THE GLASS MENAGERIE (2017) Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Post 'em here, gang!

[Scarywarhol]

This should be interesting...

[bmyers2]

Following these intently. Field in The Goat was one of my favorite performances I ever saw on Broadway, but the reports from previews have me nervous. And after seeing the production photos, I agree with whoever stated that the pink frilly dress looks like they are making Amanda ridiculous in a scene that should be heartbreaking. A great TGM is always welcome so I'm remaining hopeful. 

[neonlightsxo]

Scarywarhol said: "This should be interesting..."

 

I was just coming to write the same thing. It's a little early for popcorn, but...

 

[IdinaBellFoster]

I've heard such varying opinions on this one. Friends of mine LOVED it, while others wanted to leave. Reminds me of THE CRUCIBLE last season.

[neonlightsxo]

I wish this production was half as good as The Crucible was. Just my opinion.

[AC126748]

neonlightsxo said: "I wish this production was half as good as The Crucible was. Just my opinion.

 

"

The Crucible was leagues better than this production. And I say that as someone who didn't much care for that production of The Crucible.

[Scarywarhol]

Much agreed. I thought I didn't like Van Hove, but I prefer him to what came off as an imitation. Which shocked me, coming from Sam Gold. 

[Andy51]

Scarywarhol said: "Much agreed. I thought I didn't like Van Hove, but I prefer him to what came off as an imitation. Which shocked me, coming from Sam Gold. 

While Gold embraces a minimalist approach in this production, I find Gold's use of minimalism to be the antithesis of Van Hove's.  Consider Van Hove's A View from the Bridge.  All of the action takes place in a fairly small, barren cube.  That staging, I found, intensified the relations between the marginal lives the characters represent.  I thought that production was incredibly powerful.  Gold's staging in TGM is also minimal, but in giving us such a vast space, I found the significance of the characters lives receded.  But for me, by far the most provocative (and questionable) aspect of the production is the casting of Madison Ferris as Laura.  It's not just that her disability is incompatible with some of the text of the play (see the discussion in the previews thread), but that it includes a substantial degree of facial paralysis, which limits her range of expression (e.g., there are occasions when she is supposed to be genuinely laughing but the laugh is not accompanied by a smile).  This is obviously a delicate subject for critics to negotiate, and I'll be very curious to see how (or whether) they address it. 

"

 

[neonlightsxo]

I think her disability has to be addressed in any critical commentary, because in my view, Sam Gold has made the entire show about her disability. He has made the play about Tom and his family a play about Laura's physical disability when in fact-- Rose Williams was not physically disabled as far as we know (Except for the limp in the text perhaps) so.... what's he doing here?

[Andy51]

neonlightsxo said: "I think her disability has to be addressed in any critical commentary, because in my view, Sam Gold has made the entire show about her disability. He has made the play about Tom and his family a play about Laura's physical disability when in fact-- Rose Williams was not physically disabled as far as we know (Except for the limp in the text perhaps) so.... what's he doing here?

I agree that the critical commentary will have to address Laura's disability.  What is more sensitive (and I'm less certain about critics commenting on) is how Madison's disability affects the quality of her acting (again, I'm thinking in particular about how her facial paralysis limits her expressiveness). 

 

[Sauja]

I haven't seen this yet, but count me among those who can't wait to see how it's received. I'm a huge fan of Ivo van Hove, so the comparisons to the divided reception of The Crucible make me root for great things. That said, I've seen Sam Gold's other minimal approach revivals of Uncle Vanya, Look Back in Anger, The Real Thing, and Othello and consistently find myself underwhelmed by his approach to old material. Like van Hove, he seems to approach old material with the intention of stripping a script to its barest essentials, but while van Hove does so by driving at the themes of the play with a laser-like focus (View's claustrophobia, Little Foxes' empty luxury, etc.), Gold instead seems to pare away and pare away and forget to use minimalism as a way to focus the material, instead tending to let it distort or flatten the play in question. And it's so confusing because he is, to me, one of the best directors of new material presently working. From Fun Home to The Realistic Joneses to all his work with Annie Baker, he has provided us straightforward but fully rich productions of new shows, but in the case of revivals seems to settle on concepts that restrain the actors and his own direction (what if everyone's sitting on wooden boxes right next to you, what if there's only four feet of playing space, what if there's no set at all) rather than focusing them. Again, I haven't seen this Menagerie yet, and I will, whatever the reviews. I'm just not especially enthusiastic given my experience watching him tackle the classics in the past. 

[PianoMann]

The production photos BWW posted a few days ago look pretty dreadful to me... I know that's no way to judge a production, but neither those pictures nor the divided response in the preview thread entice me to see this mounting (as much as I want to see Sally on stage). Perhaps the reviews will change my mind?

[neonlightsxo]

Sauja, well said. And Andy, I think you're right.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Here's the reviews so far...

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-THE-GLASS-MENAGERIE-with-Sally-Field-Joe-Mantello--Updating-Live-20170309

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Jeremy Gerard's review: http://deadline.com/2017/03/sally-field-glass-menagerie-review-1202040156/

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Robert Hofler's review: http://www.thewrap.com/glass-menagerie-broadway-review-sally-field-sam-gold/

Chris Jones' review: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/broadway/sc-glass-menagerie-broadway-review-ent-0309-20170309-column.html

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

NY Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/glass-menagerie-sally-field-theater-review-article-1.2992042

Entertainment Weekly: http://ew.com/theater/2017/03/09/glass-menagerie-ew-stage-review/

[theatregoer3]

I'm so happy to see this show getting such strong reviews.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

The Daily Beast: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/03/09/review-a-radical-and-shattering-glass-menagerie-starring-sally-field-storms-broadway.html

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Jesse Green's review: http://www.vulture.com/2017/03/theater-review-sally-field-in-a-reimagined-glass-menagerie.html

[ljay889]

Brantley, ouch.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/09/theater/the-glass-menagerie-review.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftheater&action=click&contentCollection=theater&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

[HighFlyingAdored97]

Brantley's right on the money with this one for me. This is one of the few times I agree with every statement he made.

[BroadwayBeebe]

I was waiting to see if the 2013 Cherry Jones production would be brought up by Brantley. Sure enough, he did just that. 

[MadsonMelo]

Brantley was not having it.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

You guys think anyone would be nominated for a Tony?