Translations at the National Theatre: Harrowing Tale of Ireland & Englandby Randi / December 17, 2019It’s Theatre Thursday! Today’s show is Sleepless, the musical based on the movie “Sleepless in Seattle”, which ran in London this past weekend for three performances, for hilarious reasons, and will reappear in March.
Okay, first of all, I know that you (I’m assuming the entire creative team reads this site) have spent almost a decade trying to fix this show and make it happen. You’ve worked really hard and even scrapped the original composers for a new team and new score, so bravo for really trying everything to make Sleepless a success. But it’s not quite there yet. Sure, I am absolutely thrilled (and shocked) to say that it was not a terrible evening of theatre, and was in fact mostly enjoyable and often quite moving. But there’s still some work to do so it can be a great show, and not just a show that people go into saying “okay, if it’s bad, I hope it’s really bad.” Since you proved it’s not one of those shows (the people who want that can go see the Cats movie), it needs a few alterations.
Second of all, I must say that as a lawyer (#surprise), I completely adore the reason why I was able to see this sneak preview premiere of Sleepless last weekend: because of legal technicalities. The show is opening for real in the London in March, but there were three (3) surprise performances this past weekend at the Troubadour Theatre Wembley Park. Why on earth were there 3 performances 3 months before the official run? Because contractual obligations demanded that the show premiere before the end of 2019 or they would lose the rights (so I was told). This is my favorite detail.
So maybe you were rushing, maybe you know that some of the below must happen in order for this show to be better than not bad. But just in case, since you have 3 months, I’ll share what needs to be done. And obviously this is all going to be critical, but as you know (since you read the site), nothing describes my modus operandi more than the basketball coach in Love & Basketball: you think I’d go hoarse for a player with no potential?
ALSO, I must commend you for the changes you made from the movie to the stage. Adaptations cannot be carbon copies, otherwise you get a Pretty Woman fiasco. I was genuinely impressed with the decisions you made to make this a worthy separate version of the story.
Without further ado:
THE BAD
- You need a new score.
I know, I know, you’ve been trying for yeeeears to nail the score and you thought you finally had it. You don’t. It’s a fine score, and some of it can stay (e.g. the baseball song, contrary to what Falsettos would have taught us, is solid), but it’s unmemorable and too lackluster to capture the magic and romance you should be going for. And it’s not fun. Too much of it fell into the Songs As Described By Buddy The Elf conundrum (“it’s just like talking but louder and longer and you move your voice up and down”).
And while I love Sondheim just as much as the next Person with Taste, your lyricist seemed too focused on making internal rhymes than capturing the meaning of songs. And the end rhymes are still haunting me: Brando with thunder? Calling it Washington Seattle to rhyme with battle? Eek and oh no.
- Annie needs an early solo.
The lead character we’re supposed to think is the greatest woman left on earth doesn’t have a solo number until the Act 1 closer. What is this, Amelie? She needs to introduce herself so we care about her and believe that she’s the best woman on earth or at least a good choice for Sam. (Also that song, the Act 1 closer, is three different songs in one and only the second part was great. Work on expanding that second melody.) Even her MOTHER gets an early (plodding) song? Cut it or make it a duet! WALTER gets the second song in the show? Make it a true duet so we get more of both characters and not just lists of his allergies.
In general, Annie needs more development. There were hints at having considered her whole ‘talking too fast and jibbering nonsense’ thing as character development, and honestly it would work, but it’s too infrequent to seem on purpose or part of her character and not just a thing she happens to do twice. Who is she and why do we like her? We never really can say.
- The Rosie role is a shanda.
Why is this bubbly young woman’s best friend this old and dowdy lady? It should be a contemporary of hers. Why are you making this performer look like her grandmother? In that frumpy costuming? I’m honestly offended on Rosie’s behalf. Becky’s big song where she writes and sends Annie’s letter is a heaving pile of clichés and random phrases (with of course lots of internal rhymes). And while she does later clarify that she just ‘edited’ Annie’s words, this song is clearly her typing the letter herself, which is a bad change from the movie. Annie needs to write her own letter. Her friend can send it, but Annie needs to have that power.
