Romeo and Juliet Previews- Page 5

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/28/13 at 12:19am

Hello, Verona-phone. Oh yes Mr Romeo, Juliet Capulet called. The message is to avoid getting married to other fellow and playing dead. This Friar Lawrence gave me a great big sleeping pill, but when I wake up we'll head for the border. Oh don't thank me. It's all in the day's work! See what I could have done? Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong, but if I got that message through on time I'm telling you those two kids would be alive today!!

So, is this production a crime? While it doesn't commit any felonies, the rap sheet has plenty of misdemeanors.

I'll start with the good though, and three giving the strongest performances are Christian Camargo, Chuck Cooper and Orlando Bloom. They all share three things in common too: they project, they enunciate and they don't rush the text. Every other actor, at one point or another, fails to do one or a combination of these things.

I've seen Camargo in a few Shakespeare productions now and he really is great. His performance is already comfortable and self-assured. Chuck Cooper somehow turned the small role of Lord Capulet into a powerhouse, and his work in act two is very solid.

Bloom surprised and impressed me. He handles the language well, has spark and is quite lovable. I was worried about his age going in, but it's really not an issue. (Despite the references to prepubescent ages in the text it has never bothered me to see older actors play the roles; the best Juliet I've ever seen was 42 and she didn't even open her mouth: Julie Kent.)

I wasn't so impressed with Condola Rashad. Her lines were sometimes too quiet and/or rushed. In the early scenes I missed any of the "Je veux vivre" in her character; she fared better in the later scenes.

The direction and the production were the biggest problems. So much of it I just asked "why?" Why are they in modern dress? (I don't mind that they are, but give us a reason.) Why does Romeo make a C-O-O-L R-I-D-E-R type entrance on motorcycle? Why are the Capulets dancing a hip-hop version of the Electric Slide at the masquerade? Why is sand strewn in the wings and around the edges of the stage? Why was the music SO LOUD? Why did Houdyshell have a Mary Poppins bag that she endlessly pulled stuff out of? Why were the costumes so ugly- Molina would never have approved of what Friar Lawrence had on!

It all felt so arbitrary and without cohesive vision. I'm all for transporting Shakespeare to different times and eras, but there must be reason behind it.

I know some people complained about the sound at the first preview, and it's still kind of bad. The actors really are fighting an uphill battle though because of the underscoring. The music during the opening fight sequence is so loud that you can't hear anything anyone is saying. As the evening progresses, without fail about 45 seconds before the end of a scene some underscoring will begin. This drowns out the dialogue and the music only continues through the scene change and then swallows the first few lines of the following scene. There is a live cello player and a percussionist in two of the boxes, plus there are plenty of pre-recorded sounds. The sound designer has a lot of work left to do before the critics come.

This all sounds negative, but really Bloom goes a long in grounding the piece and off setting the problems. I hope they get things cleaned up and I look forward to seeing what CSC will do with the play in a month.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/28/13 at 12:32am

Does anyone think they'll really make the necessary changes during previews? I don't really see LeVeaux as being that kind of director. I suspect what is on stage is exactly how he wants it for whatever misguided reason and he's not going to make any major changes at this point.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/28/13 at 1:09am

Why not give them some mics? I mean they're in a huge theater anyway with an overpowering score.

[jawjuhh]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 2:05pm

I thought this was just a really boring night at the theatre. Condola Rahad was a bit too doe eyed the entire time and I was a bit annoyed by it. Camargo as Mercutio really was great, one of the few parts of the show that actually had my attention. I also thought the prats with the Nurse were rather funny, but overall, I was really not impressed with the show, and it just had me thinking that Romeo and Juliet is generally kind of boring when you're too familiar with the story. Bloom did give a nice little shoutout to MLK after the show last night because it was the 50th of the "I had a dream" speech and he said something along the lines of, "if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here on this stage today". Rather sweet ending to a meh night.

But hey, at least I got to see Orlando Bloom shirtless.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 2:11pm

When was Bloom shirtless? Unless I blinked and missed it, he was fully clothed the entire time on Tuesday. :/

[dreaming]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 2:12pm

I was there last night and I call it "Romeo and Juliet: Light". It was a pretty production visually. The supporting cast was top notch-Jayne Houdyshell in particular was very strong, as were Chuck Cooper and Camargo.

I do like Condola Rashad-very much in fact. But she and Bloom had no chemistry. And both looked way too old (especially him). However, Mr. Bloom is actually a very good stage actor-much better than I expected. (Dare I suggest he play Hamlet??? I dunno what made me see him in the role.)

I did get a hearing device as I'd heard reports that the sound system was bad. I urge everyone-young and old-to do the same. It also helped block the noise from the tourists around me.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 2:48pm

He entered from the second balcony scene shirtless and immediately put his hoodie on at the first preview.

And yes - some of the things the Nurse pulls out of her bag never even get used. At the first preview, she pulled out a rope, dropped it on the floor and no one ever acknowledged it. Paging Deborah Warner!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 3:10pm

Yeah, she still is pulling out that rope. It's weird.

Bloom definitely was wearing his shirt when I saw it. Maybe he missed a costume change that night. Oh well!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 3:18pm

How is the balcony scene staged? Does the set even have an upper level? Based on the photos I have seen the set looks like a bare stage.

