GRACE: Preview Thread- Page 2

[dave1606]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:03am

What I expected was that by the time we reached the final scene again, there would be some revelations that would add a depth to what we saw in the beginning. That was not the case. If anything I took away from this play that life was meaningless but coincidental and that you probably shouldn't look to Swiss investors to fund Gospel Hotels.

Updated On: 9/14/12 at 12:03 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:10am

Is the script totally unfixable?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:23am

Jordan- This play was like a really bland meal. I guess you could pour a ton of salt on it, but that won't really make it better. It should have been seasoned correctly from the start. Also I don't think the playwright has a strong flair for dialogue. It was never very funny, and certainly not poetic or memorable. Pretty perfunctory stuff.

Maybe the best thing they can do is remove the final scene from the top of the play.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:31am

Then I'm really curious what drew such talented people to it.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:39am

^money

and my god I hate that anyone thinks a theater piece should start with the last scene first. Name one show where that has really worked!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:43am

If I had to guess I think some actors are probably drawn to doing new work rather than bringing in the 17th Streetcar revival. On paper the plot sounds interesting, and has the promise of being "edgy." All of the actors are well cast, so perhaps they felt these were roles they could play well. The director has worked with Shannon before so that may have been a factor in his accepting the role.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:58am

How terribly disappointing. I was looking forward to this show.

[willep]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 3:08am

Well this is certainly disheartening to hear.

[musicman_bwayfan]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 4:13am

Was there any merchandise yet? Posters? Thanks for the info...

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 6:23am

The actors may have been drawn to the play for several solid reasons. It got good reviews in earlier productions. Shannon worked with the well-respected playwright recently in his Mistakes Were Made. Shannon probably signed on first, which may have helped attract the others.

I don't deny the validity of the negative opinions expressed here from a first preview, but as with Motherf**ker with a Hat, differing views may come later.

Here's the Washington Post review of the premiere production:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26896-2004Nov4.html

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 7:29am

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Well, I'm hoping for an improvement in the next two weeks, but it doesn't sound too promising. For anyone who saw this and ITIIHFIY -- I'm looking at you, Whizzer -- which was more difficult to sit through? I already have my tickets, so it's about tempering expectations.

chrisampm2, ITIIHFIY was also pretty well-received across the board in England, but I didn't see much in that play that was salvagable. I'm hoping hoping hoping, though!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 9:08am

I was with four friends last night who also saw ITIIHFIY and we all agreed that was harder to sit through. I mean this doesn't have the accent battle or the confusing relationships. Everything here is easy to follow- it's just a matter of not caring about the characters.

Motherfvcker With a Hat is an interesting play to bring up. Yes that went from flop to hit overnight, but even at the first preview it was a much better play than Grace. Motherfvcker was just too long- they made trims, cut the intermission and cranked out a hit. The set was also much more impressive than Grace, and I was invested in Cannevale and Rodriguez's characters.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 9:58am

Let me say that I saw IF THERE IS... again last night and they've really used the preview period to improve the show, which is something you don't see much anymore. The show is about 15 minutes shorter and flows much better than it did before. It's getting a better audience response now than I've seen any of the other 4 times I saw it, too.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 11:30am

I saw IF THERE IS... last night and liked it. I went in with low expectations because of poor word-of-mouth, but left the theatre happy that I had gone.

[The Josh]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:33pm

How's Ed Asner?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/15/12 at 10:34am

Fascinating response. The show got near-raves in Washington and then in LA. So did DETROIT, and DETROIT, at least at preview 4, was a major let-down for me (and I'd read and enjoyed the script.)

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 9/15/12 at 3:43pm

I saw it last night and didn't think it was as bad as everyone on here had been saying. Yes, there are some moments of awfully written dialogue but the play as a whole was alright. I actually thought the play happened rather quickly (it ended at 9:45 last night). There were definitely some funny moments throughout, but there were also some very dramatic moments too. I thought it was very well balanced. I am interested in returning to the show after it opens to see if anything changes.