- Cut, by god immediately cut, the ridiculous “Let’s Get Physical” ‘joke’.
In Act 2, Annie flies to Seattle to try to find Sam, and she calls her friend Becky to check in. Becky comes onstage holding hand weights and out of breath, as “Let’s Get Physical” blasts on the speakers. Is the joke that she was exercising and she is struggling? Because fat? Did you have to pay for the rights to use that song for 4 seconds? Did more than one misogynistic fat-shaming ha-wite man think this was a good idea? It is not.
- Rewrite the chorus to the ‘desperate women’ song.
It’s not my favorite, but I understand that desire to have a song showing that Sam is receiving endless letters from desperate women who heard him on the radio. Fine. But it was not funny, and it should be funny. It’s fine to have them sing their individual desperate letters but the ‘running out of time’ and ‘my eggs are dying’ lyrics in the chorus are so cringey, as was the unnecessary boob-grabbing. Actually that third woman’s whole thing seemed icky.
- Rethink the hairdos.
Annie has shoulder-length bouncy blonde hair…as does the woman playing Victoria??…as does Dr Marsha Fieldstone??…as do at least two other ensemble members? (Every woman is blonde in this.)This theatre is a g-d barn, and even from my great seat they all looked exactly the same. That’s bad.
- Stop repeating the chorus from the opening number like it’s a life-altering motif.
I get that it’s your big theme, but it’s not a special enough lyric or melody, and even if it was special, nothing is strong enough to withstand repeating it a dozen times.
- Cut down the traffic.
I mean this for both on and off stage. It’s an enormous theatre and stage, and honestly, it should be an intimate show. They used projections but no sets. Sets would help, but even if you keep the staging how it is, the amount of stage used can be cut. There were so many moments of just watching people walk in silence across the stage and I was like, what. Bring the wings in closer or something.
Also, I have never seen so much traffic in the audience. Since it’ll be in the same theatre in March, tell the house staff not to reseat people who get up to get drinks every 10 minutes until proper points. It was honestly ridiculous. It contributes to an informal atmosphere where people think it’s cool to talk to their friends the whole time. Actually, people involved with the production were sitting in front of me, and they were talking way too much too. Really pissed me off. I kept imagining what would happen if I said “hey can you please stop talking so much?” They would turn around and the brunette would say, “um, we’re with the show”, to which I would quote Chidi and say “but that’s worse…you see how that’s worse, right?”
- Cut the line about British people sounding smarter even when they’re vomiting.
Ugh.
- Cut the line that ruined an otherwise great ending.
I like that you knew people wanted the ending to be as close to the movie as possible, and it delivered. It was very well done, although there should be a song somewhere (maybe before the three characters meet at the top of the ESB, with Jonah singing his way there and Sam singing his way there and Annie singing her way there and they all overlap slowly and then go full Les Mis that would be awesome). But the last-second joke about playing tennis? Nnnnnnnno.
THE NEUTRAL
I don’t understand why the time period is the same as the movie – it adds nothing, and the weird book scene about computers vs. typewriters is pointless. It wouldn’t change it too much to modernize the setting. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to keep it. It’s just whatever.
THE GOOD
- I may not have loved the opening song, but that opening scene immediately made me cry?? Wtf. It was really well done and just subtle enough. Honestly, every scene with Sam and Jonah was nearly perfect and captured real emotion. Both actors were great, so kudos for finding a non-annoying child actor. I really enjoyed Michael D. Xavier’s Sam, and I’m glad he gets to show off his voice. Kimberly Walsh is good too but deserves the same chance to really show off with a more defined character.
- I LOVE love the decision to add the new composite character of Sam’s friend babysitting Jonah all the time instead of having the Jessica role (and the Victor Garber role?). No one could capture what Gabby Hoffman did, and you don’t want to deal with more kids, so it’s a great decision. Their rapport was fun and necessary comic relief. An excellent change.
- I honestly don’t understand it, but the best acting moment in the entire show came from Sam’s sister and brother-in-law, who had…two lines. Give them more? Bring the rest of the book up to that level?
