LOVE LETTERS With Bryan Cranston & Sally Field Streams Tonight 5/21

[CT2NYC]

 

 

 

[CT2NYC]

 

 

[Fordham2015]

Well, that was wonderful. It's a foolproof play- put in any two actors and it works. Loved it with Alan Alda and Candice Bergen six years ago, and Cranston/Field had me in tears by the end tonight.

[220Basswood]

Sally Field's facial expressions were fantastic.  She also had so much more emotion in her voice than Bryan Cranston.  

[fitzdavid2]

What a pleasure to see this and I thought they played off one another beautifully.  It's a lovely piece and I was surprised to learn that it was actually a Pulitzer Prize finalist.  If there is ever a play like this in the future, the correspondence that will be detailed will be e-mail.  This is so unlike what Cranston has done on the stage (All The Way, Network)- those were epic, bravura performances.  This was understated and sensitive and totally engaging.   Sally Field was so honest and heartbreaking...I hope she will come back to Broadway.  Boy, does this make me hungry for live theatre.

[persephone88]

I really liked Bryan Cranston's performance - understated, very much like Andy Ladd.

[Alex Kulak2]

Are we going to see this play when Broadway reopens? With it's letter-reading nature, it could be up on it's feet really quickly once things are allowed to reopen

[Jordan Catalano]

It was a massive flop a few years ago, even with A level named attached.

[Alex Kulak2]

Jordan Catalano said: "It was a massive flop a few years ago, even with A level named attached."

If the shutdown ends on a Monday and a Love Letters production could open on a Friday, they could capitalize on exclusivity. The benefit of the show is that it takes almost no rehearsal time. It'll take months for other shows to rehearse and prep. They could be the hottest ticket in town by virtue of being the *only* ticket in town.

[Alex Kulak2]

I'm obviously exaggerating the timeline, but this show could be up and running a lot faster than others

[Miles2Go2]

Fordham2015 said: "Well, that was wonderful. It's a foolproof play- put in any two actors and it works. Loved it with Alan Alda and Candice Bergen six years ago, and Cranston/Field had me in tears by the end tonight."

That was so good. I also saw this with Alda/Bergen and loved it, but this took it to another level emotionally. Still crying. 

[CT2NYC]

[Skip23]

 

I've seen this show with several different pairs.  It's trickier than it looks.  If the casting isn't spot on, it doesn't work. 

 

 

[LightsOut90]

Zzzzzzzz

[Huss417]

My all time favorite pairing was a one night only benefit at Long Wharf Theatre with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. 

[ggersten]

The only production I've seen was in San Francisco with a young Matthew Broderick and Helen Hunt.  Must have been around 1988 or 89.  It's a different show with younger actors - or so I've been told. I have not seen a production with older actors.

Missed the show last night (was playing Hamilton trivia on Quarantrivia - Broadway is the quiz this Sunday). And the video seems to have gone "private".  

[AC126748]

The show flopped on Broadway a few years ago because audiences weren’t willing to pay $150 to watch two actors read from scripts at desks in their street clothes — even if those actors are on the level of an Alan Alda or a Carol Burnett. The production was solid and got a rave review in the Times, but it still didn’t go anywhere financially.

[Bettyboy72]

AC126748 said: "The show flopped on Broadway a few years ago because audiences weren’t willing to pay $150 to watch two actors read from scripts at desks in their street clothes — even if those actors are on the level of an Alan Alda or a Carol Burnett. The production was solid and got a rave review in the Times, but it still didn’t go anywhere financially. "
Exactly. It’s too slight to be that expensive even with names. That is why it is always hauled out for benefits-easy to cast with two a-listers for one night to raise a lot of money. This show is hard to have legs, especially with a high price. You’d need Streep and DeNiro doing the whole run for it to sell out on Broadway. Chemistry and acting chops need to be strong, as well as a female lead who evokes empathy and easily connects with the audience. It’s why Field was inspired.  The O’Neal/McGraw tour was an abomination. A snooze. 

 

[Skip23]

Bettyboy72 said: "AC126748 said: "The show flopped on Broadway a few years ago because audiences weren’t willing to pay $150 to watch two actors read from scripts at desks in their street clothes — even if those actors are on the level of an Alan Alda or a Carol Burnett. The production was solid and got a rave review in the Times, but it still didn’t go anywhere financially. "
Exactly. It’s too slight to be that expensive even with names. That is why it is always hauled out for benefits-easy to cast with two a-listers for one night to raise a lot of money. This show is hard to have legs, especially with a high price. You’d need Streep and DeNiro doing the whole run for it to sell out on Broadway. Chemistry and acting chops need to be strong, as well as a female lead who evokes empathy and easily connects with the audience. It’s why Field was inspired.The O’Neal/McGraw tour was an abomination. A snooze.

"

Field may be perfect on paper, but she didn’t quite work. You never understood why she broke down. Cranston also didn’t connect. That role really needs to be an uber-WASP.  I think they weren’t rehearsed enough and were miscast. 

 

I also think we should have seen both of them all 

[Damiensta]

I saw it on broadway with Carol Burnett and she was so perfect that I didn’t watch this Bc I didn’t want to ruin that memory

[Jordan Catalano]

weird.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

AC126748 said: "The production was solid and got a rave review in the Times, but it still didn’t go anywhere financially."

IIRC, that production's rave was specifically related to Mia Farrow's performance, and she was only in it for 4 weeks.

[maxd]

I thoroughly enjoyed Ali McGraw in the last tour (Ryan O'Neal not so much). She conveyed so much with simple changes in posturing and subtle voice inflections- I was captivated just watching in. O'Neal was in his own world, unfortunately

[Skip23]

I was thinking that McGraw would be good.  Maybe with Richard Thomas?

 

 

[imeldasturn]

I just finished watching it and wow this ranks among Sally Field's finest performances ever