For those who have seen The Elephant Man

[gfaustswa]

Posted: 11/18/14 at 12:54am

I was very impressed with the entire production. Especially Bradley Cooper. For those of you who have seen the show, would you be predicting a Tony nomination, if not win for his performance? The girl I was with at this show loved it and it "made her emotional" several times. I felt the same way. We both thought he was out of this world.

Have your experiences been similar?

[nicnyc]

Posted: 11/27/14 at 3:14am

I saw the first preview and didn't care for it at all. And Bradley Cooper needs more amplification if they expect anyone beyond the first couple rows to enjoy his performance.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 11/27/14 at 8:55am

I didn't have any trouble hearing Cooper (or any of the cast) from my fifth-row mezzanine seat.

I found the production fairly middle of the road, and the play has never been my favorite, but Cooper does good work and I think he'll end up nominated. He should have been nominated for THREE DAYS OF RAIN, but I think he suffered from the general dislike of that production at the time. Alessandro Nivola is superb as Treves, too, and could end up a Featured Actor nominee.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/27/14 at 9:53am

Many shows we have seen recently have been severely undermiked.

Updated On: 11/28/14 at 09:53 AM

[HelloDanny]

Posted: 11/27/14 at 12:38pm

Bradley Cooper really blew me away - a lesson in theatre. Very emotional especially reading how passionate he is about the piece. I’m certain he’ll receive award nominations. We are fortunate that works like this are being produced on Broadway. Alessandro Nivola deserves a featured actor nomination. Of course still in previews… Bradley, Alessandro & Patricia took the time to meet, greet, sign and be photographed with all at the stage door. Go see this show! I was told by a box office representative that SRO tickets may become available once the show opens.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 11/28/14 at 8:03am

I saw this on Monday and was overall very impressed. Bradley Cooper gives us a romantic, deeply felt, and thoroughly compelling John Merrick. Alessandro Nivola's explores Treves' various contradictions excellently, and Patricia Clarkson is very funny and very moving. Anthony Heald also impresses in two roles, particularly as Merrick's first keeper and exploiter, the Dickensian freak-show manager Ross.

The set design is sparse and chilly, the direction fluid and unfussy, and the text is really at the foreground. I saw five shows in three days, and this was absolutely the highlight, a very satisfying night at the theater.

[wonkit]

Posted: 11/28/14 at 1:45pm

I thought Bradley Cooper was fine, but I didn't feel it was the kind of performance that cries out for a nomination. It was touching and dedicated and professional but worthy of being recognized as superior to other performances this season (many in plays that haven't opened yet - )? I'm not convinced.

[djdan1079]

Posted: 11/30/14 at 11:54pm

I really expected to be a vanity piece that would misfire, but I enjoyed it ten times more than "The River". Cooper gives a fantastic performance, hampered only by the fact that he's Bradley Cooper. During Act 1, as they showed the projections of the real life Merrick side by side a shirtless Cooper (with his pecs and well conditioned hair), there is no amount of contorting his body that he can do for the audience to NOT see a movie star rather than a grotesque, deformed, man.

To his credit though, by the end of the show, and particularly during the scenes with Clarkson, he hits all of the right emotional beats, and I was able to let go and just be taken on the journey.

It was really a pleasure to watch, and I agree with the previous sentiments that Nivola gives a Tony nomination worthy performance. He was fantastic.

Of the 4 shows I saw over the holiday weekend (River, Side Show, Honeymoon in Vegas being the others), Elephant Man was hands down the best of the bunch.

[MegInManhattan]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 3:19pm

He absolutely deserves to be nominated. The physicality, voice, and emotion were all on point and never felt forced or over the top. You forget that you're watching Bradley Cooper which is a true testament to his work in the role.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 3:26pm

"there is no amount of contorting his body that he can do for the audience to NOT see a movie star rather than a grotesque, deformed, man."

Wouldn't this be true of any non-movie stars? Or are non-movie stars naturally more grotesque?

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 3:38pm

Yeah, I dunno. I "forgot" I was watching Bradley Cooper, too.

During the curtain call, when he stepped forward, finally non-contorted again, I thought, "Oh, that's right. It's Bradley Cooper."

[FutureDirector]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 3:29am

We forget how political the Tonys are. A fairly good performance like Mr. Coopers (though it does lack a sense of ease that would be required for that level of physicality to be entirely convincing) has a much better chance to be recognized than a truly brilliant performance like the on given by Mr. Alexander Sharp in "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime", just because of the fact that he is Bradley Cooper.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 5:54am

Future, the tony's are indeed political. But they are also unpredictable. And lets not forget that last season Samuel Barnett's simple and quietly eloquent, superb Viola was nominated. Whereas a host of movie stars, some of whom were giving highly regarded performances, were not, including Denzel Washington, Zachary Quinto and James Franco.

Updated On: 12/2/14 at 05:54 AM