This show was a lot of fun and it could be great. I’m really impressed by the decisions made in what to keep from the movie and what to change, so I have hope that more great decisions will be made. Call me if you need me but ya know don’t call me but call me if you need me.
INFORMATION
Troubadour Theatre Wembley Park is out in, you guessed it, Wembley Park. It’s right near a location of the BoxPark food hall so that’s fun.
This theatre, man alive, has THE BEST BATHROOMS I’ve ever seen in a theatre. Like stadium style (endless rows! I think at least 40 stalls?) but with nice décor and sinks so it doesn’t look like a stadium. NO LINES. Also, the bar had several pitchers of water that they ALWAYS kept full. Please make the West End learn from them.
With a 7:45pm start time, Act 1 ended at 20:48, and the second act was just under an hour. Perfect length.
There was a good dog in the lobby. I pet him.
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The Cast & Cameos of Tick, Tick…Boom! and Why You Know Them (or Should)
By now, you may have recovered normal hydration levels after crying all weekend from the glorious movie musical ‘Tick, Tick…Boom!’, now on Netflix. A musical theatre adaptation for the ages, ‘Tick, Tick…Boom!’, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut and a copyeditor’s nightmare (I think it’s official ‘tick, tick…BOOM!’?? nothx), is the rare passion project that is as undeniably compelling for the general public as it is fervent in its appreciation and respect for a relatively niche genre. The lovingly created film paints a fully provocative, engrossing portrait of the late Jonathan Larson, the musical theatre composer who created two incredible lasting works before an untimely death, the devastation of which has threatened to define his legacy more than his brilliant creations. Lin’s (we’re on a first-name basis btw) directorial debut is spellbinding. He treats Larson’s life story, as told through Larson’s painstaking creation of what would eventually be ‘Tick, Tick…Boom’ the stage show, as only another such creator could, fully understanding the desperation, the hope, the single-minded devotion, the heartache.
The resulting film is one so fine that it is generating tons of Oscar buzz, which the fuckers rarely give to deserving movie musicals. Those of us who have known and loved the musical TTB for years are completely satisfied with this careful and meticulous adaptation, and those who are brand-new to it join us as die-hard fans. (At least the ones I know have. Or they know better than to tell me otherwise.) And we are all left adoring this excellent film about the creative process and what artists sacrifice for their craft, about this man and all the brilliance spilling out of him, and above all about our love for musical theatre.
This last part is evidenced in all aspects of the film, and not least by the people onscreen. Lin brought out the big guns for this one. His rolodex is probably the sickest one on the planet. The musical theatre legends, the exciting up and coming talent, and the beloved performers of all ages and bio lengths who fill the screen in roles big and small and miniscule (no small parts!) act as a treat for musical theatre lovers who amid crying over how great Andrew Garfield is and how wonderful the music sounds and how beautifully the story weaving was done can shout ‘OH MY GOD THAT’S _!!!’ over and over to the delight (not delight) of anyone watching with them. In February, when we do our gigantic pre-Oscars movie review roundup, I’ll talk more about this masterpiece, but today I’m here to go through the faces we saw and what we know them from.
Main Cast
Jonathan Larson: Andrew Garfield
What you know him from: Winning a Tony Award for Angels in America, Hacksaw Ridge and other great movies, Spider-Man and other spidery movies. Also he’s Jewish; we love that.
Michael: Robin de Jesus
What you know him from: Originating the role of Sonny in In the Heights on Broadway (‘chillax! you know you lumme’ I DO LUM YOU) (p.s. In the Heights is the other best movie of 2021 these are facts); being the best part of several other Broadway shows like the Douglas Hodge La Cage. Last seen in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix adaptation of The Boys in the Band. He was also Michael in the amazing theatre-kid cult movie Camp, which I hate to tell you is almost 20 years old (gasp!).
Roger: Joshua Henry
What you know him from: Billy Bigelow in the last revival of Carousel; making his name on Broadway in American Idiot, The Scottsboro Boys (ugh talk about crying and deserving more acclaim), being the best part of Violet with Sutton Foster which is saying something since she was perfect, being part of the spellbindingly-cast-but-not-as-strong-as-it-should-have-been Shuffle Along.
