ALL ABOUT EVE in the West End- Page 2

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 11:38am

SomethingPeculiar said: "EthelMae said: "These photos from Broadway World today look fabulous. I’m counting the days that this production lands in New York."

Hope you can count high... based on that NYTimes review, this ain't moving anywhere. Cate Blanchett might have been critic-proof, but Gillian Anderson & Lily James aren't."

Blanchetts play at the National has gotten far worse reviews than this has and there are massive returns on it for every performance.

Anderson has gotten fantastic reviews for her performance.

[Footlight Parade]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 6:40pm

Universally bad reviews.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 6:46pm

Impossible2 said: "Blanchetts play at the National has gotten far worse reviews than this has and there are massive returns on it for every performance. Anderson has gotten fantastic reviews for her performance."

Sorry, I was referring to Blanchett being previously attached to All About Eve. I forgot that she was in that horror piece at the National right now.

The one review that matters when planning a Broadway transfer is the New York Times, and NO producer would move All About Eve based on Brantley's bad review (especially a producer as savvy as Sonia Friedman). I also don't think Gillian Anderson means much here in the states. It's not like this is Bryan Cranston giving a tour de force performance in Network.

Updated On: 2/14/19 at 06:46 PM

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 7:28pm

Footlight Parade said: "Universally bad reviews."

They're all 3 or 4 out of 5 star reviews, how is that universally bad?

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 7:33pm

SomethingPeculiar said: "Impossible2 said: "Blanchetts play at the National has gotten far worse reviews than this has and there are massive returns on it for every performance.Anderson has gotten fantastic reviews for her performance."

Sorry, I was referring to Blanchett being previously attached toAll About Eve. I forgot that she was in that horror piece at the National right now.
"

I loved it personally. It was like a play written by David Lynch and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

[Gizmo6]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 6:50am

I find Gillian a fascinating actress.

Just curious why she’s not as productive on stage in the USA.

She must be a household name from X-Files and while I know her stage work and recent tv like The Fall (best tv in years) has been UK based I thought she’d perform on stage in USA more.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/19/19 at 6:38pm

Saw this tonight finally. I really loved the production, staging and direction and Gillian was amazing. In fact she was too amazing, as every time she wasn't the focal point of the show, it died in the butt.

The first 90 minutes were stellar, but then it dies once the attention turns to Eve.

I found it really hard to care once it did. She was what she was and did what she did and I just didn't care what her fate was. I guess we are supposed to want to see her get her comeuppance, I just wanted it to end with Margo finding her happiness. 

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 2/19/19 at 6:52pm

I wish they transferred Streetcar to Broadway. She was sooooo crazy good. 

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/19/19 at 7:00pm

hpeabody930 said: "I was at the first preview on Saturday. Sonia Friedman came out beforehand saying that the company had not yet run the full show with tech, nor had they finished teching the end of the play, but that they were going to go for it.

There's not a particularly delicate way to put this but.... it was terrible. The direction and production on the whole were so pretentious and unfocused, it's hard to imagine it getting much better. Performances are fine, but it was the first time I genuinely felt like I was watching actors being held hostage on stage. There were no dynamics in the production, everything was treated with the same weight, which made it difficult to follow. It became about directorial gimmicks of filmed conversations (and parties) in bathrooms (why???), strange bits of narration, and just general lack of clarity in the story being told. No chemistry between any of the actors whatsoever. They totally missed Eve's cunningness and her ability to manipulate others, and Margo became a thankless role who eventuallykind of disappeared from the play. Tonally it was all very strange. Like a dark, campy, pseudo-melodrama- which I don't think is wrong for All About Eve, but itnever gelled.

It was my first van Hove play, and from what I understand the Brechtian quality seems to be his thing, so maybe it's just my taste. I'm all for Brechtian, but let's be clear about what the story is that we're telling and why we are telling it in this way.

And yeah, WOOF, the ending. I don't even know if I could spoil because it is truly so insane that it makes no sense. Let's just say that it includes people appearing out of a bed, smearing lipstick on their face, and playing the piano. Mhmm.

I've heard that they've changed it since Saturday and granted according to Sonia, they hadn't properly teched it. But oh man. Another instance of watching probably great actors being held hostage.

Happy I saw it, but trust no one who says it is good. :P"

It sounds like you saw the same ending I did which was completely fitting and made complete sense so I have no idea what you are going on about.