable if it didn't have such a starry cast, and that Kevin Kline was the only performer who was wholly successful. Natalie Portman was a joke.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#22re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 7:50pmJohn Rando? For what? He's being sued for basically stealing much of the staging of URINETOWN from the original Fringe director (and members of that production have gone on record pointing out the many similarities). Everything else he's done has flopped -- A THOUSAND CLOWNS, DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES, THE DINNER PARTY, WEDDING SINGER...... This is the work of one of the GREATEST directors currently working in New York????
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Fenchurch
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/16/06
#23re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 7:51pmI have to second Bartlett Sher.
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual."
-Keen on Kean
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl
#24re: Who's the best director working in New York theatre?
Posted: 1/18/07 at 7:55pmPeople like Bartlett Sher and Kenny Leon, while very talented, wouldn't be immediate choices for me because they rarely venture out of their comfort zones. I give Sher credit for staging an opera this past fall, but he mainly stays in the genre of period pieces. Likewise, Kenny Leon rarely does anything other than African-American themed plays. I'm very interested to see his CAT, which I think will be his baptism by fire.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
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