Carolyn: MJ Rodriguez
What you know her from: the lead of Pose, baby! How good is Pose! How good is she on it! We cry so much!
Susan: Alexandra Shipp
What you know her from: Straight Outta Compton, the Aaliyah movie.
Karessa: Vanessa Hudgens
What you know her from: being a teen star? Gigi on Broadway (lol), Grease! Live on NBC, Rent Live. She loves doing live stuff! Fun fact: I have never seen High School Musical. I know. Not by choice, I just haven’t gotten around to it in 25 years or whatever. Funner fact: I have watched High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which I enjoy.
Freddy: Ben Levi Ross
What you know him from: He was one of the Evan Hansen replacements on Broadway.
Ira: Jonathan Marc Sherman
What you know him from: He’s a playwright first and foremost, most recently having written Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which played off-Broadway and starred Jennifer Damiano and Michael Zegen (we love them).
Diner patrons in the opening number, 30/90 (what a bop right???)
Roger Bart
What you know him from: being the super creepy evil pharmacist on Desperate Housewives (I still remember how scary!), winning a Tony for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Producers; Young Frankenstein (frahnkenSHTEEN). Currently playing Doc Brown in London’s Back to the Future musical. Fun fact: He’s the singing voice of Hercules in the amazing animated movie. HE CAN GO THE DISTAAAANCE.
James C. Nicola: long (LONG) time artistic director of the New York Theatre Workshop.
Party scene
Scott the finance guy: Ryan Vasquez
What you know him from: Before being absolutely hysterical in this movie (I mean, he is us, those of us not professionally in theatre who geek out over it wholeheartedly), Vasquez was in the original cast of Waitress and has apparently played literally every male role in Hamilton.
Fun fact (this shit is FULL OF FUN FACTS! SO FUN!): The R&B ish song playing on the boom box as Jonathan and Susan go down into the bone zone is ‘Green Green Dress’, a song from the stage version of TTB cut for the film but I believe included on the film soundtrack with a full version by Garfield and Shipp. This version in this scene is sung by Joshua Henry!
Michael’s fancy pants building
I’m sure there are lots more famouses in this scene but I could not make out their faces.
Concierge: Luis Miranda
What you know him from: being Lin’s dad, being my mom’s biggest crush (I know and she has a lot), lots of great political work, also waving to Nina in ‘Breathe’ in In the Heights movie (Lin will put his dad in everything and we’re not mad).
Doorman: Chris Sullivan
What you know him from: One of several members of Freestyle Love Supreme in this movie! He’s the one known as Shockwave. I wish I had a cool nickname. Anyway thanks to the person who corrected me since I got my Chrises Sullivan mixed up!
Parking attendant: Andrew Bancroft
What you know him from: More Freestyle Love Supreme!
Writing workshop
OKAY this is where I started really screaming. EVERYONE sitting in this room is a musical theatre creative, and I LOVE that Lin did that, solidifying that this movie and TTB in general is so much for the people it’s about. I’m not going to pretend I recognized everyone (I’m sorry but I would not know Georgia Stitt by face) but these are the ones I did yell about. If you knew all of them, bravaaa.
Jason Robert Brown: composer of all my faves, like The Bridges of Madison County, The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World. Also 13 (fun fact I sat in the front row of the first Broadway preview LIKE A NERD) and is friends with Ariana Grande as a result.
Alex Lacamoire: known for being the right-hand man of Lin when it comes to his orchestrations and generally being the best ever. Orchestrator of In the Heights, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, also this movie!
Shaina Taub: composer of the great musical version of Twelfth Night; friends with my friend from Hebrew school.
Dave Malloy: MY BOY DAVE! Wild & Crazy composer of Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 and other wild & crazy works like Moby Dick (SO COOL), Ghost Quartet, Octet, Preludes, and of course the f-ing nutty Beardo, which is about Rasputin, don’t forget that one.
