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LimelightMike
Broadway Legend
joined:6/21/06
| IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 01:01
After making its world premiere at Berkley Rep, Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room or the vibrator play, opens tonight at the Lyceum Theatre. Tony Award winners Laura Benanti and Michael Cerveris star. Preview performances initially began October 22nd.
The Lincoln Center Theater production marks the Broadway debut for the Pulitzer Prize winner, known otherwise for such works including Eurydice, The Clean House and Dead Man's Cell Phone, which have previously been staged Off-Broadway.
Benanti and Cerveris are joined onstage by a company that includes Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Maria Dizzia, Thomas Jay Ryan, Passion Play), Wendy Rich Stetson and Chandler Williams.
Here's how Lincoln Center characterizes the play: "Set at the dawn of the age of electricity and based on the bizarre historical fact that doctors used vibrators to treat 'hysterical' women (and some men), the play centers on a doctor and his wife (Laura Benanti and Michael Cerveris) and how his new therapy affects their entire household."
Tickets are currently on sale through January 10, 2010.
My absolute to everyone involved.
Best,
- Mike 
LimelightMike's 2008-2009 Theatergoing Schedule:
(title of show)
(07.22.08)
A TALE OF TWO CITIES
(09.15.08)
TO BE OR NOT TO BE
(09.20.08)
FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: GOES TO REHAB
(09.30.08)
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS
(10.19.08)
THIRTEEN
(10.21.08)
ROCK OF AGES (Off-Broadway)
(10.25.08)
BILLY ELLIOT
(10.29.08)
SPEED-THE-PLOW
(11.01.08)
WHAT'S THAT SMELL?
(11.12.08)
AMERICAN BUFFALO
(11.15.08)
DUST
(12.03.08)
PRAYER FOR MY ENEMY
(12.04.08)
DIViDING THE ESTATE
(01.03.09)
SHREK
(01.07.09)
DEAR EDWINA
(01.17.09)
SOUL OF SHAOLIN
(01.21.09)
THE AMERICAN PLAN
(01.25.09)
HEDDA GABLER
(01.28.09)
PAL JOEY
(02.13.09)
THE STORY OF MY LIFE
(02.18.09)
THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION
(03.01.09)
33 VARIATIONS
(03.12.09)
ROOMS
(03.22.09)
BLITHE SPIRIT
(03.29.09)
GUYS & DOLLS
(04.01.09)
THE TOXIC AVENGER
(04.03.09)
ROCK OF AGES
(04.05.09)
next to normal
(04.18.09)
reasons to be pretty
(04.26.09)
WAITING FOR GODOT
(05.27.09)
WEST SIDE STORY
(06.03.09)
EXIT THE KING
(06.10.09)
HAIR
(06.17.09)
THE WIZ
(06.24.09)
GOD OF CARNAGE
(07.08.09)
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Jordan Catalano
Broadway Legend
joined:10/9/05
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BobbyBubby
Broadway Legend
joined:11/23/04
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 01:35
| What Pulitzer did she win? If you're referencing The Clean House it was a finalist not winner.
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ljay889
Broadway Legend
joined:8/4/04
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 06:57
Associated Press looks very Positive
"This provocative, often quite funny play, which Lincoln Center Theater opened Thursday at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre, is Ruhl's most entertaining work to date. Not only because of its sexual subject matter but because she has created a parade of appealing, fully drawn characters, starting with the husband and wife at the center of her play. And Ruhl is dealing with some serious issues, too, most prominently the often difficult relationships between men and women and their misreadings of each other."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/19/entertainment/e152727S54.DTL
But the performer who covers the broadest emotional spectrum is the blazing Karen Olivo as Anita. It's a performance for which Tony Awards were made.- David Sheward |
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| Updated On: 11/19/09 at 06:57 PM | | |
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ljay889
Broadway Legend
joined:8/4/04
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 06:59
Hollywood Reporter is extremely Positive
bottom line: stimulating
"The play, seen at the Berkeley Rep, has been given a pitch-perfect Broadway staging that beautifully balances its humor and pathos. Under the sensitive direction of Les Waters, the ensemble delivers sterling performances, with Benanti a particular delight as the woman for whom electricity turns out to be a marriage saver."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/in-the-next-room-or-the-vibrator-play-theater-1004044611.story
But the performer who covers the broadest emotional spectrum is the blazing Karen Olivo as Anita. It's a performance for which Tony Awards were made.- David Sheward |
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| Updated On: 11/19/09 at 06:59 PM | | |
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ljay889
Broadway Legend
joined:8/4/04
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ljay889
Broadway Legend
joined:8/4/04
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 07:02
Murray is Mixed
"As it is, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play is a superb 80-minute lark locked in a 150-minute playâ??s lumbering, pent-up body. The chances are that it could be just as free-spirited as it thinks it is if, like Dr. Givingsâ??s patients, its own base needs were better recognized and met."
