rOcKS @ 'Long Story Short' & 'The Merchant of Venice'

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/10/10 at 5:49pm

Some quick thoughts:

LONG STORY SHORT provides theatergoers with a very funny 73 minutes but that's about it. It's simple, I definitely laughed quite a lot, but it's basically a stand-up show. Colin Quinn is hilarious. Even the bits that weren't that funny were chuckle-worthy because of his delivery. It's obviously nothing spectacular but it never pretends it wants to be. If you're looking for a good laugh, check it out. *** out of ****

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, on the other hand, is pretty damn spectacular. Daniel Sullivan's absolutely stunning production is one of the best, most accessible, and thoroughly enjoyable takes on Shakespeare that New York has seen in recent years. Al Pacino is, of course, exceptional. He's funny, touching, downright scary at times, and there's no denying the man is one of our most talented living actors. But for me, the performance of the night came from Lily Rabe. Wow. She's simply brilliant and I really, really hope she's remembered come Tony time. The set design is versatile and impressive, the lights are gorgeous, and the costumes are perfect. I only really had a problem with the first few minutes and the last few minutes which felt slow to me, in terms of pacing. But once this show takes off, it really takes off. It's definitely a piece of thrilling theater that deserves to sell out nightly as it has been. ***1/2 out of ****
Updated On: 12/10/10 at 05:49 PM

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 12/10/10 at 6:13pm

Whole-heartedly agree with you about MERCHANT. Lily Rabe is a stunner. I hope she doesn't suffer the same fate as Carey Mulligan did 2 years ago, who I maintain, to this day, gave one of the most brilliant stage performances I've ever seen. Rabe deserves some serious accolades for her performance.

[PurpleFanta]

Posted: 12/11/10 at 1:27am

I totally agree about Merchant. I really think Rabe is giving the performance of the season and if she's not awarded come Tony time, I might lose all faith in the theatre.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/11/10 at 1:33am

rOcKs- did you see Merchant in the park, as well?

[ontheboards2]

Posted: 12/11/10 at 5:03am

Pacino and Rabe are both spectacular - it's going to take some major performances to stop them from winning Tonys.

That goes for the production itself too for Best Revival. It's a beautifully conceived production.