A Streetcar Named Desire

Currently at the Kennedy Center is a production of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire as performed by the Sydney Theatre Company.  Scott and I were lucky enough to scoop up tickets quickly, and it was without question the best money we’ve spent on entertainment all year (in my opinion).

Now perhaps I’m a bit biased here – this was  my first time seeing Streetcar ever, and it was starring one of my favorite actresses – Cate Blanchett.  But I could tell by the end I wasn’t the only one who thought it was stunning – so did my husband and the entire theater which gave a standing ovation that went on for 4 curtain calls!  Clearly this production was something special.

The heart and the meat of the show is Blanchett’s performance as Blanche DuBois – a woman who appears to be superior and confident, but it belies a much darker past and many layers of madness.  She acted the hell out of this role – every line was delivered with full conviction while savoring the words themselves.  Picture her wringing her hands in a supplicating gesture as she pleads to Mitch, “I don’t want REALISM!”  As Blanche’s lies unravel, so does her psyche, and Blanchett delves deep to show us a woman utterly destroyed.  She…was…breathtaking.

And she didn’t go it alone – Joel Edgerton was a powerful presence as Stanley Kowalski – all swagger with a strong intuition.  When he eventually gets to the point of assaulting Blanche, it seems the logical endpoint for his anger.  Also on the plus side, Edgerton is very easy on the eyes.  Let’s just say his butt gets its own scene.  Seriously.

Robin McLeavy played things awfully meek as Stella, but it shows us perhaps why she has lived all her life in Blanche’s shadow.  Here in New Orleans she could be the center of attention and worshiped by her husband – so she puts up with his drunken and abusive ways.

The set was sparse but appropriate for this show – it had a suffocating feel to it.  And for an all-Aussie company, the accents were actually quite good.  Only occasionally did things slip a bit.  (“Steller…”)  The direction was obviously superior, led by the incomparable Liv Ullmann, who stole my heart a few years ago as the narrator of the Oscar-winning animated short The Danish Poet.

All in all this is a production not to be missed – but sadly it’s sold out!  So if anyone offers you a ticket to go as his/her date – GO.

Now as long as I’m talking theatre, I should give a couple quick reviews of our Broadway trip last month for Scott’s birthday!  We took in a couple more plays with very famous film actors.

First we saw Jude Law in the title role as Hamlet.  I tend to be a bit critical of Shakespeare productions now, just because I’ve seen so many of them!  And on the whole I thought the production was just OK – the sets were nothing to write home about, and most of the performances were fair.  (Don’t get me started on Ophelia – dreadful.)  But Law was absolutely amazing – without question the best Hamlet I’ve ever seen.  His performance was believable, he made the text come alive for the audience, and he kept his energy up for the entire performance.  Which was a long one – no text was cut, which made this a 3 1/2 hour show.  And even though I got antsy in my seat a lot, it was well worth it to see a brilliant actor in the performance of a lifetime.

The following day we went to see our boyfriends Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig in a 2-man play called A Steady Rain.  It’s the story of a couple of cops in Chicago telling a wretched tale from very different perspectives.  The script itself was not bad, if a bit predictable.  But this really was about seeing men not only act, but act out at each other.  Jackman was clearly more comfortable in front of the audience, enjoying the breaking of the fourth wall that this play shared with his prior Broadway role in The Boy From Oz.  But at the same time Craig very ably filled the subtler role of straight man to Jackman’s antics, ultimately bringing sympathy to a character who may not be very likable.  On the whole I didn’t love the show, but I did love the performances.  Besides, how often do you get to see Wolverine take on James Bond, using only words as weapons?

So that’s been my theatre story as of late.  What plays or musicals have you had the chance to see?

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Hair on Broadway!

Once in awhile we latch onto a completely crazy idea and just run with it.  That was the case this past weekend when we took a spur of the moment trip up to New York to see the new production of Hair on Broadway!  We were up and back in one day – it was crazy and fun.  Of course we got to have a lot of fun with TheKara, so that made it truly sweet.

I’ve always wanted to see this musical performed, but never had the opportunity.  It’s been one of my favorites for ages, and some day I dream of being able to choreograph the show myself.  So to see this on Broadway – critically acclaimed and selling out in its first weeks since opening was a special treat.

