The Lehman Trilogy Previews Thread

[TerrenceIsTheMann]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 12:02am

The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, starring Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley, and Ben Miles began previews tonight.

I have to say my intuition was right when I was quite disappointed to miss this last year at the Armory, as it is truly a masterpiece work of theatre.

You can feel the effortlessness in both the direction and the acting, as this is the 4th leg of the production (2 London, 2 NYC), and the cast did not skip a single beat.

The direction tells the story in such a unique and fascinating way. Mendes provides as much clarity as he possibly can, putting a lot of the weight on the 3 actors. As seen with 1917, The Ferryman, Cabaret, etc., Mendes is a master at blending technical elements with incredible acting work.

Miles, Beale, and Godley are all shoo-in's for Tony nominations, as well as Mendes, the play itself, and it's scenic design. Not sure if any of the actors could win though, as none of the three were the clear highlight, for me at least. They are all sublime though, playing dozens of characters each over the 3 acts. They're giving the kinds of performances that you can't believe get rehashed every evening. Truly brilliant work.

The play ran about 3 hours and 20 minutes with TWO intermissions. Mendes and Scott Rudin were in attendance, both seeming pretty happy about how the show went. I am avoiding things like the stage door at all costs at the moment, so no update on that, but I am sure that they did not tonight.

I rushed and got a ticket at 6:45 PM, 40$ Far left orchestra Row G, Marked Partial View but I saw 95% of all the action on stage, and 100% of the exposition.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 12:12am

Thanks for your detailed review. I’m hoping to see this.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 12:26am

Thanks for your review! The only turn off for me is that the show, apparently, is VERY narration heavy? I hate that device used in theater. 

[nycward]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 1:23am

I saw this play the first time around last spring at the Armory. It’s rather an extraordinary evening that will get raves reviews. There is little reason to make any changes although I wonder if the set will be reduced for the Nederlander. It was huge at the Armory. 

[VotePeron]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 1:34am

RippedMan said: "Thanks for your review! The only turn off for me is that the show, apparently, is VERY narration heavy? I hate that device used in theater."

If I remember correctly, it is only narration. There’s no dialogue. It’s not my cup of tea either, but every now and again I can deal with it. 

[Dolly80]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 3:30am

Here is the winner for the Best Play Tony.. and probably director and actor too

[socjoc1107]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 9:29am

"I rushed and got a ticket at 6:45 PM, 40$ Far left orchestra Row G, Marked Partial View but I saw 95% of all the action on stage, and 100% of the exposition."

Are they offering rush for this show? I just did a quick Google search and did not find anything, but the box office did not share anything a few weeks ago when I visited.

Also, thank you for your review! This is just what I needed to convince my sister to go :)

[wolfwriter]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 11:00am

Dolly80 said: "Here is the winner for the Best Play Tony.. and probably director and actor too"

I saw it at the Armory and it’s a 3.5 hour audiobook.

Shouldn’t Best Play actually be a play?

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 11:07am

Grabbed a rush ticket at 6:20 and it seemed like they had quite a few left on the far sides.

I thought the show was well done. The cast is incredible and doing some really impressive work. Loved the look of the set and lighting with those effective projections in the background.

I had high expectations for the play considering all the rave reviews but I was left underwhelmed. The play is narration which I really have not been a fan of lately. It’s a little bit of a slog at 3 hours and 20 minutes and felt very similar to a biography in play form. Between this and The Inheritance, I’m really tired of the long form narration

[TerrenceIsTheMann]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 12:32pm

socjoc1107 said: Are they offering rush for this show? I just did a quick Google search and did not find anything, but the box office did not share anything a few weeks ago when I visited.

It’s not announced and They honestly may not for a bit. But it’s sides of orchestra, most are partial view I would say. 
 

