DEAD ACCOUNTS -- Preview Thoughts- Page 2

[Movidude742]

Posted: 11/9/12 at 1:21am

I didn't dislike the play. But knowing the run time it got to a point that I wondered how they possibly could bring the play to any sort of conclusion

I have to say Rebeck must have had the same thought, and just like me couldn't solve it either

I was entertained . . . I laughed . . . but yeah I didn't see the point

[Tom5]

Posted: 11/9/12 at 2:36pm

The New York production of Seminar had an audacious premise with a cast of outstanding actors and I enjoyed it on that basis alone.
Frankly, I can't even grasp what this play is about.
Bad, bad sign.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/9/12 at 2:38pm

Rebeck must give one hell of a hummer.

[broadwayworldreader]

Posted: 11/10/12 at 1:23am

After seeing this play I couldn't help but wonder if Rebeck was just a bitter New York playwright who, at moments in the show, was just channeling resentments she had about nyc and pinning them up beside equally negative stereotypes of Midwesterners.

By the time I got home I was more interested in reading up on her than anything else...Wikipedia has informed me that she is, coincidentally, from OH.

whoops.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 11/10/12 at 10:11am

My first exposure to Rebeck was seeing the premiere of "Mauritius" at the Huntington in Boston, where it was one of the most unexpectedly amazing things I saw in my time there. I was saddened when the Broadway transfer didn't get the same reviews with it's "name" cast. I also think Seminar is a good, if not groundbreaking play. I thought this was her least interesting script, though her ear for dialogue is still sharp, the structure of it is just befuddling; I found the conclusion a giant thud of a moment and the fact that it was over-directed in that moment made the thud more resoundingly hollow. I enjoyed Butz throughout, the rest of the cast was serviceable, and there are some fun moments, but not enough to recommend (or, alternately, to condemn) it.

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 11/10/12 at 11:25am

What's it like at the stage door after the show?

[LittleCheno]

Posted: 11/10/12 at 5:48pm

I went to stage door after today's matinee. There were a good number of people there. The security collected people's playbills to have Katie sign (you had to put your initials on the cover to get it returned to you). They returned them really quickly all signed by her. She left a few minutes later (carrying little Suri) but didn't stop to sign. Norbert came out and signed, but didn't pose.

I thought it was really gracious of Katie to sign backstage since she knew she wouldn't be stopping for people.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 11/10/12 at 6:05pm

Did Judy Greer come out? I went last night and waited about 40 minutes before tapping out to the cold.

As for show... at least now I know that if I ever get stranded in Cincinnati, I should try the ice cream.

[liotte]

Posted: 11/10/12 at 11:11pm

Tonight at the stage door, Norbert and Jayne both signed and were very gracious. Katie didn't make an appearance at all, we were told she left already. Josh came out and probably would have signed but no one really stopped him. Judy had a bunch of friends there, she came out really quickly and rushed off without acknowledging anyone waiting for her.

As for the show, I was waiting for an act 3 to know what happened.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 11/10/12 at 11:17pm

Judy Greer is the only reason I would see this show. I adore her.

[LittleCheno]

Posted: 11/10/12 at 11:53pm

Judy didn't come out at the Matinee either...

[followspot]

Posted: 11/11/12 at 12:56am

Trust me — the only thing you'll ever get from Judy Greer is attitude.

[After Eight]

Posted: 11/11/12 at 8:23am

"As for the show, I was waiting for an act 3 to know what happened."

The author should have thought about that in acts 1 and 2.

What a stupid, pointless, mess. And what a waste of the acting talent onstage.

[Movidude742]

Posted: 11/11/12 at 10:19am

Thursday night they also did the bit of taking the Playbills in for Holmes to sign, but they were gone for about 35 minutes. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast came out about 32 minutes after the playbills were gathered up.

I had the entire rest of the cast sign my ticket as I didn't have my playbill. Jayne Houdyshell was still there after Katie left, so she graciously signed the playbill also.

