Of Mice and Men Previews- Page 3

[Patash]

Posted: 4/11/14 at 12:34pm

I worked my way past the maze of school buses and saw the matinee this Wednesday along with about 80% high school audience. They could not have been a better audience! And I did not hear a single phone going off -- unlike most performances filled with senior citizens. Someone is teaching these kids theatre etiquette and I couldn't be happier about that. At intermission I did hear a couple of 15 year olds -- "man, if you were going to sleep, why did you bother to buy a ticket? This show is fantastic and the acting is amazing."

I loved the guy who was pretending to be Chris Dowd. I know the program and the posters have his name, and even his picture, but that guy playing Lenny didn't look like Chris Dowd and didn't have a single vocal or physical characteristic of Chris Dowd! He was amazing.

[rjm516]

Posted: 4/11/14 at 10:26pm

"I will admit that Leighton Meester was what got me to buy the ticket. That girl is unbelievably thin and incredibly pretty."

Wow I hope that is a typo or that you meant her acting is thin. Otherwise, that's pretty gross and it's time you learned that's not an ok thing to comment on, fyi.

[lovebwy]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 3:45am

Patash I am so moved to hear that about the etiquette of the teens in the audience. And that a 15 year old would admonish his friend for not appreciating good theater frankly moves me.

Thank you for sharing.

[Patash]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 8:51am

lovebwy, yes, thank you. I was moved as well. It also reminded me of a matinee I saw of A Raisin in the Sun a few years ago with Sean Combs. I stood outside the theatre looking at hundreds of screaming high school and junior high kids and imagined they would be a horrible audience. I had to admonish myself when they sat with rapt attention, after a few "cat calls" at his first appearance.
I LOVE that kids in and near NYC are being exposed to theatre. And I'm impressed that someone seems to be teaching them good etiquette.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 9:09am

Was also at the 4/9 Wednesday matinee, and when I saw the theater was packed with fifteen year olds, and I was sitting in the middle of them, I started to panic. Adolescence is a self absorbed, obnoxious age more consumed with their technology than human emotions. Most are unable to focus for more than thirty seconds before becoming bored. How the heck would this mob sit through a two and a half hour talky play without getting unbearably restless. So, I scanned the audience hoping to find a couple of empty seats near some adults - no empty seats - nor adults - anywhere. (I never saw a theater so packed with kids.) I was stuck and expected the worse as the curtain rose. But... these teens were incredibly attentive. Polite and respectful to the actors and those in the audience. Not a peep while the show was up and totally absorbed for the entire time. No inappropriate giggling. No checking cell phones. Amazing. Not sure which schools were in attendance, but their teachers (and administrators) should be proud. Now, don't get me wrong, I would still rather spend an eternity in hell watching Moose Murders than sitting for an hour in the company of a group of teens, but this experience at that Longacre Theater was, indeed, a total surprise.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 11:44pm

Just saw the show tonight. Such a brilliant and moving piece. I found myself completely forgetting that I was watching celebrities onstage because both Franco and O'Dowd seemed very absorbed in their roles (O'Dowd particularly. If he doesn't get at least a Tony nomination for this I will be genuinely shocked).

In case anyone is wondering, I got to the rush at about 7:45 and was about 16th or 17th in line.
Also, stage door was obviously crazy, but as others have said, both Franco and O'Dowd went down the sides of the barricades where it was less crowded. Franco requests that everybody who wants a picture with him has to take a quick selfie.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/12/14 at 11:58pm

Oh, and also someone told me that James Franco DOES come out the stage door for the matinees, but that he doesn't go down the sides of the barricades like he does for evening performances

[Keiichi2]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 2:02pm

So, something I've been wondering about this production, do they use any trained animals for the dogs that are featured in the story, or are they pretend?

[BwayGeek2]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 2:14pm

Keiichi2- There was an article this morning about a bunch of the dogs on stage this season:
Four Dogs Get Their Day on City Stages

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 3:30pm

Keiichi2- There was an article this morning about a bunch of the dogs on stage this season:
Four Dogs Get Their Day on City Stages

This article is unable to be read unless you log into the Wall Street Journal site.

[BwayGeek2]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 3:52pm

Ahh, sorry about that! Tried to share the google link, but it looks like it redirects back to Wall Street Journal. Anyways, the dog in the show is real and is played by a 14-year-old Pit Bull named Violet. Super cute.



Updated On: 4/15/14 at 03:52 PM

[MX888]

Posted: 4/17/14 at 7:22pm

Can any one tell me if the stage is set high? Was interested in some side orch row A tickets - really excited to see O'Dowd in action so is house left or right better?

Thank you in advance!