rOcKS @ 'Twelfth Night'

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 1:32pm

I got in line at around 3:30 for the standby line and was about fifty people from the front of the line. At around 4:30, a Public Theater employee came out to tell everyone near or around my area of the line that we probably would not be getting tickets. But I waited anyway. And at 8:08, I got a ticket! And there were only about five or six tickets left for the standby line by time I got to the front.

I absolutely loved the show. The first thing I noticed was how incredibly aesthetically pleasing the show was...the set was simple but really stunning, the costumes were absolutely fantastic, the lighting was minimal but worked, and the music was gorgeous. And as the play unraveled, I was totally enraptured by the wildly talented troupe of performers and by Daniel Sullivan's nearly pitch-perfect and refreshingly simple direction.

The reason to see this show though is for the performances. Each and every performer knocked it out of the park (no pun intended). Raul Esparza was quirky and hilarious, Julie White did not disappoint, Audra McDonald can really never do any wrong, Jay O. Sanders, David Pittu, and Hamish Linklater were delightfully goofy, and Michael Cumpsty was wonderful.

But, for me at least, the real news here is Anne Hathaway who is finally making her first major stage debut in New York. She somehow stole the show from the Broadway vets for me. But she didn't upstage them, or try to stand out as an A-list film star. She stole the show because she was fantastic and hilarious, yes, but also because she seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself and really kept herself in check throughout the entire show, never showing up anyone else. She was quite a delight and I hope this isn't the last the New York stage sees of her. She turned in a great performance. And her singing voice was really wonderful.

The show is three hours long but I've sat through 90 minute shows that felt longer. Towards the middle of the first act, it dragged a little in terms of pacing for my taste, but it quickly picked up soon after and the rest of the first act and entirety of the second act were brisk and very enjoyable. I had such a great time that I wish I had the patience (or the time) to go see it again. If you can catch it in these last few performances, do so! What an excellent production, what an excellent cast. I really had one of the more purely enjoyable nights in a theater last evening than I've had in a year or so.

***1/2 out of ****

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 1:43pm

I saw it last night after two other viewings early in the run, and while I enjoyed it at first, last night was the first time that, for me, it really felt like they nailed it; they've finally found their footing, and I'm just sad that there are so few performances left. I still have some qualms with a few of Sullivan's choices, but it was just so much fun and so joyful that, watching it last night, I really didn't even care. I definitely enjoyed it the first two times I saw it, but not nearly as much as I did last night. The pace has picked up so much, the performances have all found their way into being wonderful, and the whole thing has improved so much. I agree with you on most counts, other than that I wouldn't say Hathaway stole the show so much as that she really fit herself perfectly into that ensemble. It's a perfect example of an ensemble show, and she neither upstaged nor had difficulty keeping up with her co-stars. I wouldn't go so far as to say she stole the spotlight, but rather just that she made herself an indispensable part of the whole. The show was really great last night. I'll miss it, but I'm really glad I got to see it one last time, and that it's going out on such a high note. I really adored it.

Updated On: 7/8/09 at 01:43 PM

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 11:36pm

glad you liked it rocks. what did you think of Hamish?

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 11:39pm

God, I wish I could see this. It sounds wonderful.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 11:45pm

I just got back from the show. Absolute perfection from start to finish. And rocks, I agree about Hathaway 100%. She stole the show.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 12:15am

I thought Hamish was hilarious. He stole almost every scene he was in and was arguably the funniest person on the stage. Although I have to say every single actor did a fantastic job with the humor because they didn't play it up for uproarious laughter. They handled the humor (mostly) in a very subdued manner but those who amped it up like Hamish and David Pittu did so successfully and it didn't detract at all from the piece or the scene(s).

Audra, Anne, and Raul were all hysterical but very subdued. And it worked exceptionally well.

Even Julie White was pretty tame which I was pleasantly surprised by (even though I think when she is a loose canon, she is a riot). But a tame Julie White is still loony and priceless.

[scott68]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 12:30am

I saw the show earlier in the run, and I thought it dragged more than those who've seen it more recently thought. However, I won't let the run end without seeing the show at least one more time. I agree with Emcee in that, when I saw it, Anne Hathaway's strongest ability was in being able to be an ensemble player. I mean, I love her and think that she is absolutely capable of standing out from the crowd, but in a piece like Twelfth Night, the fact that she was able to fit into the group and be a part of the play rather than THE STAR fit beautifully.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 12:43am

I totally agree. And for that reason, as I mentioned in my review, she stole the show for me. For being a total team player and more than keeping up with the Broadway vets.

[singtopher]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 8:50am

Is there a chance I can get standby seats for Sunday's show? What time would I need to get there?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 11:25am

You do know Sunday is the last show, right?

If you wanted to have a chance at standby tickets for the last performance, honestly, I'd say to get there as early as possible and line up in the morning line so that when the line moves up and all the tickets are given out, you're far enough up the line to continue to wait for any cancelled tickets.

But that would be like a thirteen or fourteen hour wait...and you may not even get in.

[singtopher]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 11:48am

Yeah, I know its the last performance, but it's the only day I can go. Darn. I'd rather not spend my day off waiting in line.