Hair is a unique musical in that the plot, such as it is, doesn’t amount to much.  It exists more as a backdrop for a varied songbook that covers everything from rock and gospel to ballads and country(ish).  I was impressed by director Diane Paulus’ ability to present a coherent tale, even if the first half still felt like a continual excuse to trot out another song.  By the time the show approached intermission, the story solidified and we were drawn into Claude’s push and pull decision-making as he weighs freedom of self versus freedom of country; although it may have resonated more in the Bush era, the anti-war message still feels strong and relevant.  The intensity was powerful enough ending the second half that I actually didn’t notice for awhile that the cast was suddenly all naked!  (Kudos for the unconscious beauty of that moment that didn’t seem salacious in the least.)  The show even ended in an unconventional way – the Tribe somberly proceeding out of the theater leaving Claude [Gavin Creel] behind all alone.

Photo of Will Swenson courtesy BroadwayWorld.com

But it certainly isn’t all serious!  This is a rip-roaring show that celebrates drugs, sex and silliness.  Berger [Will Swenson] was more than willing to play around and show of his…assets…proving to be the class clown throughout.  The whole supporting cast (“the Tribe”) was a delight, including Woof [Bryce Ryness] as a kinda-gay gentle soul, Jeanie [Kacie Sheik] the pregnant smoker, and Dionne [Saycon Sengbloh] the soulful center of the group.  (Sadly we didn’t get to see Sasha Allen of Camp fame playing Dionne, but Sengbloh did a great job.)

The set was simple (very Rentesque), but the costumes were a hippie delight.  I felt like the choreography by Karole Armitage was too simplistic, but it was true to her style, which I can appreciate.

What’s really wonderful about this production is how much the Tribe brings the audience into the experience.  Continually throughout the show they prowled around the aisles – passing out flowers and flyers, toussling people’s hair, and pulling people up to dance.  In fact, after the curtain call, they brought dozens of patrons up on the stage to revel and dance to “Let the Sunshine In.”  It was quite the love-in!

photo courtesy BroadwayWorld.com

We also got to meet some of the cast and get autographs afterwards, which was the perfect cap on a wonderful experience (shout out to Lauren Elder!).  It was well worth the drive and I hope this show runs for a good long while and picks up a Tony or three.

Peace!  Flowers!  Freedom!  Happiness!

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Made in Manhattan

As you may have read on ScottE’s blog already, we spent the Thanksgiving holiday up around New York City.  As is our tradition, we did our best to see some Broadway, and weren’t disappointed.

First we went to see a little off-Broadway show as TheKara’s “out of left field pick.”  It was a musical called What’s That Smell?, and it didn’t actually smell like much, but it was a good time.  Picture the worst (and gayest) musical composer you can imagine.  Now imagine he has the ego of Tom Cruise and is being interviewed by his biggest (if completely misguided) fan on a cable-access talk show about Broadway musicals.  That’s about it!  Along the way we were treated to a sampling from his illustrious career as a “living American composer,” including his musical rendering of Private Benjamin (“He Died Inside Me”) and a fantasia on shopping malls (best bit – poking fun at Abercrombie & Fitch).  When they got to the line about patriotism in another number – “Like an EAGLE with a BOOB JOB…” I was pretty much dying of laughter.  Of course the best part of the show was when a technical difficulty delayed the show for a few minutes, but the actors tried to keep us laughing.  Sadly this show is already closing by year’s end.  If you happen to be near NYC – check it out!

Then we closed the weekend with our long-planned destination – seeing Daniel Radcliffe (a.k.a. Harry Potter) in Equus.  It’s a play I’ve seen before, and I knew it was powerful and disturbing, but I was still unprepared for how visceral and intense it can get.  Radcliffe was very strong, proving that his experience as an actor has come a long way, baby!  As for the much-reported nudity – it’s kind of not the point at all.  By the time it happens, you’re so drawn into the moment you hardly notice.  It’s a violently gripping scene that will stick with you long after the curtain falls.

Photo by Alastair Muir

The strength of this play was actually in the production values – the lighting was par excellence, and the staging matched it very well.  One of the most intoxicating aspects is the use of large metal masks that mimic horses’ heads which the “horses” wear, along with high heel “hooves.”  They move with dancing grace and immense power.  The choreographer in me was in heaven.

Unfortunately the show has a real weak point, which is suprisingly Richard Griffiths.  The award winner seemed to be phoning his performance in, giving all the energy of a marble statue.  It’s a shame, because his take on the character was refreshing.  It was also disappointing to see the wonderful Kate Mulgrew prove that she forgot how to PROJECT in the THEATER so those of us in the BALCONY can hear her.  (See, you heard that, didn’t you?)

All in all – a remarkable production – the 3 hours flew by.  If you still have the chance to see this before it closes in February (and can get a good deal on tickets), this is well worth your time.

Next up in this space, a review of the film Milk, starring Sean Penn!

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