[theaterdrew]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 3:33pm

I'm not sure how it could be a missed costume change if I'm remembering correctly from the first preview and the shirtless scene is right after intermission, after Romeo and Juliet consummate their marriage. Did they move the intermission break to another point in the story, or am I confused? If they moved it, wonder what other changes are being made?

The balcony is really more like a pier and enters from the audience's right. It lends itself to my theory that the whole thing is supposedly taking place on an island somewhere, LOL.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 3:42pm

I am not I hate it we need great american plays its too rare to have an all american Tony nominations. We need to as a country have theatre education, have a national funding of new writers and song writers. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

IS ENOUGH I cant go on I cant go on no more no. Enough is enough is enough I want him out I want him out that door now. I hate other countries too and we should close our borders and ban all productions of foreign works and maybe we can one day as a country be more closed minded and bigoted to all foreigners because theatre is strictly an Amurrican art and all that foreign and ancient stuff is just crap anyway.

Updated On: 8/29/13 at 03:42 PM

[StageBuddyOffers]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 4:13pm

Win tickets to see the play post-previews! http://stagebuddy.com/contests/win-tickets-to-romeo-and-juliet/

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 4:39pm

drew, there was never a "consummation" of the marriage. Act one ended with Friar Lawrence leading them into the church to be married and then IIRC act two began with the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio. Maybe they cut the consummation scene at the preview I attended.

Personally I think they should move the intermission to after Tybalt and Romeo fight (which was anti-climatic) and Romeo is exiled. It just makes for a more dramatic act break, and helps make act two feel overly long. Perhaps WSS has conditioned me to feel like that's where the natural break is too.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 4:50pm

I agree, that's a much better place for intermission. Though I personally feel that cutting Paris' death scene makes the entire affair null and void. When I realized they were skipping right past it, I almost stood up in my seat and screamed.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 5:02pm

I do have an affection for Justin Guarini, and it certainly robs his character of a dramatic moment. I agree that it should be in there, even if in an abridged state.

Edit: Also in this version Lady Montague does not die.

Updated On: 8/29/13 at 05:02 PM

[flinger072]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 5:21pm

I saw it last night and it was better than I had expected from reading this thread. The motorcycle entrance is the most ridiculous entrance I have ever seen. If they were going for laughs from the audience - they got them...but I don't know if that's the case.

At the curtain call, Orlando Bloom got the audience's attention and asked us to remember MLK, Jr. and his speech, without which this production would not have been. Then a moment of silence. A nice gesture, I thought.

[theaterdrew]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 6:24pm

The "consummation" as I recall it was implied through a scene between Romeo and Juliet on her "balcony," where he comes out in partial undress and she is wearing just an oversized top. He's been banished, and her mother is calling her to come meet with Paris. But I do recall now that the fight with Tybalt was right after intermission. It's possible that they just dropped the lights and brought them up again, which is why my brain has it confused with the intermission.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/29/13 at 7:13pm

Ok, yes there was the implied cosummation on the balcony, but no actual "sex scene" was on stage.

He did enter with a shirt on though.

[jarrett]

Posted: 8/30/13 at 1:46pm

"I do have an affection for Justin Guarini, and it certainly robs his character of a dramatic moment. I agree that it should be in there, even if in an abridged state."

Agree. My wife thinks they should both be shirtless.

[Magalamb]

Posted: 8/31/13 at 10:19pm

Got TDF tix, saw it with a friend last night- Mr. Bloom was fine when he was interacting with other actors, but dreadful at the soliloquies. Loved Ms. Houdyshell (I always confuse her and Miriam Margolyes) and Mr. Carmago was also wonderfully hammy as Mercutio (a part that warrants that treatment if there ever was one.) Ms. Rashad was a very good Juliet, and I liked Mr. Carver's characterization of Friar Laurence (and his hippyish raiment), but he was speaking 2x as quickly as everyone else.

Overall, enjoyable. Plus, I was 11 when Lord of the Rings first came out, and my tweenage infatuation with Mr. Bloom demanded I at least attempt to see him onstage

[IronMan]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 7:27pm

Saw it today- I could go on and on about how pretentious and boring it was (and WTF with that BELL?), but I'll just say that Chuck Cooper was the highlight. OK, one thing: I knew I was in trouble when Romeo makes his entrance on a motorcycle, circles the stage, then slowly removes his helmet- for the sole purpose of giving him a 'star entrance' designed to get applause.

As for the renovation- the Rodgers looks stunning. The new (?) orchestra seating configuration is wonderful- I was in row P on the side and it was a perfect view. BUT- when you shift your weight in those seats, it makes a little creaking noise. During long boring Act II scenes the house sounded like rain on a tin roof. Can they fix that?

[theaterdrew]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 10:41am

From Reidel's column today:

My good friend William Shakespeare is well represented on Broadway. “Romeo and Juliet,” starring Orlando Bloom and the beautiful Condola Rashad, is in previews at the Richard Rodgers, and I hear it’s going well.

Of course, I would say that, since it’s directed by David Leveaux, and if I say anything else, he might hit me.

Anyone know the story behind this comment? Is Leveaux known for having a temper?

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/the_footlights_offer_feast_2Qn9e6hUXF9dxSF2GxvpBL

[jnb9872]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 10:44am

It's right in Leveaux's wikipedia page, for google's sake

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 10:45am

http://variety.com/2004/legit/news/fiddler-director-scribe-get-physical-over-column-1117901030/

[theaterdrew]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 10:47am

Apologies, it never occurred to me wikipedia would be the go-to source for this kind of info.