THE PRICE Previews

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 2/15/17 at 9:27am

Previews for the fourth Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's The Price begin TOMORROW NIGHT (Thursday, February 16, 2017) at the American Airlines Theatre. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Jessica Hecht, Tony Shalhoub, and Danny DeVito, The Price is set to officially open on March 16 for a limited run currently scheduled until May 7, 2017.

Who's going?!

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/15/17 at 12:27pm

I'll be there tomorrow night...Looking forward to it...

[bunnie3]

Posted: 2/15/17 at 8:19pm

GOD!!!!!  I LOVE this play!!!   However, the last production I saw of it was maybe about 30 yrs ago, the one with Harris Yulin, Bob Dishy, et al.  It s as if Arthur Miller lived with some of my extended relatives and got inside their heads.  Yup, I m very partial towards this play for personal reasons.  Can t wait to see it 

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 2/15/17 at 9:35pm

I feel like no ones talking about this production. 

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 12:55am

"I feel like no ones talking about this production."

What's to talk about?  It hasn't begun performances yet.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 10:39pm

So does anyone have any first reports?

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 10:52pm

Short on time and will add more later...

Danny DeVito is the best part of the entire show...His performance is excellent...

[mamaleh]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 12:59am

Do you recall the running time?   Is it longer than two and a half hours?

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 8:07am

The production is flawed but interesting.

Danny DeVito gives a great performance...The show was just kinda slogging along until he arrives. Once he does, the audience is recharged and engaged. 

Mark Ruffalo did not seem present at first. When he first takes the stage, he's looking through various items and simply doesn't seem committed. Felt like he needed more time in the role, as he didn't appear fully comfortable. He got better as the show went along, as he finds better footing. 

Once DeVito arrives, the first act is a back and forth between him and Ruffalo. At times, it's funny and enjoyable. At others, they seems to be circling the wagons and repeating what they said just a few minutes before. At one point when DeVito's character eats an egg, the both of them appeared to legitimately start laughing. 

I'm curious to hear from others who see this because I'm not sure if it was me but I had trouble hearing Ruffalo. Not sure if it was the volume of his voice or the accent but he sounded very mumbled at times. I was sitting orchestra, about ten rows away and found myself losing a good amount of what he said. 

The play is troubled in the sense that it's long. The first act gets repetitive. The action does not start until the end of act one. Without spoiling anything, the two brothers make the audience wonder who was truly at fault, the one who stayed or the one who left. They both believe they have paid the greater individual price. 

There's a very good play somewhere in The Price. The likelihood is that very good play would be best served running 90 minutes or running without an intermission.

Running time was close to 2:30. First act roughly 55-60 minutes, the second closer to 75.

Ultimately, the show fares better than some recent Roundabout productions like The Cherry Orchard. It's a bit of a hit or miss production. A mixed bag that I didn't love or hate. 

At the end of the day, I believe it's worth seeing, if only for Danny DeVito, as his performance is worth the ticket price. 

 

Updated On: 2/17/17 at 08:07 AM

[JayG 2]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 8:48am

10086sunset, too badd Arthur Miller is gone. I'm sure he'd appreciate your advice concerning revisions.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 9:01am

I'm not really interested in comments on the play itself, either...

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 9:19am

JayG 2 said: "10086sunset, too badd Arthur Miller is gone. I'm sure he'd appreciate your advice concerning revisions."

JayG2, I'd appreciate you saying something constructive after seeing the play...

Happy to buy you a ticket and I'll even go with you...You can be as snarky as you like... 

For the record, the play was first produced on Broadway without an intermission, hence my comment about it being best served performed without one.

Second, if you think I'm the only one who thinks the play runs long, go read some reviews. Better yet, go see the show yourself. Like I said, you have a standing offer for a free ticket sitting next to me or would you prefer staying here and trolling?

