Romeo and Juliet Previews- Page 2

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:08pm

It's too late for me to post a full review, but what a bizarre production. You can't hear about 80% of what Rashad is saying, and most cast members don't seem to know what to do with the text. Cooper, Houdyshell and Carver are saving graves. Bloom tries, but mostly rhapsodizes wistfully. The indicative movements (touching his breast every time he says the word, for example) get old quickly.

And if you want skin, prepare to be disappointed. He enters shirtless once, and immediately puts on a sweater.

Oh, and yes, the motorcycle is a part of the production. For no reason whatsoever.

A real shame. A hodgepodge of concepts that never jell.

I've never loved the play and was hoping Leveaux could convert me. But I just was not crazy about this. It's a very long, very slow production.

I hope the preview period is a fruitful one for them... But it is going to need a lot of work and help. Especially with pacing.

Besides a long intermission, it seemed to flow smoothly for a first performance.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:09pm

Saving graces*, not graves. Heh, sorry. Writing from my phone.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:19pm

Perhaps that was a Freudian slip??

[theaterdrew]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:24pm

I was able hear Rashad fine at the orchestra level. I had more trouble hearing Houdyshell and both Montagues. It's clear the company needs time to settle into their Shakespearean rhythms on that stage, but I think that will come. The main issue I had was I left with no concept of who Romeo was. Bloom did not breathe life into the character, whereas Rashad had me convinced she was a teenager in love. Her Juliet is intelligent but rash. She was the best part IMO.

[supersam1026]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:27pm

On my way home and pretty much agree with theatertrash. I was not a fan of act I, but that may be in large part that I was in the rear mezzanine where you had to strain to hear every word. I personally liked act II a bit better (I moved down to the front mezzanine). Bloom was fine, not great, not awful. Obviously a bit too old, but I think we all knew that going in! Act I was about an hour and act II was closer to 1 hour 20 minutes, we got out around 10:50.
Sorry for the scattered thoughts but its been a long day! If you have any other more specific questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to elaborate!

Updated On: 8/24/13 at 11:27 PM

[RW3]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:29pm

Since this is Bloom's 1st Broadway preview, I am going to him a break. Shakespeare is hard to act.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:31pm

I have a few questions...

1) How does the renovated theatre look?
2) How are the sets and costumes?
3) With this being an updated version, what weapons do they use for the battle scenes and Juliet's suicide?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:31pm

Then he shouldn't be doing Shakespeare. He should've picked a different play. No one should be given a pass, or a break. If you can't do Shakespeare, don't do it.

Also: they cut Paris' death scene entirely. So we never see Romeo kill him.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:34pm

Probably was, Dolly!

I was rear orch, and heard Houdyshell loud and clear. Interesting that you had a problem there. Everyone in my section agreed at intermission that Rashad was barely audible.

Mostly daggers. I think one switchblade.

And it's not too updated. Honestly, it's a hodgepodge of time periods from 1950 on. Houdyshell is costume a 50s style with Bloom in the present.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:36pm

By the way, I've always thought Bloom was more than a pretty face. He IS talented, but this just might not be his arena. A lot of great actors shouldn't do Shakespeare.

He makes it all SOUND pretty... But it lacks any real context.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:36pm

By the way, I've always thought Bloom was more than a pretty face. He IS talented, but this just might not be his arena. A lot of great actors shouldn't do Shakespeare.

He makes it all SOUND pretty... But it lacks any real context.

[supersam1026]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:38pm

1) Theater looks beautiful! Very classy and it's just brighter than before. And I know it's small and ridiculous, but at least the male bathroom is the nicest one I've been in in any theater... Just sayin!
2) Costumes range from almost rags for Friar Laurence to suits for the Capulets. Bloom spent a minority of the show in ripped jeans, a white t-shirt, and leather jacket. Set was pretty simplistic. The edges of the stage were covered with sand, there was a big mural with some graffiti that would split into 3 desperate parts to show different scenes, and every so often there would be some poles of fire.
3) Weapons are still knives, the only updated thing I saw was Romeo using a flashlight at one point. Everything else was candles so that definitely threw me off. Juliet used te knife for her suicide as well

[RW3]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:39pm

iluvtheatertrash, Completely understand your POV. However, him being shirtless only once is unacceptable. So, what did they do when R and J consummate their marriage. Did they start making out and then a blackout? I mean when one consummate a marriage I imagine the man being shirtless.

