Langella to play Lear at BAM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 9:40am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Frank-Langella-to-Star-in-KING-LEAR-at-Chichester-Festival-and-BAM-Fall-Winter-2013-20130620

I am moving into BAM. My favorite actor playing Lear? I'm so there!

[sanda]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 9:55am

I am a big fan of Langella but I don't like Lear.

[dreaming]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 10:02am

I'll likely end up seeing it because I adore Langella, but, this play has had so many productions (and honestly, most were bad), it leaves me asking 'why'?.

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 3:16pm

Michael Grandage production of King Lear at Bam in 2011 with Sir Derek Jacobi was excellent.

Why?

I think its one of the great plays so they can do it over and over. It will most likely sell out. I am always happy going to BAM to see productions. They always have interesting work.

I never understand when people say "they just did this" or "Why another production?" If a group of artist want to tell the story and there is an audience, why not?

My only issue is all this Shakespeare is wrecking havoc on my American Express.

Updated On: 6/20/13 at 03:16 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 3:20pm

I'm going to keep a list. From now on anyone who says that there's no issue with the same Shakespeare play coming back every five minutes (because its just that good) is no longer allowed to say anything when a new production of GYPSY is announced or anything like that.

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 3:55pm

Put my name on the list, with a star next to it. Why should I care how many Gypy's, or anything for that matter, they stage? If it's good fine. Long running productions are actually more tiring to me. Re-stage it with a new group of artist. If it's good, it's good.

[wonkit]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 11:14pm

I have always been impressed by Langella but I have to admit that reading his book left me with such a bad taste that I feel less enthusiastic about watching him. Maybe I will pass this one up - depending, of course, on the rest of the cast.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 6:34am

I devoured that book. Maybe felt a little guilty about it, but I still devoured it!

[wonkit]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 9:00am

I devoured the book, too. It was well written. I just thought it was unnecessarily spiteful, especially towards a number of celebrated older women. Which says a lot about Langella's character. Speaking ill of the dead is rather a questionable way to make money. Not that he is alone in doing just that.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 12:44pm

Some years ago, Frank Langella was on Theatre Talk and was asked about Christopher Plummer's Lear. Langella said that when he went backstage afterwards, he said to Plummer, "Thanks for f___ing it up for the rest of us." Guess he figures enough time has passed.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 4:27pm

I have Angela Lansbury on the brain and so I read this as "Angela to play Lear" and thought, she's doing Lear and The Chalk Garden as well?

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 11:18am

Bumping this...anyone catch it yet?

[wexy]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 11:23am

last night was the first performance at the Harvey. if you go try to get to in the front orchestra as voices don't carry (sorry Til Tuesday) and had trouble hearing dialogue in the back;especially the women.
wasn't the only one as the man in front of me mentioned it as well.

[newintown]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 11:25am

I always love a good Lear, it's one of my favorites - Plummer was terrific, but I've even enjoyed Kevin Kline and F. Murray Abraham. I bet Langella will give everyone their money's worth, it's right up his alley.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 12:41pm

It's a solid production of a play I could see monthly without complaint. Langella is fine, but doesn't knock it out of the park, ditto for much of the remaining cast, with a few highlights and a few lowlights. Very well staged.

[wexy]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 1:25pm

Interesting that the Theater For A New Audience across the street from BAM is doing their own production of King Lear starting in March (agree with Hogan on the staging)

http://www.tfana.org/season-2014/king-lear/overview

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 2:45pm

Lear is a great text, regardless of which of the two variant versions is used as the basis. I do admit, however, that I have a soft spot for when Lears are cast a little younger and look less "wizard-haggard." I feel like there's a certain extra poignancy and tragedy when rather than being simply old and senile, Lear's descent feels like not only fate and circumstance, but the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 2:58pm

I like Langella well enough and love LEAR, but for some reason, I feel like I can imagine his Lear in my head, and it's not very exciting.

Updated On: 1/8/14 at 02:58 PM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 5:30pm

He's my favorite actor, so I splurged. I've got a 3rd row, dead center seat for Sunday. I'll be sure to report back.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 5:37pm

growl-I think your imagination is right on target.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 5:50pm

Did you see it, HogansHero?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 7:08pm

yes, growl, my comments on it are higher up in this thread.

[bobs3]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 8:11pm

I saw Olivier and McKellan on television and they were both excellent Lears. I could kick myself for missing Christopher Plummer (LCT) and Kevin Kline (NYSF) in the role.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 1/8/14 at 9:18pm

I've seen Lear at BAM three times now, as well as Plummer and Kline, several out of town, and that one I won't mention by name at the Public. I hate ranking these things, but I do believe I'd make it Plummer, Jacobi, McKellan (actually probably second but for the fact the overall production disappointed). Langella would rank next to last of them all, though its important to recognize the company he's in. As I said before, nothing wrong with it, just nothing astonishing either. I guess now we will sit and wait for Rylance to do it, and I hope it's not long. I really think something is lost when Lear is doddering from the get-go.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/9/14 at 7:39am

Oh, I’m sorry, HH! I even read that response, but I must not have been paying attention to your avatar. I’m with you on where Lear should be at the start of the play. That Public production was just an absolute disaster from top to bottom, wasn’t it?

In some alternate universe, there’s a great, entirely different LEAR built around Bill Irwin’s fool. And maybe we’ll get Bill Irwin’s Lear someday. I just re-watched the McKelle on “Great Performances,” and he truly is a joy.