Stephen Schwartz: composer of Godspell (which gets a hilarious shoutout later in the film), Wicked, Pippin. What a dude.
Who lives who dies Jeannine Tesori: composer of Fun Home; Caroline or Change; Violet; Thoroughly Modern Millie. A legend.
Tom Kitt: Seems very tall; Tony- and Pulitzer-winning composer of my beloved Next to Normal. Oh man, Next to Normal, guys. Also wrote Bring It On! the musical with Lin, and If/Then, which was good-not-great but has one of my favorite shower singing songs (IF WE’RE ALWAYS! STARTING OVER!)
Quiara Allegria Hudes: book writer of In the Heights the musical, screenwriter for ITH the movie, also is from Philly so COME THROUGH QUIARA.
Richard Kind: Uncle Richard as we call him. I mean, you know him from everything. He’s the greatest ever. Currently being hysterical with every single word he utters as Andrew’s father on Big Mouth.
Bradley Whitford as Stephen Sondheim
What you know him from: The West Wing, being Bradley Whitford, aging amazingly.
Hilarious music video
H.A.W.K. Smooth: Tariq Trotter
What you know him from: He’s Black Thought from The Roots. Yes Philly!
Sunday number at the diner
This is the part where musical theatre lovers wept tears of pure joy, and where everyone else became a musical theatre lover. This. Was. EVERYTHING. Everyone in that diner is a theatre legend. LEDGE.
Line cook: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Yes, the director himself. My husband heard his voice to start the scene and said ‘oh that’s Lin!’ before they showed his face. So proud, so lucky. Can you IMAGINE being in the audience of Les Mis when he did the voice at the barricade that one time?
Patrons:
Joel Grey
What you know him from: originating the emcee role in Cabaret on Broadway and recreating it for the movie, and winning an Oscar for it. The original wizard in Wicked, Moonface Martin in the unmatched 2011 Anything Goes! revival. That one amazing episode of Star Trek Voyager that made me cry.
Howard McGillin
What you know him from: the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera
Chuck Cooper
What you know him from: winning a Tony for The Life. MY SISTER WAS A PROS…
Phylicia Rashad
What you know her from: I mean…do I have to say it.
Beth Malone
What you know her from: originating the role of Big Alison in Fun Home on Broadway — the costume from which she is wearing in this scene!!!! best! You may also know her from the best Best Actress in a Musical announcement at the Tonys that year, when Kelli O’Hara finally won and all the other nominees, shown in their little boxes, were clearly so happy for her, it was the sweetest ever.
Andre de Shields
What you know him from: Hermes in Broadway’s Hadestown, giving one of the best Tony acceptance speeches ever, talking to me about sweet potatoes after one of the London performances and I wish we were best friends.
Brian Stokes Mitchell. STOKES.
What you know him from: having wheels of a dream in Ragtime; Tony Award for Kiss Me, Kate; Man of La Mancha; having THAT FUCKING VOICE.
Bebe Neuwirth
What you know her from: Cheers/Frasier, revival of Chicago. That incredible episode of Will & Grace playing herself.
Renee Elise Goldsberry
What you know her from: Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton; original Nettie in The Color Purple; the final Mimi in Rent on Broadway, so she’s the one in the Rent Live filmed production, which I was in the audience for!!! It was THE BEST! We went nuts after the finale and ovated for like 30 minutes and then they were like ‘we have to do it again!’
Phillipa Soo
What you know her from: breaking Lin’s heart so good in Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 off-Broadway that he cast her as Elizabeth Schuyler in Hamilton.
Bernadette Peters
What you know her from: Sunday in the Park with George (I mean, if you are IN THE SHOW that the characters are watching in this movie reverently that’s just…everything); Song & Dance; Into the Woods; A Little Night Music; Follies; Hello, Dolly!; being in the best film version of Annie; being Sondheim’s muse? being so lucky? having the best hair? Broadway Barks?
Chita Rivera: I mean, it’s Chita Rivera. Original stage Anita in West Side Story; the chief cook and bottle washer in The Rink; Kiss of the Spider Woman; original Velma Kelly in Chicago; original Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie; scary scary sexy robot lady in the musical adaptation of The Visit; Fosse’s film version of Sweet Charity. Ledge.