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/IntheNextRoom.html
But the performer who covers the broadest emotional spectrum is the blazing Karen Olivo as Anita. It's a performance for which Tony Awards were made.- David Sheward |
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| Updated On: 11/19/09 at 07:02 PM | | |
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ljay889
Broadway Legend
joined:8/4/04
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 07:29
Backstage is very Positive, but isn't a fan of Chandler Williams' performance/character. It is a Critic's Pick.
"Farce and drama blend in Sarah Ruhl's odd but endearing new work, "In the Next Room or the vibrator play." This is the type of play no commercial producer in his or her right mind would ever mount on the Main Stem, but Lincoln Center Theater is presenting it at the Lyceum because "South Pacific" continues to run at the Vivian Beaumont. It's challenging and strange and addresses the uncomfortable issue of women's sexuality. Conventional Broadway audiences won't know what to make of it."
http://www.backstage.com/bso/reviews-ny-theatre-broadway/ny-review-in-the-next-room-or-the-vibrator-1004044614.story
But the performer who covers the broadest emotional spectrum is the blazing Karen Olivo as Anita. It's a performance for which Tony Awards were made.- David Sheward |
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ljay889
Broadway Legend
joined:8/4/04
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 07:31
Variety is Mixed, but looks more Mixed-to-Positive.
"Victorian repression gets a rude poke in Sarah Ruhl's typically idiosyncratic rumination on women's struggle to understand and explore their sexual selves, "In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play." While the signature 19th century ailment being treated is "hysteria," the chief weakness is the bipolar disorder of the inconsistent second act, which shifts uncertainly between serious developments and the more farcical business of romantic cross-currents. But there are so many lingering moments of emotional truth, and even more of daring comedy, that the play amuses and charms even if it doesn't quite satisfy."
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941643.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
But the performer who covers the broadest emotional spectrum is the blazing Karen Olivo as Anita. It's a performance for which Tony Awards were made.- David Sheward |
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| Updated On: 11/19/09 at 07:31 PM | | |
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Sauja
Featured Actor
joined:1/7/07
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 07:32
| My congratulations to all involved, but I have to confess that I'm surprised by the strong reviews. I so deeply disliked this show with the exception, ironically, of Chandler Williams.
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luvtheEmcee
Broadway Legend
joined:12/9/03
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 07:34
| Wow, I SO disagree that this is Ruhl's "most entertaining" play yet. I'm glad the reviews so far are mostly good. I was worried they wouldn't be.
I recognize the habit. The addiction to being alive. We live past hope. If I can find hope anywhere, that's it, that's the best I can do.
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| Updated On: 11/19/09 at 07:34 PM | | |
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adamgreer
Broadway Legend
joined:3/18/05
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 07:34
| I liked act 1, but was bored to tears in act 2.
OOPS: "Next to Normal will be closed by Labor Day."
~Wannabeafoster
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them"
~Walt Disney
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
~Walt Disney
My name is neither "adam" nor "greer."
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Roscoe
Broadway Legend
joined:5/15/03
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 08:50
| Wow. I wish I'd seen the play these reviewers saw, instead of the badly directed piece of sh*t they were doing the night I went.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/ |
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ljay889
Broadway Legend
joined:8/4/04
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dshnookie
Broadway Star
joined:9/15/07
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 09:15
| what happened to the discount code? yesterday afternoon it was up and by last night it was down. I guess I'll rush it and hope for a good seat.
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bjh2114
Broadway Legend
joined:4/19/06
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luvtheEmcee
Broadway Legend
joined:12/9/03
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 10:22
I love how on the Word of Mouth page, in one blurb it's a "comedy" and in the one just below it, it's a "drama." Good job, Broadway.com.
That was the first one I've watched in about a year, because they positively make my skin crawl, but it was so worth it, lol. God, where do they find these people?
I recognize the habit. The addiction to being alive. We live past hope. If I can find hope anywhere, that's it, that's the best I can do.
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bjh2114
Broadway Legend
joined:4/19/06
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 10:26
| It says something that Joe thinks that Thomas Edison discovered electricity. Nope... that was Ben Franklin, Joe. Edison just invented stuff with it.