Updated On: 2/17/17 at 09:19 AM

[Jimbrochu]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 10:34am

I'm looking forward to seeing this production. I have some history with the original in 1968. My mentor/best friend was David Burns. I sat like a fly on the wall through many of the rehearsals as well as the tryout at the Walnut Street Theatre. During the rehearsals, I watched Arthur Miller take control of the show as Mr. Grosbard slowly faded into the corner. Jack Warden was playing the cop. He and Miller got into more than one fight. I showed up one day to the New Amsterdam Roof where they were rehearsing (on that stage with the the floor taped out but every prop in place) and Jack Warden was gone with Pat Hingle in his part. What was interesting is that Hingle seemed to know the part on the first day. When the show got to Philadelphia it was played with an intermission. The curtain came down with Arthur Kennedy as Walter came through the door. The intermission was taken out during the first preview at the Morosco. Davy fell ill during the fourth preview and Harold Gary took over, opened the show and then played the part until the following June when Davy returned. I urge anyone to loves this pay to go to the Paley Center where you can watch the version that was taped in London. It's wonderful. And you can see why Davy won the Emmy. His performance is magnificent. After a year, Davy and Kate Reid were joined by Albert Salmi and Shepard Strudwick who were good but nowhere near the power of the original cast. Wishing all involved with this production great success. Jim

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 10:40am

Jimbrochu, thanks for sharing your personal history with the original production...

Great information and a true pleasure to read...

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 10:45am

neonlightsxo said: "I'm not really interested in comments on the play itself, either..."

 

Neon, that's real cute with the ellipsis...Classy...I'd expect nothing less from you...

[ArtMan]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 3:11pm

10086Sunset,  thanks for your review.  If this extends by two weeks I would like to see it.  i have one open slot left for my trip in May.  My first choice was The Little Foxes, but they can't seem to post the actress schedule.  I will probably wait until I am in the city....hoping for an inexpensive ticket for whichever show I choose.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 3:19pm

I used them correctly, at least.

[carnzee]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 4:27pm

neonlightsxo said: "I'm not really interested in comments on the play itself, either...

Perhaps it would have been best if you had let 10086sunset know ahead of time what comments you are not interested in reading. Then she could have tailored the review to your liking. 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/17/17 at 11:29pm

I was at the second preview this evening and thought the production was partially successful; there were definitely patches that weren't as engaging as others. 

It's interesting to read that The Price was originally performed without an intermission. In some ways I think it would benefit from being performed without a break as the plot doesn't really kick into gear until Walter (Tony Shalhoub) shows before the blackout to signal intermission. 

DeVito was indeed very good, as was Shalhoub, who is one of my favorite actors. Ruffalo still needs to do a bit of work finding his character, I caught my thoughts starting to drift a few times when he made some of his longer speeches. 

I think the play is totally open to criticism. It's a solid piece, but I wouldn't put it up there with Death of Salesman, Crucible, View From The Bridge or All My Sons. There is a lot of talking around certain subjects where you feel like you could tune out for five minutes, tune back in and not have missed a thing. 

I don't think the set design does this production any favors. The whole play takes place in an attic, which should add an element of claustrophobia and really underline how trapped Victor (Ruffalo) felt giving up his dreams to stay home and take care of his parents. If you take away all the furniture on stage the building almost resembles a train platform in Nebraska; there's no back wall of the attic, revealing a blue sky with billowing clouds and rooftop water towers that could be mistaken for silos on first glance. Everything felt far too open and airy, and I get that the design is more impressionistic than realistic and is pretty, but I think it works against the play. 

Overall a mostly good, but not yet great night at the theater. 

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 2/18/17 at 1:54pm

ArtMan said: "10086Sunset,  thanks for your review.  If this extends by two weeks I would like to see it.  i have one open slot left for my trip in May.  My first choice was The Little Foxes, but they can't seem to post the actress schedule.  I will probably wait until I am in the city....hoping for an inexpensive ticket for whichever show I choose.

 

"

I believe they have posted it on Telecharge.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 2/18/17 at 2:13pm

Dancingthrulife2, They have a color code when which actress portrays Regina.  But they have not assigned the name that goes to the color code.  Unless I'm missing something somewhere.  Thanks anyway.

