Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
#1Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 9:49am
E4 
Old Acquiantance
Play Revival
American Airlines Theater (Selwyn)
Aug. 18 2 pm matinee show
Play with 3 acts ( 2 intermission)
Tix Price : (I paid ) $ 32.25 (incl processing fees thru my TDF membership)
I am going to make this short and simple- I like the play.. I guess I am a very easy person.. I almost like everything ! ( I probably would like Grease too 
) This play reminds me of the Noel Coward's The Present Laughter that I saw in Boston's Huntington Company. Same genre, same one dimensional characters , great costumes and nice scenic design . If someone would ask me ? Do you like the play ? I would say.. It's so-so and its cute ! -that's exactly what the play is all about. I can understand why other posters in the board does not like the play- its really about nothing ! .. well.. I guess.. Competition , Rivalry & Friendship.. but that's it...
Margaret Collin was great .
Harriet Harris was so over the top, though I find her "amusing". I think some posters mentioned that these two ladies does not seem to belong to the same play or same time (1940's ) I say.. Harriet Harris was so cartoonish and belong to the Looney Town's characters bin - though she entertained the crowd with her over the top tantrums specially the phone scene and the stair case scene.
Diane Davis- as someone mentioned- she is the real star of the show. she was great and steals every scenes.
Corey Stoll- very handsome& charming !
Stephen Bogardus- I was bit disapointed , he was only in ACT 2 .. very short...
Costume Design - fabulous specially Harriet Harris' hostess gown (gold & white that match her furniture ) in Act 2.. actually all her clothes were fabulous.
Scenic Design- I love it and the strongest aspect of the whole play.
Act 1 ( Kit's apartment at the Village ) - very nice, though bit confused with all those knick -knacks she has all over the place..
Alexander Dodge's sketch on Kit's bohemian apartment at the Village 
Act 2 ( Millie's Park avenue Apartment )- oh my ! love the whole marble staircase, the pink wall... her furniture !! Though I am not feeling the golden mirror - out of place..
Alexander Dodge's sketch on Millie's luxurious apartment at Park Avenue 
Act 3 ( back again at Kit's apartment as the Village) - this time, with Christmas decorations- I must say- I love the snow falling down on her window... as it progressed to a blizzard..
More on scenic design from NY TIMES (click below and go to Multimedia)
https://theater2.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/theater/reviews/29acqu.html
I must say.. the two maids in the play --theyre great but not much part (specially Kit's maid with a german accent (?)
Lastly- its a fun time, If you dont have anything to do.. its also an old play, some people may find it a bit out-dated , slow pace and boring. This play is almost bordeline I like it/ I dont like it play... I dont know about Harriet Harris- I like her in a way.. but oftentimes, she's too cartoonish and I felt like she's about to burst into a song.
BTW- Old Acquiantance ends its limited run today ..Sunday 8/19
Goodbye -Old Acquiatance !!! and Thanks to Roundabout for bringing back all those forgotten plays and musicals
and thanks for reading this and see you guys next time at the Brooks Atkinson Theater or maybe at Helen Hayes again
J*
Harriet Harris ( Mildred ) & Margaret Collin ( Katherine) at Kit's Village Apartment 
Harriet Harris & Stephen Bogardus ( Preston ) at Millie's Park Avenue Apartment 
and Diane Davis ( Dreidre as Millie's daughter )...the true star of the show (for me ) 
*************
The American Airline Theater 
Nice theater ! but bad location at 42nd st (too busy) bad for stage dooring too 
me holding my Old Acquiantance playbill 
Score : 5/3- Like it
Things I Like (out of 10 )
1. Margaret Collin
2. Diane Davis
3. Corey Stroll
4. Scenic Design
5. Costume Design
Things I Did not Like (out of 10)
1. Story- bit boring & outdated
2. Harriet Harris' cartoonish performance- seems to be out of place , but funny sometimes
3. oh my ! someone's hearing aid went off (kept beeping ) on ACT 1- I had to moved to mezzanine in Act 2 (its good theyre like 30 mins @/ act )
Updated On: 5/14/08 at 09:49 AM
#2re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 10:40amI am glad you decided to go, in spite of some of the recommendations not to. A bad day at the theater is often better than most anything else!
jordangirl
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/1/06
#2re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 10:49amTHREE acts? Ugh! Two is PLENTY for my attention span ~ even if it's a FANTASTIC play. Three? WHY???
Experience live theater. Experience paintings. Experience books. Live, look and listen like artists! ~ imaginethis
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
#3re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 10:54am
Steve - I agree, though I always have a great time at the theater ... rarely that I dont have one
Jordangirl- yup its three acts bec. they have to use the intermission to change the scenery. I love the the sceney and if you have extra time .. I would recommend clicking the link for NYTIMES on the stage design- very interesting... The 3 acts are about 30-38 mins each.. so when the audience is about to get bored or phase out - the curtain goes down for an intermision
J*
Updated On: 8/19/07 at 10:54 AM
BwayBaby18
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/19/05
#4re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 1:21pmI told you Diane Davis is just a treat to watch on stage. The evening show was excellent as well. It was a treat this time because my tdf seat was front row center.
neddyfrank2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
#5re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 1:36pm
You wore a do-rag and a muscle shirt to a Broadway show? Classy.
How long was each act?
jordangirl
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/1/06
#6re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 1:40pm
I'd rather have LESS scenery and more continuity. It's not so much the length of acts...they have to hold my interest. Still...I'd rather have less scenery than breaks all the time to change it. as gorgeous as all the snow was in the Met's La Boheme, that long intermission to remove it really took me out of the magic of the show.
Of course from what I've heard with this one, the scenery WAS the show, so I guess it's different.
Glad I saved my money though.
Experience live theater. Experience paintings. Experience books. Live, look and listen like artists! ~ imaginethis
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
#7re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 3:43pm
"A bad day at the theater is often better than most anything else!"
Steve2, I completely agree with this statement...probably one of the reasons why I saw IN MY LIFE four times!
#8re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 3:56pm
I am sorry to threadjack, however the topic of three acts got me to thinking. Would "Grey Gardens" have benefitted from having three acts, one in the middle describing Edie's life in Manhatten perhaps? Or is it better left to the imagination?
Updated On: 8/19/07 at 03:56 PM
#9re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/19/07 at 4:21pm
Steve- You know what -its funny that you mentioned, "Grey Gardens" . I was thinking about it after I saw the play. I cant help to compare Millie's Park Avenue Apartment to the Beale's Grey Gardens estate in the Hamptons (in ACT 1- kinda the same time period ) and also It came to mind -- about Diane Davis playing Little Edie in Act 1 ... I would kill to see her in that role
Its weird that I was thinking about Grey Gardens after the play ...I was thinkin' in my mind that I would love to see Harriet Harris as Big Edie (Act 1 ) and Little Edie (Act 2) .... though I was thinkin' of Thoroughly Modern Milie the whole time she was onstage unfortunately.
And to answer your question - I think (for me ) better left to the imagination bec. I think a lot of Grey Gardens' detractors did not like the idea that Act 1 was somewhat fabricated. Can you imagine if they put a middle Act with another fabrication of what would have been Little Edie's life in Manhattan ? though personally I would love it
BTW - The play runs about 2 hour and 10 minutes per playbill.
J*
Updated On: 8/19/07 at 04:21 PM
#10re: Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on Old Acquiantance
Posted: 8/20/07 at 5:37pm
BwayBaby18- yup- youre right ! .. I'm glad you had a great time at the 8 pm show
J*
Updated On: 8/20/07 at 05:37 PM
