Grey Gardens (matinee) 7/15/07

[Greennow]

Posted: 7/15/07 at 10:04pm

What an amazing piece of theatre! Christan Ebersole, Mary Louise Wilson and Megan Lewis were brillant.

AMAZING!

[BillFinn]

Posted: 7/15/07 at 10:05pm

Megan Lewis' voice is so beaaaaaaaaaautiful!

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/15/07 at 10:12pm

Glad you enjoyed the show Greennow!

Did you happen to notice what they had in terms of merchandise?

[Greennow]

Posted: 7/15/07 at 10:18pm

I really did not get a good look to be honest with you.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 7/15/07 at 10:20pm

DVDs of Documentary
T-shirts (Daddy's Girl, Grey Gardens logo, East Hampton)
CDs
Pins
Two deals: (two shirts for 25) or (tee and program for 25) If you did either deal, you get a free pin or keychain.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/15/07 at 10:26pm

They didn't have any programs left?

[WickedMuzzy422]

Posted: 7/15/07 at 11:40pm

yup. they had programs left. 15 dollars a piece. got one myself.

i have to agree that today's matinee was amazing. can't believe i didn't see grey gardens sooner.

[jg4892]

Posted: 7/15/07 at 11:44pm

Megan rocks. Love her.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/15/07 at 11:47pm

Thanks so much!

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 9:54am

Despite the fact that Ms. Lewis has a lovely voice and a nice stage presence, I now completely think that Erin Davie may have the toughest job in the entire cast of Grey Gardens.

(I've also seen Dale Soules and Maureen Moore, and thought they both were great!)

Ms. Lewis, sans any sort of accent, presented Little Edie in the first act as a very spoiled but otherwise cheery young woman. I realize this was only her third performance, but there was no connective tissue whatsoever that her character would grow up to be the woman Christine Ebersole portrays in the second act. Without the little touches that Erin's inserted into her performance (physically, vocally), it's much harder to make the leap between the two acts, but my major problem was that Lewis' Little Edie never unravelled. Nothing seemed to be at stake for her character, nothing on the line, even as her world becomes more and more unhinged. Her acting was very even tempered ("Daddy's Girl" was sung almost as a straight song to the audience), with emotion only coming in her very final scene of the first act, where she storms up the stairs to pack - that, in itself, was jarring, and took me out of the action.

Nevertheless, the crowd at the Kerr was nuts yesterday - orchestra and mezz were both sold out, and there was a large crowd up in the balcony. It's a shame the show didn't find an audience earlier in the run.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 2:02pm

The way Megan Lewis plays Little Edie is much like Professor Umbridge (Harry Potter 5). It's this idea that everything needs to be perfect. I need to look perfect. I need to act perfect, even though my mother is acting like a totally flirt. "Daddy's Girl" was a perfect example of that. She stood quite still and sung with great composure, admitting her faults to Joe Kennedy (who was getting progressively angrier). All of this composure, decorum, and stance breaks down at the end, when Megan literally SOBBED on stage. Christine Ebersole tried to console her, but Megan quickly whipped right around and screeched back at her, "I am not your daughter anymore." Her head drooped down in defeat and she sulked upstairs.

I think Megan's take on "Little Edie" was a lot more subtle than Erin Davie's. The neurosis isn't as apparent, but it all comes together at the end of Act I, when she has this hysteria before your very eyes. The same way Christine Ebersole has a tantrum in Act II when she delivers her monologue, "I TOOK CARE OF THIS HOUSE! NOT YOU! etc..."

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 2:10pm

I think this is what is fun about seeing different people in roles. They bring something different to the table. And with material as rich as this--filled with layers upon layers--it can be fascinating.

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 2:11pm

That would be a great interpretation, but that wasn't what I saw on stage at all.

[logan0215]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 2:13pm

I did

And the final lines of "Daddy's Girl" she spoke directly to the audience and it was CHILLING.

As was her tantrum before storming upstairs.

Fabulous fabulous job. She and Maureen would have been dead-ringers for Mother/Daughter if they had had the chance to go on together...

[lawyerman]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 2:20pm

im beyond curious now to see Megan Lewis, which i guess will never happen. i think "trying to hold it all together" makes alot of sense in light of how she so compltely has nothing held together in act2.

i found Young Little Edie to be the most interesting of all the performances onstage- and i liked Erin quite a bit. I also really liked Gettelfinger from what ive seen. I just find it so interesting to watch someone with so much going for them and knowing in the back of your mind that its all going to come tumbling down.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 2:59pm

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

They didn't have a "Marry Well" costume for Megan Lewis. She wore the same dress she wears throughout. I don't think they ever fit her. Her white dress looked rather long and Choose to Be Happy's religious garment looked too high on her legs.

[ILoveWicked330]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 4:29pm

I was up in the balcony at yesterdays matinee. There were afew empty seats but they were selling SRO so it must have been just about sold out

[firescape]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:35am

I was in the orchestra level during Sunday's matinee. Came all the way from TN for one day just to see this. Incredible performances by all!! I am proud to have seen it

[firescape]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:35am

Updated On: 7/17/07 at 12:35 AM

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 1:03am

They also didn't have her "Two Peas in a Pod" costume. Considering the advanced notice given for Davis's vacation, I'm suprised they didn't put another outfit together. Either way, really great performance and I didn't realize this until today but her Broadway debut! Congrats!

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:45am

Gypsy, the "Two Peas in a Pod" costume is the same thing Edie wears in "Marry Well".