LONDON THEATRE
Sam Ross
I spent a great weekend in London. If you want great theatre I suggest you
see Albert Finney in ART. Diana Rigg in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The
New production of Jesus Christ Superstar. My only disappointment of the
weekend was a piece of Drek called Martin Guerre that purports to be a
musical. I have serious doubts about its viability here in the states, of
course I said the same thing about the original production of Miss Saigon.
Costs however are high in the city. Superstar was 40 pounds with a program
at 2 pounds. makes for an expensive evening.
Sam
Karen Horn
Sam Ross (sr...@eagle.ibc.edu) wrote:
: I spent a great weekend in London. If you want great theatre I suggest you
: see Albert Finney in ART.
Could you tell us a little more about ART? Thanks,
Karen
Warren
Art is a three-man show starring Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, and Ken
Stott. It is a new play by Yasmina Resa (written in French and
translated into English).
The one-act play centres around the purchase of a very expensive
modernistic painting by one of the characters and the resulting reaction
of his two friends and the effect this has on their friendship. While
this may not sound like the stuff wonderful theatre is made of, it truly
is. All three actors are superb and the character development and the
writing is a treat.
The play is (or at least was) at Wyndham's in London. Let's hope it is
mounted on this side of the Atlantic.
Sam Ross
I couln't have said it better. The cast will change at Wyndhams next
weekend. Tickets were next to impossible to obtain. The show was an actors
gem!
Sam
> _________________________________________________________________
> To leave this mailing list, send mail to majo...@world.std.com
> with the message UNSUBSCRIBE MUSICALS
>
Frankie Ho
Hello Sam!
Sam Ross wrote:
> I spent a great weekend in London. If you want great theatre I suggest you
> see Albert Finney in ART. Diana Rigg in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The
Who's Afraid was really stunning! I was there too in Feb.
I was originally quite contented with the film (starring E.T.), but
Rigg really gave me another view that Martha could be such kind of a
woman.
> New production of Jesus Christ Superstar. My only disappointment of the
> weekend was a piece of Drek called Martin Guerre that purports to be a
> musical. I have serious doubts about its viability here in the states, of
I was lucky... coz I was warned Martin Guerre won't be anything better
than Mz Saigon, Les Miz...
Did you see A Streetcar named Desire? It was great as well...
Seems a little off topic... :>
--
/> est wishes,
/_> /~
/~ rankie Ho
christy close
Frankie Ho wrote:
>
> Hello Sam!
>
> Sam Ross wrote:
>
> > I spent a great weekend in London. If you want great theatre I suggest you
> > see Albert Finney in ART. Diana Rigg in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The
> Who's Afraid was really stunning! I was there too in Feb.
> I was originally quite contented with the film (starring E.T.), but
> Rigg really gave me another view that Martha could be such kind of a
> woman.
I was there end of January, too. ART was fantastic. Pretty amazing and
I think it should definitely come to the states. Unfortunately, I
didn't get to see Woolf.
>
> > New production of Jesus Christ Superstar. My only disappointment of the
> > weekend was a piece of Drek called Martin Guerre that purports to be a
> > musical. I have serious doubts about its viability here in the states, of
>
> I was lucky... coz I was warned Martin Guerre won't be anything better
> than Mz Saigon, Les Miz...
I actually saw Martin Guerre. It was not as bad as you think. Better
than Mz Saigan and of course, it doesn't not even come close to Les
Miz. Basically, they went back to the formula of Les Miz, which made it
better. It actually had to close the first week it opened and had to be
re-vamped. My only qualm (well, big one) is with Iain. He may be RSC's
starboy...but he way overacted his part and his voice is only so-so. Of
course, just an opinion....
> Did you see A Streetcar named Desire? It was great as well...
I did get to see it that one. What did you think of it? I thought
Jessica Lange was excellent and was sorry to have missed Alec Baldwin.
I felt that Stanley just didn't get a grip on the part. I almost felt
he was doing some weird accent and playing it a little too overly
large. The set was gorgeous, though. I loved that winding staircase.
Just my two cents... :)
Christy
JayCBird
Wow! Sounds like we were on the same trip!
I was lucky to see "Art" w/ Albert Finney, Tom Courtney and Keith Stott.
The cast's final night was Saturday, March 8. Loved IT!! Basically 3
men, 3 chairs and 90 minutes - It's going to be produced ALL OVER the
world! I can't remember a play about male friendship/bonding that is as
emotionally intimate as the became.
"JC Superstar" was staged brilliantly at times. The whipping has been
pointed out before, but how about that transition from the market into his
first his first meditation! Wow! And from the beginning of the scourging
through crucifixion was just fabulous! Steve Balsamo was Great!! The
friend I traveled with thought Zubin Varla was "too much Anthany Newley"
;-) for the role - and I thought he was physically awkward, also. Herod's
Song was Under-Choreographed for my tastes.
"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf": Rigg and Suchet were Great! Dame
Diana's interpretation struck me as sort of Gloria Upson, 25 years after
Mame - clenched jaw and all! I didn't care much for Nick and Honey (Lloyd
Owen and Clare Holman). Nick's accent was overdone, going to that
extremely flat nasal the British sometimes go to in order to sound
"mid-western". Honey (with the exception of her breakdown) wasn't at all
"there" but that could have been an acting/directing choice.
