All The Way Previews

WiCkEDrOcKS Profile Photo
WiCkEDrOcKS
#25All The Way Previews
Posted: 2/19/14 at 7:04pm

I enjoyed it...a lot more than I was expecting to. It's nowhere near great, it does feel disjointed, and for clocking in at 2 hours and 50 minutes, the resolution kinda comes out of nowhere. I also felt oddly shortchanged as far as dramatic heft and a really strong character study go, but I was mostly entertained. Cranston is giving a performance that defines "tour de force." He's just brilliant, there's really no other word for it. There's one scene in the second act where he is finally able to show a more emotional side to the character, as he talks about his parents, and it's just fascinating to watch Cranston navigate this hard-ass character through this fleeting moment of succumbing to his emotions and feelings. He has some great assistance in the form of his castmates as well. Brandon J. Dirden and Roslyn Ruff, in particular, are wonderful. Robert Petkoff has a few moments where he veers a bit too closely into the "overacting" territory, but mostly he's excellent as well.

The set is utilized quite nicely, as are the projections on the back wall. I'm on the fence about the direction for this one; the use of the aisles and having the characters walk through the audience felt forced and unnecessary. It distracted me more than anything. The play itself is ambitious to a fault; it's overstuffed (with characters, with history, with exposition, etc) and at times it definitely feels like it's more suited for an HBO movie or miniseries. At the same time, it feels like a sliver of a history lesson, not necessarily a piece of wholly compelling drama. I found the first act to be more involving and consistent than the second. But there are quite a few moments that work really well, and as I mentioned, Cranston's performance elevates the whole thing. If you love politics, I imagine you'll enjoy the show . That said, I appreciated that it was still accessible to someone who may not completely understand the ins and outs of politics as well, without dumbing anything down. Updated On: 2/20/14 at 07:04 PM

beensince1987 Profile Photo
beensince1987
#26All The Way Previews
Posted: 2/20/14 at 1:50pm

Was anyone surprised by everyone wearing body mikes? This was (I think) first time I saw them in plays on broadway.