The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Capitalism - Tony Kushner's New Play

[Cinemanolis]

a). I love The House of Blue Leaves.

b). How did you manage to see all these shows? When I see an extensive list like this, I also see $$$ swimming before my eyes.

c). Company at Avery Fisher Hall: How'd you manage to score THOSE tickets??? Who are you, really?

It's only my 2nd theatre viewing trip to NY and i didn't have the chance to see Estelle Parsons performing live. I saw "August Osage County" with the original cast in London, but now i am sure that Parsons would be great in the role of Violet.

a. I didn't know the play prior to seeing it performed on Broadway, so maybe this particular performance didn't elevate the material.

b. I had planned this trip well in advance. For most of the tickets i paid an average of $80 through the broadwaybox website (which you guys suggested to me last year). A few tickets i bought the day of the performance at the half price ticket booth in Times Square. For some i paid more (Company, Book of Mormons) and for some less ($20 rush tickets for Picked and Bengal Tiger). But of course it was still a very expensive trip.

c. I bought the "Company" tickets about 1,5 month before the performance. By then only the names of Neil Patrick Harris and Patti LuPone were announced and i had absolutely no problem finding tickets. The cheap ones were already sold out but the average price tickets were availiable (i paid around $120 for mine). After i bought the tickets they started to announce the rest of the cast and i suppose then it was sold out.

P.S. Another play i was thinking of seeing was "High" starring Kathleen Turner, which was yesterday announced that it closes this week after only 8 regular performances. Ouch...



Edited By Cinemanolis on 1303485097

[flipp525]

Good People ***1/2
A very good new play by the writer of "Rabbit Hole". Frances McDormand was excellent, but it was Estelle Parsons that stole every scene she was in. She made wonders with a small role.

Is Parsons not one of the best actresses working on Broadway? Her interpretation of Violet Weston in August: Osage County was simply astounding. I think she should've at least been considered for the film adaptation.

Thanks for the run-down, Cinemanolis. I'm heading up NYC for Broadway Bares in June and would like to plan a show or two while I'm there.

[Okri]

Thirded.

Disappointed that the Shinn didn't work for you. I really do think he should be on the level of Simon Stephens or Bruce Norris here (of course, Norris just won a completely undeserving Putlizer Prize), but he isn't as prolific as the former or as "shocking" as the latter.

If this year's Putlizer doesn't go to either Baitz or Kushner, I will be floored.

[Mister Tee]

a). I love The House of Blue Leaves.

Second this. The fact that it takes place in the neighborhood where I grew up is just a bonus; I love Guare's writing in general, and this play in particular.

[Sonic Youth]

a). I love The House of Blue Leaves.

b). How did you manage to see all these shows? When I see an extensive list like this, I also see $$$ swimming before my eyes.

c). Company at Avery Fisher Hall: How'd you manage to score THOSE tickets??? Who are you, really?

[Cinemanolis]

Damien i saw the play on the 17th. I really agree with what you say. I loved the cast and the direction. I just felt that it was a 2 1/2 hour play trapped in a 3 3/4 hour production (ok 3 1/4 hour without the 2 intermissions).

Short comments on the other productions i saw during my stay in NY

American Idiot ****
Great show. I loved the songs and the direction. Billie Joe Armstrong and Van Hughes were excellent. Really sad it soon closes but happy it will be adapted for the cinema.

Arcadia ***1/2
Very good acting by Billy Crudup and Raul Esparza and glad i saw a Steep family member on stage. I always liked the play. It has a fascinating concept, but some cuts would only benefit the play. The staging was exactly the same as in London 2 years ago.

Bengal Tiger at the Bagdad Zoo ***1/2
Robin Williams was good and the rest of the cast, Arian Moayed in particular, was even better, but i felt that the play lacked a spine.

The Book of Mormons ****
Wonderful and funny show. Didn't get some of the jokes but i really enjoyed it. I am sure it will make some people furious. Especially the "Fuck you God" song.

Catch Me If You Can **1/2
Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Bultz were charismatic, but the score and book weren't that exciting. The creators of "Hairspray" failed to deliver as expected. I had a nice time though. Very poor sets for such a production.

Company ***1/2
I love this musical and I enjoyed the all-star cast (Patti LuPone, Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Colbert, Martha Plimpton, Christina hendricks, Martha Plimpton, Anika Noni Rose, Jon Cryer, Katie Finneran, Craig Bierko). Patti LuPone and Katie Finneran stood out as expected and i was also pleasantly suprised by how effortless Neil Patrick Harris seemed to be. He was actually leting his castmembers shine and i found this decision wise and an essential part of his role.

Good People ***1/2
A very good new play by the writer of "Rabbit Hole". Frances McDormand was excellent, but it was Estelle Parsons that stole every scene she was in. She made wonders with a small role.

The House of Blue Leaves *1/2
A really mediocre play and the stars can;t save this. Ben Stiller was ...well the usual Ben Stiller, Jennifer Jason Leigh has a really week voice that i struggled to hear from the 5th row i was sitting. Eddie Falco fared better but still... I saw this in it's 2nd week of previews so maybe it will get better. The set and the effects were good.

The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to... ****

Picked **
Christopher Shinn's new play isn't a good one. The only redeeming quality was the lead Michael Stahl David (the star? of Cloverfield) who gave a reserved performance.

That Championship Season **
The cast was fine but it couldn't save the boring play, even though I remember i liked the 2 movies based on it. The director didn't help it either. I cannot understand why they decided to revive this. Trivia: I didn;t know that the writer was Jason Patrick's dad.



Edited By Cinemanolis on 1303427696

[Okri]

As soon as you made the Arthur Miller comparison I got ready for a pan. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I can't wait to read it (seeing it remains a pipe dream).

[Damien]

For 2 of its 3 acts, this Tony Kushner play at the Public Theatre in NYC seems like an Arthur Miller play if Miller had been an intellectual (i.e. a playwright of ideas rather than emotions), if he didn't rely on cliches and contrivances and if he had had a sense of humor. It's a fascinating family drama/socio-political discourse, in which the personal and societal are combined and acutely examined.

But this is a play that runs 3 hours and 40 minutes, and Act 2 ends on such a high and then Act 3 seems anti-climactic, a meandering regurgitation of what came before. Also, polemic discussions of the American Communist Party seem a bit anachronistic for a play set in 2007. Still, the acting is mostly a wonder (especially by Linda Emond and Michael Cristofer -- best known as the Pulitizer/Tony winning playwright of The Shadow Box), and Michael Greif's direction is flawless Plus, any work that rekindles the memory of far left New York Congressman Vito Marcantonio -- long a personal hero -- is alright in my book.



Edited By Damien on 1302681554