Updated On: 8/24/13 at 11:39 PM

[theaterdrew]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:41pm

I think it's meant to be contemporary but not of any particular time, and thus the hodgepodge. Oddly, perhaps the clearest costume time frame-wise was that of Paris, who was dressed like a country club Conservative.

I was disappointed they didn't use the true ending, but I guess that would have gotten in the way of the masses swooning over Bloom.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:42pm

The wedding scene is the end of Act One. So, they exit to be married and we go to black. We never see the consummation. But we see him shirtless for a very brief moment for the farewell scene, before he leaves for Mantua.

(Not a reason to judge the show, BUT a lot of people will want to see him shirtless. He IS a heartthrob.)

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:44pm

But what gives them the who right to completely alter who Romeo is by cutting Paris' death? To me, it's a bizarre cut and completely unjustified.

And I agree - Paris' costume tells us exactly who he is. The others, I'm afraid, don't.

It's a very disappointing production, that I really WANTED to like.

Heading to bed now, but happy to talk more about it tomorrow. Curious to hear what others think as previews continue.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:46pm

Oh, God. Typos galore. I clearly need to crash. Night, guys.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:48pm

"Obviously a bit too old, but I think we all knew that going in!"

Maybe you knew it going in but that doesn't make it any less of a flaw in the casting and the production. These reviews aren't giving me much hope and I didn't have a ton to begin with. The rhythm of the language is both the trickiest and most important part of performing Shakespeare and that's why there are many wonderful actors who spend the bulk of their careers performing primarily Shakespeare and really have mastered the flow of the words. That's one of many reasons why you can't just shove film, television, and musical theatre actors into Romeo & Juliet or anything else really and assume it'll fit just because they're actors. I've been very impressed by some "names" doing Shakespeare but it's very rare.

Anyway, what's this nonsense about a motorcycle? What scene does that happen in and is it explained...why? And for the love of God. If you still want to use daggers as weapons, don't modernize the play. I'm well aware they look WAY cooler onstage and create much more lengthy and dramatically interesting fight scenes. But if this version of the show is happening in 2013 or somewhere in recent modern times, nobody is fighting with daggers except at Renaissance Faires.

I feel like this is going to all come off very judgmental and catty but I love Shakespeare and I love Shakespeare done well and I really want there to be some new interpretations and productions of his works on Broadway, but this sounds so shallow and not at all well developed artistically.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:52pm

He makes his first entrance on the motorcycle. Then rhapsodizes a bit. Then exits on the bike. That's it. We never see it again. No purpose except the cool factor.

Houdyshell wheels in an old, red bike at one point. She doesn't ride it on. Nor does she ride it off. Again, pointless.

As for the daggers, they could've been some other type of small knife. I was in the back of the orchestra, so couldn't say for sure if they were ALL switchblades. But it seemed to me that most were just plain old daggers.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:56pm

Based on these early reviews, the word "misguided" has popped into my head...

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:57pm

"As for the daggers, they could've been some other type of small knife. I was in the back of the orchestra, so couldn't say for sure if they were ALL switchblades. But it seemed to me that most were just plain old daggers."

Either way, the reality is that the modern day equivalent of the Montagues and Capulets would be similar to a gang and watching the news tells me most gangs fight with guns. If you're gonna go with this fun trend of modern Shakespeare, at least commit to it.

As for the motorcycle...well. I think your description of it really is all that needs to be said.

[RW3]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:58pm

This certainly isn't turning out like I thought it would. When they described the production as contemporary, I thought they meant modern and sexy and this isn't it. Hopefully, with previews going into mid-September the production will change.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/24/13 at 11:59pm

I agree wholeheartedly. I really hope they can get it together, but it would require a LOT of changes.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 8/25/13 at 12:03am

how was Justin?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/25/13 at 12:11am

He's completely underused, so it's hard to say. They cut nearly all his material. He's fine in what he has, but completely unforgettable.

I should also give special mention to Christian Camargo, who is a delightful Mercutio.

SPOILER: Leveaux has a nice repeated moment for Mercutio. As a whole, it needs work. But I hope he figures out how to make it happen. There are a lot of white balloons at the party. In all of the scenes following, Mercutio still carries around his balloon, which is deflating more and more whenever we see him. It's clear he's never gone to bed, and says a lot about his character. Additionally, there's a nice sense of foreshadowing that his own time is running out. It gets a big laugh, but I thought it a darker moment. I wish there were more of that.

The party scene is a big, joyous moment that I think will work very well after a week of previews. And there is some nice live music. BUT the music is also incredibly corny. The romantic swells for all the obvious moments are cheesey and get in the way. But for the more action-packed moments, it's a nice touch.