A Woman of the World
A Woman of the World
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
#1A Woman of the World
Posted: 11/9/19 at 7:59am
I am anything but a fan of one-person shows, and I find narration to be the mortal enemy of drama. This play does not entirely elude the perils of the format, but I found it to be a worthwhile seventy-five minutes in the theatre. Kathleen Chalfant plays Mabel Loomis Todd, a forthright presence indeed, and the setup presents her delivering a lecture about her life and experience as editor of Emily Dickinson's poetry. The writing is intelligent, wry, and pungent, with great feeling and abundant humor throughout. The actress's portrayal is deft, masterful, and altogether winning. This is a play suffused with the love of nature, of poetry, and of living. If you're a fan of any of these, I recommend it.
#2A Woman of the World
Posted: 11/9/19 at 8:28am
It is nice that you are happy.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