[amgor]

Posted: 11/12/12 at 11:38am

I totally agree. Saw the show last week. A disappointment. : (

[amgor]

Posted: 11/12/12 at 12:48pm

Interestingly, Josh Hamilton was born and raised in NYC! lol. He is a good actor... : )

[mamaleh]

Posted: 11/16/12 at 10:18am

Found it puzzling that Katie Holmes' character reacted the same to her father's serious illness and her brother's buying too much pizza--both reactions were at a constant frenetic level; just too much. The director should tamp it down. Norbert was fantastic as always--especially in the humorous opening scene--but the intrigue suggested in Act I didn't pay off enough for me in the second, as the play just petered out without much of a conclusion.

Orchestra was filled, mezz relatively sparsely populated. My TDF ticket was far-left Row G orchestra.

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 11/16/12 at 10:39am

I'm not a fan of Rebeck but I can't stand the way she's bashed for making a living in TV land. The plays I've seen by her were definitely stage plays, not TV disguised as stage plays. I'm not saying spending a lot of time writing or acting in godawful TV cop shows doesn't take its toll but I think there's a real double standard where writers who work for TV get bashed but actors get a free pass.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/17/12 at 6:54am

I don't think the fact that she writes for tv is what people don't like, it's that her tv writing is just as bad as her play writing, some would argue even worse.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/17/12 at 11:45am

I'm not bashing Rebeck, or anyone, for making a living from TV writing. But for me, her plays read and sound like extended TV scripts. They're insubstantial, forced conversations in "modern vernacular" that occasionally graze greater topics just enough so some audiences think they're getting something deeper. They hit the appropriate marks but nothing more.

[Owen22]

Posted: 11/18/12 at 12:44am

Please, the quality of a lot of TV writing is SO much higher than the standard writing for the theatre anymore. Almost any episode of "Mad Men" or "Good Wife" or "Homeland" (or say, half the episodes of "Modern Family", "New Girl" or "Parks and Rec)" is as good as anything the theatre has produced in the last five years. Mainly because the talented writers who at one time would have made a living writing plays are now scared off by the endless "readings and workshops instead of productions" cycles and find they can make a living writing in Los Angeles. Which generally means television. I applaud those that stay and exclusively try to work in the theatre, but to say TV writing is at all LESSER than theatre writing is pretentiously out of touch.

Updated On: 11/18/12 at 12:44 AM

[darion]

Posted: 11/19/12 at 11:19am

I saw it over the weekend and i really liked it, though it kinda ends abruptly... Norbert was of course incredible and Katie was really really good as well. you can tell shes put her all in it. the only down note was the character of Phil, it was if he was doing an SNL parody. Im willing to give the understudy a break though, Im guessing it really was a last second fill in. there were no slips announcing this in the Playbill and doors opened at only 10 minutes before curtain. Ya'll need to give Katie a break at the stage door though, Im sure shes getting a lot of crazies and freaks harrassing her.



Updated On: 11/19/12 at 11:19 AM

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 12/31/12 at 12:55am

saw it tonight

the orchestra had some random scattered seats open and the mezz was DESERTED like maybe 20 people sitting up there.

The failures of this piece fall's squarely on the director and the writer. Jack O'Brien choose some very weird directing choices, the scene changes and the blackouts just screwed with the flow of the whole thing, also I have no clue why Katie Holmes was playing her character (who was in her 30's) like an angsty teen. Rebeck has her characters doing things for un-explained reasons, the main character buys copious amounts of food, has bottle and bottles of pill's on him and none of this behavior is ever rationally explained, there is a whole through line about religion thats never really made clear, again its another play that really wants to say something profound but can't figure out how to do it and ends ambiguously as if its like i know what I'm doing but I want you to decide if this guys good or bad, I'm tired of seeing playwrights do this. the MVP of the whole mess is Norbert Leo Butz who I wouldn't be surprised if he walks away with the shows only award nominations, again he takes subpar material (like he did in Catch Me If You Can) and does wonders with it. And for the love of god can Ms Rebeck stop writing extreme set changes right into the very end of her plays? This isn't to say that there isn't humor in the play, but there was no reason for this to be on Broadway.

also merch was super discounted

2 shirts for 20 and a really nice knit cap for 10 bucks , and free keychains with every purchase

stagedoor, everyone signed (except Katie and they didn't collect our playbills)