The Best Man - Spotlight on Plays - 10.14.2020

[MrsSallyAdams]

Spotlight on Plays is presenting an online reading of Gore Vidal's The Best Man tonight at 8pm EST. The cast includes Morgan Freeman, Phylicia Rashad, Matthew Broderick, Katie Finneran and Elizabeth Ashley. Tickets are on sale here: https://www.todaytix.com/x/nyc/shows/22422-Gore-Vidal-s-The-Best-Man

I missed the 2012 Broadway revival but recently watched the 1964 film. The script has aged very well. Will folks here be watching?

[MrsSallyAdams]

John Malkovich is playing Russell (the Henry Fonda / Melvyn Douglas role) and chewing every syllable. He can say "How does she do it? How? How?" and make a meal of every "How." I'm not sure it's the right rhythm for Vidal's rat-ta-tat dialogue but he's bound to be interesting.

[Jordan Catalano]

Watching it tomorrow and looking forward to it

[MrsSallyAdams]

I'd seen the cast list but not who was playing what. A nice surprise that Zachary Quinto is playing Senator Cantwell. A fun bit of casting if you know where the plot is headed.

[MCW1227]

Watching now but something unfulfilling about watching a reading of a play on Zoom.  The content of this play  is certainly quite timely.  It’s also supporting a great cause so it’s all good.  The cast is top notch and they’re doing a great job under the circumstances.  
 

 

[MrsSallyAdams]

Watching the play gives me more respect for Vidal's screenplay. He managed to cut about an hour off the run time while keeping the plot clear. The women's roles suffered as a result but they're not the focus of the play as it is.

[LarryD2]

Dear god, I forgot how boring this play can be. And a play like this, which requires crackerjack timing, really highlights the flaws in the Zoom format. The entire endeavor was shaky and there was no real chemistry among the cast.

Malkovich, unsurprisingly, gives an impossibly weird performance; he's miscast. Freeman is shaky in his lines but gets by on presence. Quinto is better than I expected. Rashad is oddly muted. The best performances, IMO, were Finneran, Williams and Broderick. Loved Julie Halston's little cameo.

[goodlead]

I watched this today after not having seen it for a long time and was amazed at how prescient it was. It forecast events like JFK's sleeping around (not really forecast as it was known already), the JJFK-LBJ team of rivals, the Eagleton withdrawal from McGovern's ticket, all of Nixon's tricks, and of course TRUMP.

For a 60-year-old play, it remains crucially relevant.

[fitzdavid2]

I agree with Goodlead.  Had a lot of fun watching this, the Vidal dialogue sparkles and what a cast.  I thought Malkovich was excellent and Phylicia Rashad was delicious as the committee woman.  The confrontation scenes between Malkovich and Quinto (also formidable) packed a punch.  And Morgan Freeman was just right as the folksy ex-President.   It's worth catching...I streamed it on demand tonight (Broadway's Best Shows) and I think it's up through Saturday.  Looking forward to the next entry "This Is Our Youth"...

[AllThatJazz2]

Watched last night and enjoyed it. Thought they did a decent job with the Zoom limitations, and loved the actors involved. Looking forward to the other play offerings.

[Wallman2]

Really liked it...one of the best Zoom readings I've seen.  And that cast:  Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick, John Malkovich, Phylica Rashad, Katie Finneran, Zachary Quinto-- pretty fabulous.  Vidal wrote some pretty nifty zingers.  Both Presidential candidates this year could have definitely used his style and wit as a speechwriter.  I highly recommend catching it.

[Wick3]

I just watched the play on zoom and enjoyed it as well! This is the first time I ever heard of the play and a friend of mine told me it might be boring but I was actually intrigued. It's amazing how this was written over 60 years ago yet is still relevant today. Am glad they did this! Thank you!