The 3 bums:
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Adam Pascal, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, from the original cast of Rent
Jonathan’s workshop cast
Aneesa Folds
What you know her from: another Freestyle Love Supremer! they are so talented I wanna barf.
Kate Rockwell
What you know her from: the best part of Mean Girls the musical (‘My name is Karen. I may not be smart…that’s it.’)
Gizel Jimenez
What you know her from: has been in Wicked, Avenue Q. Really enjoyed her in this I want to see her onstage!
Joel Perez
What you know him from: the original cast of Fun Home. So many of them in this!
In the extended workshop cast shown in the Sextet
Janet Dacal
What you know her from: original Carla in In the Heights! long as he keeps it clean! ay dios mio!
Kenita R. Miller
What you know her from: the best part of the flawless Once on this Island Tony-winning revival. HOT HOLY GODDAMN that show was incredible and she revolutionized her track.
The woman who buys Jonathan’s records for $50 and makes hilarious Godspell jokes
Joanna Adler
What you know her from: lots of off-Broadway work but probably most recognizable as Summer’s mother in School of Rock
The hilarious focus group
Leader: Laura Benanti
What you know her from: Gypsy, My Fair Lady, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, stealing scenes in Sound of Music Live, being hilarious, the name my dad guesses every time a song starts on Sirius Broadway.
Micaela Diamond
What you know her from: The Cher Show on Broadway, playing the youngest Cher
Danielle Ferland
What you know her from: OG Little Red in Into the Woods!!! omg she grew up
Utkarsh Ambudkar
What you know him from: Freestyle Love Supreme, the rapper in the boy group in Pitch Perfect (hey you! with the eeeyes), Mindy’s brother on The Mindy Project
Jonathan’s parents
Danny Burstein
What you know him from: consistently gifting us amazing performances on Broadway. The Drowsy Chaperone, Luther Billis in the Kelli/Szot South Pacific, heartbreaking in Follies, Cabaret, a wonderful Tevye in 2016. Recently winning a Tony for Moulin Rouge. Being king of the adorables.
Judy Kuhn
What you know her from: original Broadway Cosette in Les Mis, Chess, singing voice of Pocahontas so the version of ‘Colors of the Wind’ that isn’t Vanessa Williams, Alison’s mom in Fun Home, Golde in Fiddler last year on the West End.
Jonathan’s agent: Judith Light
What you know her from: You know her from Who’s the Boss?, I know her from spending one summer when I lived in NYC somehow being on the exact same theatre schedule as her with seats always near each other and after a few weeks we were like wtf??? who is stalking who?
Louder than Words cameos
Jelani Alladin, when they cut to Michael the Jesus in the audience at “why so many people bleed”
What you know him from: originating Kristoff in Frozen on Broadway
Chris Jackson making SERIOUS FACE and sitting in front of Sondheim Whitford
What you know him from: original Benny in In the Heights, original George Washington in Hamilton
What my baby nephew knows him from: Mr Softee in the In the Heights movie, whose ‘tuck is boken downnn’; video upon request.
Extra treat: When Jonathan sings “what does it take to wake up a generation/how can you make someone take off and fly’, they show a split-second black & white image of the original cast of Rent. Just in case you weren’t sobbing uncontrollably already.
Obviously I didn’t get everyone and I have poor vision so shout out those I missed in the comments! and your favorite part of the movie!
“Best of Enemies” at the Young Vic Uneven but Entertaining
It’s Theatre Thursday! Today’s show is the play ‘Best of Enemies’ that I recently saw via livestream thanks to the Young Vic’s incredible decision to make all their shit available while you sit on your couch, which I love.
In 1968, American politics seemed volatile and people were fighting publicly and openly in a way that made everyone think ‘oh mg we are never going to be able to agree so we will never be able to get along or live in harmony and everything should be dictated by hate and I hate you’ and that only lasted a few years and everything is different now. I joke! See name of website! “Best of Enemies”, the new play by James Graham based on the documentary based on the famous TV segments, is the story of how television shifted to profit off of this opposition politics by pitting two well-known yellers against each other: William F. Buckley Jr. (would be a trumper today?) and Gore Vidal (would be getting into trouble on Twitter today?).
