Cast: Mark Rylance (Robert), Christine Baranski (Berthe), Greg Germann(Bernard), Paige Davis (Gloria), Rebecca Gayheart (Gabriella), & Missi Pyle (Gretchen)
For more info, see the official Boeing-Boeing site.
After seeing this play, which one best revival of a play, I'm glad it won so many Tony Awards. I'm very happy that Mark Rylance won for best actor and wish Christine Baranski had won a Tony. The cast was amazing, though most of the cast were not in the original revival.
This is a great old-fashioned comedy. I highly recommend it to anyone who just wants to enjoy a night laughing. Boeing-Boeing may be predictable, but it requires no thought to enjoy it, so you can give your brain a night off and just relax and enjoy the show. It's a hilarious show I think anyone can enjoy.
Grade: B+
Labels: Best Revival, Broadway, Christine Baranski, comedy, Mark Rylance, play
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Len Cariou (Joe Keller), Laurie Metcalf (Kate Keller), Neil Patrick Harris (Chris Keller), Amy Sloan (Ann Deever), Chris Payne Gilbert (George Deever), Morgan Rusler (Dr. Jim Bayliss), Robin Riker (Sue Bayliss), Liam Christopher O'Brien (Frank Lubey), Megan Austin Oberle (Lydia Lubey), & Sterling Beaumon (Bert)
I had never seen Arthur Miller's All My Sons before and was excited to see it with such a wonderful cast. All My Sons instantly shot to the top of my list of favorite plays. Proof is still my favorite, but All My Sons is right behind it. Arthur Miller was an amazing playwrite and I'm so glad that the Geffen Playhouse put on this production of All My Sons.
Although I was expecting the moment at the end of the third act, it still caught me by surprise a bit when it happened. Something about waiting for a moment throughout the whole play seems to do that to me. I didn't know much about the story going into the play, since seeing the cast and a play by Arthur Miller was all I needed to know to buy the ticket.
I highly recommend this production in LA. It's playing at the Geffen Playhouse until May 21st, so there's still time to catch it if you're in the LA area. If not, I recommend that you see it if there is a production nearby in the future. So far, All My Sons is my favorite of the plays I've seen by Arthur Miller. It's a very well written and powerful play about what one man does to do what he thinks is necessary to provide for his family during the war. Years later, everything is uncovered as his son is about to marry his partner's daughter. The way the truth is revealed and how everyone handles it makes the play interesting.
The fact that our country is again at war makes All My Sons very timely in spite of the fact that it was written about 60 years ago. If you can get to see the production at the Geffen Playhouse, you won't be disappointed.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2006, Best Revival, drama, Neil Patrick Harris, play, war
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Nylda Ria John Mark (Stage Manager), Jovoni Lewis (Mrs. Gibbs), Jamie Elvey (Mrs. Webb), and many other taltented performers
I've seen Our Town a few times and this production was very different from any other that I'd seen. The additional music was nice, though the choir robes were very distracting from the show. In the time of Our Town, the choir would wear (as they have in every other production) their normal clothes to practice. Heck, even in modern choirs I don't know of any that practice in their choir robes.
I had never seen act three done without any make-up to make those in the cemetary look as they're dead or with them all wearing the same clothes (choir robes again). I definitely have to say that the choir robes thing and lack of a real "stage manager" directing things and narrating things made the show feel very disconnected and less powerful. I'll definitely have to find a more traditional version of it to show my husband how the play is normally done. He seemed a bit confused as to how this choir lady fit in and I explained the way it's normally done...
The acting was great and the introductions to each act with characters telling the audience not to use those mobile phones (which haven't been invented yet), etc. were wonderful. I think everyone did a great job. Nylda Ria John Mark was particularly impressive as the stage manager, even though that role was drastically changed.
Although I definitely prefer a more traditional staging of Our Town, it's always interesting to see new interpretations of classics.
Grade: C+
Labels: 2006, Best Revival, drama, play
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Raul Esparza (Emcee), Molly Ringwald (Sally Bowles), many other talented performers
I hadn't seen Cabaret in years and my boyfriend had never seen it, so I was really excited about seeing this revival. I was also interested in getting to hear Molly Ringwald sing. She's great!
I wish I had gotten to see Alan Cumming (one of my favorites) in this roll, but Raul Esparza is absolutely amazing as the Emcee and I can't imagine anyone (even Alan Cumming) doing a better job. Of course, the one thing that's always bothered me about Cabaret is that it started the whole M. C. to Emcee problem... Took the Master of Ceremonies out of the M. C., but other than that it's a great musical.
Of course, due to the subject matter, it is not a happy show, but this revival was very well done. The music is great and the cast is amazing.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2002, Best Musical, Best Revival, Broadway, drama, Molly Ringwald, musical, Raul Esparza, revival, war
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Caroline O'Connor (Velma Kelly), Belle Calaway (Roxie Hart), Roz Ryan (Matron "Mama" Morton), Billy Zane (Billy Flynn), and a great supporting cast
I had never seen Chicago before and had been looking forward to it for years. I kept hoping that Bebe Neuwirth and I would be in town at the same time, but since that didn't seem to be happening and the movie Chicago is coming out soon, I had to go see Chicago now.
As a dancer, I've always enjoyed Fossee's work and this show was no exception. The story of Chicago is so perfectly outrageous and the music is great. This revival did a wonderful job of living up to everything I had heard about Chicago. I can't wait to see what they do with the movie.
Billy Zane was wonderful as Billy Flynn and the rest of the cast did a great job, too. Chicago is a Kander & Ebb show and I'm glad I finally got around to seeing it. If you haven't seen Chicago yet, what are you waiting for? Now is the time - before the movie gets released!
Grade: B
Labels: 2002, Best Revival, Broadway, crime, dancing, drama, musical, revival
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams