DOMESTICATED previews- Page 2

[jbm2]

Posted: 10/13/13 at 2:53am

Really want to see this. Sold out?
What's the best way to go about getting a ticket? Any ideas?

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/13/13 at 6:07am

^Only the first 6 episodes have been shot.


The first season is six episodes long, so as of this point, all episodes have been shot.

[followspot]

Posted: 10/13/13 at 8:07am

^Completely aware of that, thanks. I was merely suggesting that if GETTING ON gets a second season pickup, and if DOMESTICATED gets a Broadway transfer, there's the possibility of a conflict. Which is exactly what I said in my post:

Metcalf's new HBO series (GETTING ON) premieres next month. If it hits, it's possible she may not be available beyond the Lincoln Center run. :/

My only point being: lots of ifs and possible scenarios, but Metcalf is a busy actress, so probably best to catch her now. (There was a large gap between the Off- and Broadway runs of THE OTHER PLACE while she fulfilled a London contract, so things can work out — but on the other hand, she didn't make the Steppenwolf/Off-Broadway transfer of DETROIT).

Cheers!

Updated On: 10/13/13 at 08:07 AM

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/13/13 at 8:08am

A step up from the author's Clybourne Park and The Pain and the Itch. It's slick and smooth, with humor of the smartass variety. It's also jaundiced, overlong and repetitious. There's a foul-mouthed pill of a daughter whose presence I most certainly could have done without (she can't even enjoy a sundae at an ice-cream parlor!) and another enigmatic daughter who says nothing except when she gives slide projections on various species in which the males are subservient to the females, a tiresome framing device for the play. Mr. Norris: we get it. I liked Laurie Metcalf, and it's always a pleasure to see Mary Beth Peil on stage.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/13/13 at 3:05pm

RippedMan- There is purpose for it being staged in the round. Because Goldblum is a politician, the affair takes over their lives and the public really becomes a character as they overwhelm and scrutinize the family. There are no walls or large set pieces for the characters to hide behind. They are full-seen and vulnerable for all of us to judge. It really works.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 6:48pm

I saw it this afternoon. I'm one of the few on here who loved CLYBOURNE PARK, and Norris is proving that Pulitzer-winning talent is no fluke with DOMESTICATED. This is a wildly entertaining play with sensational performances and a swift directorial hand in the always reliable Anna D. Shapiro.

Metcalf is giving yet another must-see performance, and watching her character unravel is a master class in performing comedy, drama, and every little nook and cranny in between. Being able to see her work her magic in such a small space is an opportunity any theater lover should jump at. Jeff Goldblum is very fine, even if the issues in performance reminded me of one I saw almost exactly a year ago in the same space. Like Sigourney Weaver in VANYA, he seems to be holding back a bit. When he gets such a juicy, bombastic, fiery tirade towards the middle of the second act, he seems to be restraining himself a bit. Especially up against Metcalf, who all but loses her voice by the show's end. The rest of the cast is strong, particularly the great Mary Beth Piel and young Misha Seo, who gets some of the most incisive material in the show: a recurring sequence in which she gives a school report of sorts about different animal species and their gender relations.

I was worried when I walked in to see a carpeted, grey stage with no sets, but it's directed so exceptionally and performed so well that the minimalist sets aren't problematic. In fact, they elevate the piece and raise the stakes even more.

After this and FUN HOME, my theatergoing season is looking up! This is a smart, slick, tightly constructed piece, with some truly hilarious moments. I hope it transfers, as Circle in the Square seems an ideal venue. And if it does, Metcalf may as well pick out a dress for the Tonys now. At the very least, a nomination would be all but a guarantee. I really loved it!

Updated On: 10/17/13 at 06:48 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 6:58pm

Sweet! Can't wait. I haven't seen Metcalf on stage in awhile. I tried to get a Linc Tix for this, but the earliest I could get is like Nov 9th, so I guess I'm going then!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/17/13 at 12:21am

I got LincTix as well, RippedMan, and sat in the 200s section, Row A. I know for a lot of their shows, they sell ever-so-slightly obstructed or severely off-center seats for LincTix, but these seats were absolutely phenomenal. There really isn't a bad seat in the house, but I say the closer the better for this one! Enjoy it!! :)

[jbm2]

Posted: 10/18/13 at 12:41am

Incredible show!
Loved the first act much more then the second- but a MUST see

[cglaid]

Posted: 10/18/13 at 10:44am

I saw this last night and completely agree with the above poster. I thought the first act was fantastic, mostly because of Metcalf. Loved that Goldblum did not speak. And loved the older daughter - even though she was biter and angry the entire time. The second act is where it fell apart for me -- mostly because I realized Metcalf was not in it for the most part. I thought Goldblum was such an unlikable character that I was not interested in having the second act be all about him. I would've loved if there was no second act entirely, and just have the scene from Metcalf in Goldblum's apartment finish out the show. All in all, worth the Linctix price, for Metcalf alone. Goldblum was kind of a letdown, or maybe he just could not match her.

[indytallguy]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 6:36pm

Saw this today from the front row where it was wonderful to see the minute shifts in facial expression and body position from both Metcalf (who I now think I would see in anything) and Goldblum, particularly Goldblum during the first act when he is essentially silenced.

Did not enjoy the overall play as much as I liked Clybourne Park. The "issues messaging" here seems a bit too heavy-handed. I also felt that the laughs weren't as big and the dramatic moments wasn't as intense. It was as if Norris wanted to write a pretty solid play that would offend few, but incite adoration from next to no one.

That being said, it's wonderfully acted by an enjoyable cast in a production that I thought was well-paced and had a simple staging that worked well in the round. Solid B or B+ in my book.

[jaxandmci]

Posted: 11/4/13 at 11:47am

Fantastic! Best play I've seen since I saw Vanya and Sonia in this same space. A rollercoaster of a first act followed by a more serious and thought-provoking second. Great performances led by an amazing Goldblum and an even more amazing Metcalf. I sat front row where--like indytallguy points out--what is conveyed through facial expressions is as entertaining as the razor sharp dialogue. This was written by the same guy who wrote the snoozer Clybourne Park? I would have never believed it if I hadn't known it going in! Some of the funniest lines I can recall being delivered on a stage.

Goldblum's mostly silent performance in act one might seem disappointing on the surface but is so redeemed by his beaten-into-submission, paralyzed-with-humiliation presence that lets him act with just his eyes and facial muscles. I thought his performance was every bit as entertertaining as Metcalf's. And although his character is presented as such a scumbag, the revelations near the end of act two that give reason to his actions were jaw-droppingly hysterical.

I think the simplistic, in-the-round presentation works well. The writing is so clever and the performances so strong that the absence of a set really works in the production's favor. Everything else is insignificant so why try to enhance what doesn't need to be?

A really enjoyable night at the theatre! I certainly hope this will transfer. At minimum, there's a Tony with Metcalf's name on it waiting if it does.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/9/13 at 5:53pm

I LOVED THIS PLAY!!!!

I HATED Clybourne Park. I thought it was a boring non-theatrical mess.

But I really love what Norris did with this. I love the way he brought in the animal references and how each scene change is so abrupt and quick. The pace is great.

Metcalf is a saint. I've never seen her on stage, but even during Goldblum's scenes in Act 2 I kept wishing for her to come back. Not because he was bad, he was quite good, and his monologue is great, but she's just incredible. Watching her get irritated as her mother-in-law rants on was just a masterclass. I want to go back just to see her again and again. I really hope this transfers to Broadway.

Her and Goldblum have a doozy of a finale scene and it's hilarious and brilliant and heartbreaking.