Buckley was a shlamiel conservative who founded the National Review and was super big on ‘Christian values’ in the American political sense and not the actual Christian sense; Vidal was the intellectual and author known for his wit and being in the same social circle as Andy Warhol and stuff I guess. During the 1968 primaries, ABC, then trailing in the ratings, had the great/fateful idea to pit these two figures against each other in a string of live debates where they could be like ‘no I’m right and you’re wrong’ ‘no I’M right and you’re wrong and here’s why’ ‘here’s your old man!’ kind of stuff.
Discussion of these debates have lasted all these years because 1) it changed how TV networks reported on politics and 2) Buckley called Vidal a queer and threatened to punch his face apart, on live TV. The play covers both of these aspects, though I would have loved more on the former, which I found fascinating. As Buckley, David Harewood (from Homeland) is strong and as unlikeable as he should be, and I appreciated the colorblind casting for someone known for being on the wrong side of civil rights issues so often (and sometimes he admitted as such, which is rare for his ilk today). Charles Edwards’ Gore Vidal hit that perfect note of ‘I know this guy’s right and I mostly totally agree with him but man is he pompous’, which is spot on. Both were infuriating to watch at times, making me want to yell at my TV, which is exactly what ABC was originally going for so they captured that well.
The scenes of their actual debates were among the most compelling, as the drama was fully harnessed then. The extensive look into both of their personal lives was well intentioned and seems necessary in concept for fleshing out the drama, but in practice it contributed to the parts that dragged. What stood out for me in this play was actually, as I mentioned, the interesting behind-the-scenes talks at ABC about how they could boost their ratings, and the old-school journalists who gasped and clutched their pearls at the idea of having such opinionsss presented front-and-center instead of cold hard facts. Would watch a whole 10-part documentary on that shit.
The other aspect of the play that stood out for me was how positively astounding Syrus Lowe’s performance as James Baldwin was. When he came out on stage and said his first maybe three words, husband and I said at the same time ‘oh that’s James Baldwin?’, that’s how uncanny his physical presence and manner of speaking was. LOVES IT. His role in the story was a nice way to ground it historically, as was the tiny Andy Warhol ‘cameo’ (so funny). Other historical figures, like Aretha Franklin, didn’t deliver, but that could be a problem of comparison, outshined as anyone would be by Lowe.
What worked well in this play was the interplay between the dramatization of the events and the real speeches or photos shown in projections, out-Ivo-ing Ivo yet again. It positioned this event well in its point in history and served as a reminder of how history is made at night repeats itself, as this could have largely been taken from TV today.
I could have done without the super loud scene changes and loud music. We know from Mrs. Buckley’s lime green dresses that it’s the ’60s; the music is extraneous.
Act II drags quite a bit compared to the first; watching political arguing in a world that is 99% political arguing is exhausting, y’all. It was heavily personal attacks instead of ever talking about real important issues, which I guess is all political commentary at its core, but it’s very frustrating nonetheless. The frustration is not helped by the epilogue-y part with the woman decades later pontificating on what it all ‘really meant’ without really saying anything. It felt tedious and bloated. And I could have done without the whole ‘imagine what they’d say to each other now!’ bit. Didn’t they hate each other? Weren’t they real people? Don’t put words in their mouth, especially when the words don’t measure up to the ones they were famous for. So the play would benefit from some tightening up, but it does have a lot of captivating moments.
Other bits:
The livestream didn’t have an interval countdown clock, which is very stupid.
My favorite part is when one audience member had her mask below her nose and I groaned and said ‘ughhh pick up your mask lady’ and then the next time she was onscreen her mask was on properly; it’s like she heard me.
May I remind the entire UK theatre world of my long-standing offer to give your American-accent-featuring plays a once-over during a rehearsal so that no one ends up shouting ‘conTROversy’ during actual performances.