And then there's "Martin Guerre". . ... . what a mess! The first act is
o.k. Then the 2nd act fell apart! Starting with the number "The
Imposters" (full cast, facing straight out, lecturing the audience), the
thing just scrambles to involve the audience. "The Reckoning" was
straight out of the last scene of "West Side Story" and the finale felt
like "Candide" (Make Our Garden Grow). ugh.
I say "Nine" at the Donmar Warehouse, which closed Saturday. Uneven cast,
vocally. Jenny Galloway was a Brilliant Sarraghina! Larry Lamb was
alright, but struggling as Guido. He had a couple line fumbles and simply
can not sing it, but then I don't think there ever has been a "Guido" who
could. Susannah Fellows was Great as Luisa. Staging was interesting: A
large dining table in the middle of a pool, which during the Grand Canal
Sequence, the pool filled with water! Trippy! Young Guido's "Getting
Tall" had people sobbing! Some real balance problems between orchestra
and vocals, but then the Donmar Warehouse is fairly small and doesn't
contain the "sound design" we've become accustomed to in "the barns".
Queued for Day tickets and returns for "Ivanov", BUT the first person in
line had been there since 6:30 a.m.!!! Needless to say, I did NOT get in!
And that's my report!
Carlos Daudt de Oliveira
In article <332498...@cris.com>, ccl...@cris.com says...
>
>Frankie Ho wrote:
>> > I spent a great weekend in London. If you want great theatre I suggest you
>> > see Albert Finney in ART.
I thought ART was just amazingly funny. The cast was glorious. I was
dazzled by Ken Stott's performance. As an extra treat, I had Paul
McCartney sitting a few seats away from me. I was reading the show's
programme when this gentleman with a suave voice said to me:
"Excuse-me". I looked up and there he was. Paul himself!!
Diana Rigg in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The
>
>> Who's Afraid was really stunning! I was there too in Feb.
>> I was originally quite contented with the film (starring E.T.), but
>> Rigg really gave me another view that Martha could be such kind of a
>> woman.
Yes, I thought she was great too. But I was even more impressed with
David Suchet's George. I've always been of the opinion that any
reasonably talented actress could shine in a character like Martha's.
But making George's personality come out, that's a real challenge.
>> > New production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
I thought JCS was good too, except for that fiercely exaggerated Judas,
played by Zubin Varla. He gesticulated so much and contorted his face in
such a frenzied way that it made the very sensible lyrics of *Heaven on
Their Minds* sound like the ravings of a lunatic. I thought he turned
Jude into an irascible grouch. Steve Balsamo, as Jesus, on the other
hand, was great! His rendering of the Gethsemane song was spectacular.
>. My only qualm (well, big one) is with Iain. He may be RSC's
>starboy...but he way overacted his part and his voice is only so-so. Of
>course, just an opinion....
I really liked Iain. I thought his Arnaud was so intense, so pitiful. I
saw in him a good man, a man tired of wars, of violence, yearning for
peace and affection in the arms of a loving wife. His eyes had so much
compassion when he dealt with Benoît. Some people complains about Iain's
singing abilities. IMO, he was great. (I guess I've just became a great
fan!)
>
>> Did you see A Streetcar named Desire? It was great as well...
>
>Jessica Lange was excellent and was sorry to have missed Alec Baldwin.
You shouldn't be. I saw Baldwin, Lange and Madigan on Broadway and I
really wish I hadn't. I never expected to find such an amateurish show
on Broadway. The actors just didn't have an adequately trained voice.
Not only were they totally unable to communicate emotions through their
voices, but they just couldn't make themselves to be HEARD by the people
sitting in the last rows of the theatre. I swear to God that I saw lots
of people getting hearing aid devices from the Theatre management. Lange
was the only interesting presence on stage. She didn't have a really
good voice or a stage presence then, but at least her character was
ALIVE (and I thought her Blanche was, despite all this, very touching).
I hope she is better now in London. I think she has a great potential as
a stage actress, she only needs training.
I was very surprised with "Nine". I don't usually love musicals when I'm
not familiar with its songs. But I was struck by this one. I loved the
actors, the staging, everything reallyIt was a very nice surprise
indeed. I though Jenny Galloway was outstanding as Sarraghina and her
performance was duly recognised by the audience. I also liked Sara
Kestelman, as Liliane La Fleur, and Larry Lamb, as Guido. Kestelman got
a very vibrant ovation and I was one of the most enthusiastic
supporters. Larry Lamb's Guido was INCREDIBLE. He showed such a keen
penetration of the Latin soul (and believe me, I'm an expert on the
subject, living in a place where such personalities abound). His Guido
was a very suave and educated Italian, very much in the Mastroianni
style. Lamb is lean and during the show he kept his torso slightly
tilted forward, which gave him that curved posture very frequently found
in educated Italians. His right hand was always in the air (also very
much in the Italian style). There was such yearning in his eyes (Lamb
managed to keep a rather childish air about him) and that made us
forgive his faults and understand the attraction he exerted on women.
Lamb makes Guido charming and winsome by portraying him as an awed
child, a child that never quite overcame his first magical experience
with a woman.
Well, just my opinion!
I was in London for two weeks in February and had a terrific time! I'm
counting the days to go back there in October.
Cheers!
Carlos
Louie Cole
> Sam Ross (sr...@eagle.ibc.edu) wrote:
> : I spent a great weekend in London. If you want great theatre I
suggest you
> : see Albert Finney in ART.
> Karen
I saw it a couple of days ago. It is a French play about art dealers
and as well as fine performances from Finney and Tom Courtenay it has
some pretty good support too. I'd highly recommend it - an enjoyable
evening.
Louie