Yes the play is narration heavy, but there definitely is dialogue in the play as well. Mendes uses the narration to enhance the storytelling, which I think helps the show when it comes down to it. It would be impossible to follow without the work Mendes has done on the show, which I think will be what pushes him over the top to win the Best Director Tony twice in a row.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 7:20pm

Any word if the Broadway cast plans to travel with the show to LA? It is scheduled to play The Ahmanson in October

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 9:50pm

I've mentioned my thoughts on the show before in several threads, but since the topic came up, I'll just repeat:

I'm someone who strongly dislikes narration-based shows, and that was a big impediment for me here. I respected the show, but I did not like it or enjoy it. There are some narration-based shows that I enjoy - such as Dana H just this afternoon. But Lehman Trilogy was not one of them. For me, it comes down to how the narration is treated, and much the narration is contextualized by a fully-realized theatrical world around it. 

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 11:44pm

This says they’re all shoe ins for nominations, but wouldn’t there be the strong chance that they vote split? Has any show ever gotten three leading actors nominated?

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 12:19am

Is there anything interesting happening with the design! Or is it just a turntable with projections?

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 12:28am

It’s a gorgeous looking set with cool moments of projections but the 300th time it starts revolving I’m like “okay, I’ve seen it”

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 6:07am

Hot Pants said: "This says they’re all shoe ins for nominations, but wouldn’t there be the strong chance that they vote split? Has any show ever gotten three leading actors nominated?"

I suspect the three brothers (and maybe the Six queens) will get a special Tony like the Matildas got. 

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 10:59am

Fordham2015 said: "Hot Pants said: "This says they’re all shoe ins for nominations, but wouldn’t there be the strong chance that they vote split? Has any show ever gotten three leading actors nominated?"

I suspect the three brothers (and maybe the Six queens) will get a special Tony like the Matildas got."

That would certainly be nice. I could see that happening, but I’m not sure if it really will or not. Unlike the Matildas, all these performers are playing different roles, so to group them up like that might be a stretch to some people. Still, given how all nine of the people are apparently killing it each and every night, and they’re stuck in a bad position where they’ll very likely struggle to get some recognition, maybe the Tonys will realize this is the best way to reward them. I certainly wouldn’t mind Adam Godley finally getting a Tony. I personally believe he should’ve won for Anything Goes.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 3/10/20 at 2:07pm

I only saw this on NTLive, in a performance that I overall enjoyed.  The three actors were great, but I thought that Simon Russell Beale's performance stood out...perhaps because his opening monologue was so stunning.  

I did have reservations, however, and remember thinking that this was one I would pass seeing live, because I was not so sure I could get through it again, especially in cramped Broadway seats.  (The movie theatre at which I saw it was extremely comfortable),

My first issue was that I thought Act 1 was significantly better than Act 2 and that Act 2 was better than Act 3.   I actually thought that the end of the play -- when things are falling apart -- was poorly done.

My second issue was with the narration. It got tiring for me, and could be the reason why I disliked each act less than the prior one.  

Nevertheless, I am very happy that I saw this, because Act 1 was really outstanding, narration and all.  

One last thought.  I have seen 6 plays on NT Live; I have seen all but one in live performance as well.  In all cases, I enjoyed the live performance more, even though there were occasionally moments that I preferred in the taped version, probably due to effective use of close-ups.  

I thought the taping of the NT Live Lehman was the best of the lot, however, and would strongly suggest that anyone who is unable to see this production be on the lookout for NT Live screenings.  I am probably wrong, and I know I am spouting sacrilege, but I just don't know how much would be lost by seeing this series of narratives on a movie screen vs. a live stage.

 

 

 

 

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 3/10/20 at 11:56pm

A terrific production of an engaging piece of documentary theatre, if not a great play. Three masterful performances and a fabulous staging by Mr. Mendes. It was remarkable that the three actors played so many characters, and thanks to the clarity of the performances and staging I never once forgot who anyone was for a second. I will say I think the acts actually got better as they went along. If you go, be prepared to have to learn a lot of information very quickly.