Go see it. There's not a bad seat in the house.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 11/24/13 at 12:50am

Not sure where all the praise is coming from, as someone who loved Clybourne Park this was AWFUL. There was no reason this needed to be in the round, the ending was so meaningless and may god did it feel misogynistic (and I say this as a guy).

[indytallguy]

Posted: 11/24/13 at 9:31am

Did someone decide it "needed" to be in the round?

That staging didn't bother me in the least.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 11/24/13 at 6:23pm

if course someone decided it needed to be in the round, otherwise Lincoln Center wouldn't have spent the money to convert the space.

when Goldblum doesn't speak for most of the first act and all his reaction is facial its a problem thats 1/2 the audience can't see that.
Updated On: 11/24/13 at 06:23 PM

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/24/13 at 7:27pm

SPOILER request!




I just saw this today, and maybe I'm dim or maybe I just zoned out for a bit. But could someone please tell me what the revelation is at the end of Act 2 that gives reason to what he did? Is it related to the prostitute coming out of the coma? Thanks for any info!


Updated On: 11/25/13 at 07:27 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 1:28am

If you read the rest of the thread, you'll understand why it was in the round. Sorry the director's choices were lost on you, but it made sense to me, and I was in the new seating area, and I never felt like I lost out on his reactions or her reactions, etc. I loved the show.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 3:04am

they choices werent lost on me, they just didnt make any sense. thanks for being a pretentious jerk.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 6:47pm

"They choices" - and your grammar was lost on me.

Basically, he's a political figure who is constantly surrounded by the public eye. So, therefore, it's in the round. I thought it was expertly staged. I had some qualms with the script, and the ending wasn't the most satisfying, but that scene with Goldblum and Metcalf in Goldblum's new apt was awesome.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 11/26/13 at 12:10am

how is this for grammar , F*CK YOU.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/26/13 at 12:45am

Really? You're going to get that pissy over a message board? I didn't even say anything condescending. I was simply saying, if you read the thread you'd see where we discussed it being in the round. Lordy.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/26/13 at 10:51am

I thought the direction was fluid for an in-the-round production. It's in-the-round, of course an actor will have their back to you at some point. And it was an effective staging decision. I thought that Goldblum's placement in the scenes of the first act pretty much divvied up who was seeing his face fairly. And- again- he was not the focus of any of those scenes.

I saw this a couple of weeks ago and didn't hate it. It was certainly better than Clybourne Park, but that's a very low bar. But it still rubbed me the wrong way, and the second act dragged a good deal. Goldblum's character is such a sleazy ****that it is hard to watch him, scene after scene, being a sleazy prick. And the show may be, amongst other things, a satire of misogyny- but it seemed very close to not being a satire and just being, well, misogynistic.

Robin de Jesus' scene was ridiculous. Took an interesting theme and reduced it to "crazy tranny."

Laurie Metcalf was, as always, incredible. Really the main reason to see this. The second act suffered because she was not in every scene. But damn, she can spin straw into gold. And gold into diamonds.

I think I just cannot think well of Bruce Norris. His writing never feels better than competent, and certainly has a rich vein of self-importance to it. Which is then tempered with some nastiness that seems satirical- but is played to the border between satire and sincere belief which makes it uncomfortable.

I feel like he believes he's forcing audiences to confront... whatever... inside themselves and their society. And maybe people feel like he is. For me, he's stepping into the shallows and splashing around and selling it as depth.

Updated On: 11/26/13 at 10:51 AM

[indytallguy]

Posted: 11/26/13 at 11:02am

PlayItAgain: The only other I have seen in this theatre was set in the round, so my bad for assuming this was the way it usually is done.

But I agree with Kad that as a staging decision it worked very well.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 11/26/13 at 12:01pm

"And the show may be, amongst other things, a satire of misogyny- but it seemed very close to not being a satire and just being, well, misogynistic."

Kad, this is exactly how I felt about Clybourne Park, except replace misogyny with racism.