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 2/18/17 at 3:33pm

Saw the original (and thanks to Jim Brichu for his recollections), and frankly forgot that I didn't see David Burns in the play. But Harold Gary was great, and basically "stole" the show from the other actors. This is not one of Miller's better plays, as noted earlier. Noticed no one has mentioned Jessica Hecht, not one of my favorite actors and variable, to say the least. How was she?

[wolfwriter2]

Posted: 2/18/17 at 11:53pm

Well, it's no Cherry Orchard. Thank goodness. But, it's also not very engaging or interesting. Mark Ruffalo needs a character and a director who can tell him what to do.

I admit to not being an Arthur MIller fan. He's hit or miss with me. I dislike Death Of A Salesman but think Incident At Vichy is Miller's most underrated and one of his best. But, I continue to try and see his work in case I'm missing something. I'm also not a Mark Ruffalo fan and, unfortunately, my companion said to me at intermission, without knowing how I felt about him, "he's like watching paint dry."

Danny DeVito, makes his Broadway debut and he is excellent. He dwarfs Ruffalo who seems to have no character, but I truly believed DeVito, form the minute he walked on stage. I wonder what John Turturro would have brought to the role of Victor. I love Tony Shalhoub and he doesn't disappoint.

I think the play suffers from an intermission. So much of the first act is repetitive and drags. It might have some momentum without the intermission and make you care more what's going to happen.

I agree with Whizzer, you could zone out and come back and not miss anything. My companion dozed for about 5 minutes and picked it right up. Admittedly, it was very warm and stuffy in the theater, tonight.

We debated the set and concluded that it was not an attic, but the top floor of a house that, oddly, had no walls, clouds inside and a bedroom located behind a water tower. Not to mention furniture on the ceiling. We thought it was an odd design and the impressionism didn't really get in the way, but didn't really add to the proceedings.

Overall, this is disappointing, but DeVito, Tony Shalhoub & Jessica Hecht are all fine. It's not the mess of The Cherry Orchard, but it needs some stronger direction from Terry Kinney and I hope Mark Ruffalo works through it as previews continue.

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 2/21/17 at 4:09pm

I actually thought Shalhoub was the weakest link. It's a difficult part and I thought he only scratched the surface. Ruffalo's role is more straight forward and with the exception of some methodish mannerisms and line readings I thought he pulled it off beautifully. I also liked Jessica Hecht and Danny de Vito is superb in this with the exception of one bit of audience pandering stage business that delights at the beginning but then goes on for too long. I think Kinney and his production team did an excellent job, particularly the character revealing costume designs, the handsome set and some subtle lighting that illuminated themes in the play effectively. All in all, one of the better productions I've seen at Roundabout. Kinney is a keeper for the Roundabout in my opinion.

Updated On: 2/21/17 at 04:09 PM

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 2/21/17 at 11:57pm

Overall I liked it, but the second act was a bit too long.    Danny DeVito stole the show in spite of a spotty accent.  He's just so funny which is very welcome in a somewhat depressing play.  Mark Ruffalo was on stage for the entire thing, so I'll excuse him for the few line flubs, but he has a tendency to mumble which needs to be corrected (it's only in spots - like DeVito's accent).  Tony Shaloub was fine but nothing special.  Jessica Hecht's performance was my favorite.  She doesn't always get the credit she deserves, in my opinion.

 

The set was interesting with the pieces for sale all around, and more set pieces upside down on the ceiling.  I'd like to get people's take on the symbolism of this.  

 

The first act flew by with Ruffalo and DeVito going back and forth, but the play turned on its head (symbolism of the set?) when the brother appears in the second act.  And not in a great way.  I know gloom is Miller's "thing," but I felt like there were unanswered questions.  Why are the wife and brother referred to individually as "mysterious"?  Are we to infer something could be going on between them?  **SPOILER** Did Solomon (I think that's his name) die at the end?  He gets what he wanted, his age is referred to many times, and he plays the laughter at the end while he lies contendedly with a white light shining on him.  Or is he just happy that he got his deal? **END SPOILER**

 

Good play, but not a great one.  Interested to hear everyone else's takes.