Posts tagged plays

“Extraordinary how potent cheap music is!”

I will admit that I was a bit nervous as to how Kim Cattrall would fair onstage in Private Lives, but not nervous enough to keep me from buying a ticket. Noel Coward’s Private Lives is a classic comedy about an ex-husband and wife, Elliot (Paul Gross) and Amanda (Kim Cattrall),  who wind up staying in adjacent hotel suites on their honeymoons with their new beaus and end up running away together because their attraction to one another is just that strong. Their new husband and wife, Victor (Simon Paisley Day) and Sybil (Anna Madeley), find them a few days later in an epic brawl in Amanda’s flat in Paris and they question what they should do going forward - make-up? Divorce?

The cast is absolutely stellar with not a weak link on the stage.  The sets are beautiful and the direction is great.  I waited after the show to get Playbills signed for my two Sex and the City-obsessed best friends and Ms. Cattrall was gracious and signed my three playbills without question.  She’s also quite beautiful up-close!

Private Lives is a classic and this production would make Mr. Coward proud. 

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One of the producer’s of this season’s revival of Born Yesterday, Philip Morgaman, courted the playwright’s estate lawyer for years in order to gain the rights after being a long time fan of the play.  Apparently the last revival was a huge failure and the playwright didn’t want to have his play illy produced again.  Morgaman found a way to make Born Yesterday feel fresh, even though it’s decades old.  
Born Yesterday tells a story that feels very much like Pygmalion, and though it’s not a perfect play and drags sometimes, it is a very amusing script with a great change-of-heart from the main character in the end.  The reason to see this revival is the blonde haired actress above, Nina Arianda.  
Arianda was supposedly discovered by director Walter Bobbie when he cast her in this seasons much buzzed about off-Broadway production of Venus in Fur, which I unfortunately missed.  People talked about her incredible performance in that role but she’s even more captivating in Born Yesterday.  She has perfect comedic timing and made the audience love her [character] even thought she might be a little naive and not truly gets what’s going on around her.
The set is gorgeously designed (by John Lee Beatty) and incredibly detailed, as are the costumes (by Catherine Zuber).  Born Yesterday was enjoyable but Arianda is hands down the best actress of this season (maybe tied with Frances McDormand in Good People) and makes this play something not to be missed.  
I look forward to watching Arianda win her TONY in June.  
(photo via)

One of the producer’s of this season’s revival of Born Yesterday, Philip Morgaman, courted the playwright’s estate lawyer for years in order to gain the rights after being a long time fan of the play.  Apparently the last revival was a huge failure and the playwright didn’t want to have his play illy produced again.  Morgaman found a way to make Born Yesterday feel fresh, even though it’s decades old.  

Born Yesterday tells a story that feels very much like Pygmalion, and though it’s not a perfect play and drags sometimes, it is a very amusing script with a great change-of-heart from the main character in the end.  The reason to see this revival is the blonde haired actress above, Nina Arianda.  

Arianda was supposedly discovered by director Walter Bobbie when he cast her in this seasons much buzzed about off-Broadway production of Venus in Fur, which I unfortunately missed.  People talked about her incredible performance in that role but she’s even more captivating in Born Yesterday.  She has perfect comedic timing and made the audience love her [character] even thought she might be a little naive and not truly gets what’s going on around her.

The set is gorgeously designed (by John Lee Beatty) and incredibly detailed, as are the costumes (by Catherine Zuber).  Born Yesterday was enjoyable but Arianda is hands down the best actress of this season (maybe tied with Frances McDormand in Good People) and makes this play something not to be missed.  

I look forward to watching Arianda win her TONY in June.  

(photo via)

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#theatre

#broadway

#nina arianda

#reviews

#plays