I'm glad three-act plays are coming back in vogue.

[Zion24]

Posted: 3/11/20 at 12:09am

i wish someone would explain what you mean by pure narration. this show seems right up my alley but i will be bored out of my mind watching a few people give well written lectures for 3 hours. can someone compare this to another "narrated" presentation? 

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 3/11/20 at 12:23am

JDonaghy4 said: "i wish someone would explain what you mean by pure narration. this show seems right up my alley but i will be bored out of my mind watching a few people give well written lectures for 3 hours. can someone compare this to another "narrated" presentation?"

Not sure what play they saw, because is absolutely not "pure narration." In addition to the direct narration, the actors play 70 different characters, and they deliver dialogue in those roles. It's been a year since I saw it, but I would compare it to a radio play, with a lot of setting the scene, then acting it.

Watch this NT Live trailer to get an idea of what to expect:

https://youtu.be/bOPT5VC2kqw

Updated On: 3/11/20 at 12:23 AM

[Impossible2]

Posted: 3/11/20 at 9:00am

JDonaghy4 said: "i wish someone would explain what you mean by pure narration. this show seems right up my alley but i will be bored out of my mind watching a few people give well written lectures for 3 hours. can someone compare this to another "narrated" presentation?"

Stop listening to all this crap and just go and see it because it is an amazing night at the theatre that you will definitely regret not seeing.

I wouldn't even call it traditional 'narration' at all, it is people telling the story intercut with various 'scenes' which are acted out by the 3 actors.

The staging and use of projection is excellent. The performances are brilliant.

It's one of the most lauded productions of the last 10 years and you're worried because of a few opinions from complete stranger on the internet?

JUST GO!

 

[wolfwriter]

Posted: 3/11/20 at 9:36am

Impossible2 said: “...you're worried because of a few opinions from complete stranger on the internet?

JUST GO!”

Or you could take this advice from a complete stranger on the internet  :)

 

[Impossible2]

Posted: 3/11/20 at 9:48am

wolfwriter said: "
Impossible2 said: “...you're worried because of a few opinions from complete stranger on the internet?

JUST GO!”

Or you could take this advice from a complete stranger on the internet :)

"

And 4 million reviewers who raved about it x

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/11/20 at 9:50am

TerrenceIsTheMann said: "The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, starring Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley, and Ben Miles began previews tonight.

I have to say my intuition was right when I was quite disappointed to miss this last year at the Armory, as it is truly a masterpiece work of theatre.

You can feel the effortlessness in both the direction and the acting, as this is the 4th leg of the production (2 London, 2 NYC), and the cast did not skip a single beat.

The direction tells the story in such a unique and fascinating way. Mendes provides as much clarity as he possibly can, putting a lot of the weight on the 3 actors. As seen with 1917, The Ferryman, Cabaret, etc., Mendes is a master at blending technical elements with incredible acting work.

Miles, Beale, and Godley are all shoo-in's for Tony nominations, as well as Mendes, the play itself, and it's scenic design. Not sure if any of the actors could win though, as none of the three were the clear highlight, for me at least. They are all sublime though, playing dozens of characters each over the 3 acts. They're giving the kinds of performances that you can't believe get rehashed every evening. Truly brilliant work.

The play ran about 3 hours and 20 minutes with TWO intermissions. Mendes and Scott Rudin were in attendance, both seeming pretty happy about how the show went. I am avoiding things like the stage door at all costs at the moment, so no update on that, but I am sure that they did not tonight.

I rushed and got a ticket at 6:45 PM, 40$ Far left orchestra Row G, Marked Partial View but I saw 95% of all the action on stage, and 100% of the exposition."

 

"40$ far left"

This is not meant to be a criticism, but is it now acceptable to place the $ sign AFTER the number? When I was in school (shortly after the walls of Jericho fell) it was $ sign first and then the number. Ex; a $100 coat.

Just curious, not meant to threadjack.