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luvtheEmcee
Broadway Legend
joined:12/9/03
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 10:31
| Tommy. They were tight!
I recognize the habit. The addiction to being alive. We live past hope. If I can find hope anywhere, that's it, that's the best I can do.
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bjh2114
Broadway Legend
joined:4/19/06
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 10:31
USA TODAY is Very Positive. 3 1/2 stars out of 4.
"More than a decade after Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues premiered downtown, an equally provocative and not unrelated v-word is making its Broadway debut."
"The actresses all do justice to this vivid, bittersweet humanity that Ruhl affords them, as do their male castmates. By showing how women and men struggle with both pleasure and pain, In the Next Room offers something a lot more satisfying than cheap thrills or cheesy self-empowerment."
http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/reviews/2009-11-20-nextroom20_st_N.htm
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bjh2114
Broadway Legend
joined:4/19/06
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ljay889
Broadway Legend
joined:8/4/04
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 10:38
Isherwood loved it, of course. Though he admits it is a bit overplotted.
"â??In the Next Room,â?? a Lincoln Center Theater production, is directed by Les Waters with a fine sensitivity to its varied textures. Insightful, fresh and funny, the play is as rich in thought as it is in feeling."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/theater/reviews/20innextroom.html
But the performer who covers the broadest emotional spectrum is the blazing Karen Olivo as Anita. It's a performance for which Tony Awards were made.- David Sheward |
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| Updated On: 11/19/09 at 10:38 PM | | |
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bjh2114
Broadway Legend
joined:4/19/06
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 10:48
John Simon, who admitted to not being a Ruhl fan, loved it. RAVE!!! 4 stars out of 4.
"Wonders will never cease. Sarah Ruhl, whose previous work I execrated, has written a smart, charming, iridescently funny-serious jewel, “In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play.”"
"How neatly Ruhl’s dialogue crackles with sass or flows into lyricism, as when Leo declares, “I have loved enough women to know how to paint. If I had loved fewer, I would have been an illustrator; if I had loved more, I would be a poet.”"
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aOXKrBrOlXFc
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adamgreer
Broadway Legend
joined:3/18/05
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 10:55
“In the Next Room” is a true novelty: a sex comedy designed not for sniggering teenage boys — or grown men who wish they were still sniggering teenage boys — but for adults with open hearts and minds.
What about the sniggering 40-ish housewives seated around me who giggled the entire play, including during the nude scene. You'd think they've never seen a penis before.
OOPS: "Next to Normal will be closed by Labor Day."
~Wannabeafoster
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them"
~Walt Disney
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
~Walt Disney
My name is neither "adam" nor "greer."
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bjh2114
Broadway Legend
joined:4/19/06
| re: IN THE NEXT ROOM Reviews
Posted On:11/19/09 at 10:58
Newsroom New Jersey is Positive:
"Not an easy piece to perform — balancing period manners with contemporary humor is tricky — the play benefits from Waters' sure but gentle staging and the excellence of his actors. Best known for her musical theater roles, the Kinnelon-bred Benanti is perfectly adorable as the ultra-ingenuous Catherine. If her acting style seems a trifle modern in comparison to the others, kindly remember her character represents a fresh spirit in a musty world. Another notable from musicals, Cerveris portrays the doctor earnestly with a cultured voice and a preoccupied manner.
The remainder of the company is top-notch, with special kudos to Dizzia for embodying Mrs. Daldry's electrifying experience so adroitly."
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/movies/new-broadway-comedy-explores-victorian-sex-lives
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bjh2114
Broadway Legend
joined:4/19/06
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2/9:
No THE SOPRANOS Musical
2/9:
When Joey Married Bobby
2/9:
Home sweet home...
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LA CAGE AUX FOLLES Launches Interactive Website
Video for Green Day's "21 Guns" Featuring Cast of AMERICAN IDIOT Now Online
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STAGE TUBE: Megan Mullally Talks Gensis of 'That's What She Said' on FunnyorDie.com
Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater Presents Amy Marshall Dance Co., 3/25-3/28
Broadway Traffic Experiment in Times Square Yields Questionable Results
Ziegfeld Theatre Hosts Week Engagement of 'West Side Story' and 'Funny Girl', 2/12-18
Mayer, Miyagawa et al. Set for DREAMING THE AMERICAS Conference, 2/26 - 2/27
“Naked” Polar Bear Cruise Hosts Fundraiser for Wildlife Conservation Society, 2/27