[GoshGeeGolly]

Posted: 9/15/12 at 6:22pm

I'll be going next week then with majorly low expectations.

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 9/15/12 at 11:55pm

I caught tonight's (Saturday evening) performance of the show. I suppose there will be mild spoilers here!

- At first it feels like Paul Rudd is playing a character identical to his usual personality — affable, a little goofy, with some awkward humor — but I was surprised to see him/the character go much deeper (although, being honest, I was hoping for a little more). I thought he did a very nice job, and by the play's end, I was almost sold. He gave a fine performance, nothing spectacular, but enjoyable.

- Unfortunately, as good as Rudd may be, Michael Shannon runs circles around him, and it becomes increasingly apparent that Shannon is the real star. His character is utterly heartbreaking, and his performance was even more so. I'm not one to say whether a person will or won't, should or shouldn't be nominated for a Tony, but I think people may be talking about Shannon for the next few months. He's certainly kicked off the season by setting a nice, high bar for acting.

- I thought Kate Arrington did fine — nothing fantastic, and her big moment sort of came and went without much fanfare.

- Ed Asner steals the few scenes he is in, and when he's not on stage, you can't help but wonder when he'll pop up again. He gives a pretty powerful (and really, a very funny) performance here. He slips in and out of an accent, but it's forgivable because he's so gosh darn cute up there in his little shorts and handyman belt.

- I thought the vision behind the rotating set was very well done. The play takes place in two apartments, identical in layout, and the scenes are played out on top of one another. It's quite effective, once you realize what's going on. There are at least two occasions in the show when I thought that the double-set thing was especially effective.

- One of the props flew off stage and landed in the front row. An empty tupperware container, so there was some comical (and audible) bounce to it. That was a fun moment. Even funnier was when the gentleman in the front put the container back on stage and slowly pushed it back towards the actors.

- Michael also seemed to break character for a moment during one of Asner's funniest lines at the end of the play.

- About that whole ending-at-the-beginning thing: I don't know how I felt about that. I think it would have been better not to have done that. There's some confusing recurring theme about re-doing things and going backwards in time, but I'll be honest, I didn't quite understand it. Maybe I missed something, and I'd be happy to learn why I apparently didn't glean this major theme (although, I didn't really think the time manipulation thing had anything to do with the content or themes of the rest of the play).

Stage door: It took about an hour for all four to emerge — first Paul, and then the other 3 at the same time. All four signed for pretty much everyone who shoved a Playbill in their face, and they all took pictures.

Overall, I thought it was a very strong play. Go see it for Shannon and Asner.





Updated On: 9/17/12 at 11:55 PM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 9/16/12 at 11:37am

I tried to nab a ticket yesterday, but it wasn't even on TKTS.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/16/12 at 1:19pm

I'm surprised by the terrible word on this site; I thought that it was one of the better new plays I've seen on Broadway in the past few seasons. The script bites off too much, thematically speaking, but there is a simple and compelling situation at the center, and very well-drawn characters. It's honest and interesting and funny. The cast is excellent. Wasn't surprised by how wonderful Shannon was, but I did not expect to be impressed by Paul Rudd.

iluvtheatertrash: It was on TKTS as of half an hour before the show at 50%. Maybe it wasn't on earlier? I snagged a general rush seat.

[nicvor84]

Posted: 9/16/12 at 6:11pm

How was the rush? And where were your seats?

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/16/12 at 11:25pm

The rush was $35, and nobody else was in line fifteen minutes before the show. My seat was two seats from the end of house left, row K. A barelybarelybarely obstructed view. I saw everything I needed to just fine.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 9/18/12 at 11:10am

Scarywarhol, you got rush tickets 15 minutes before the show?

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/18/12 at 8:28pm

Yep! Don't know if it will be a regular; it was just a few previews in.