A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS - First Preview Thoughts

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 2:44am

Hey All -

Tonight, 3-time Tony Award winner, the great, Mr. Frank Langella plays the statesman who stood up to King Henry VIII's notion to separate from the Catholic Church in the first Broadway revival of Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons, beginning preview performances this evening at the American Airlines Theatre.

The new Roundabout production stars Langella as Sir Thomas More, the anti-Protestant Lord Chancellor of England during the time when King Henry — desperate for a male heir — sought to extricate himself from Queen Catherine to marry Anne Boleyn. True story, folks - Look it up!

This production, directed by Doug Huges, opens Oct. 7, and will have a limited engagement through Dec. 7.

As production notes read, A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS "is a timeless exploration of politics, religion and power. Robert Bolt's classic drama is based on the fascinating true story of English Chancellor Sir Thomas More and his moral objection to King Henry VIII's plan to leave the Catholic Church."

The show originally premiered on Broadway in 1961 winning the Tony Award for Best Play, to be followed by a feature film adaptation which won six Academy Awards. This production playing the American Airlines marks the play's first Broadway revival in 40-someodd years.

The cast also includes Hannah Cabell (Margaret More), Michael Esper (William Roper), Michael Gill (Duke of Norfolk), Zach Grenier (Thomas Cromwell), Dakin Matthews (Cardinal Wolsey), George Morfogen (Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop), Patrick Page (King Henry VIII), Maryann Plunkett (Alice More), Jeremy Strong (Richard Rich), Charles Borland (Jailor), Peter Bradbury (Steward), Patricia Hodges (Woman), Triney Sandoval (Thomas Chapuys) and Emily Dorsch, plus Curt Bouril, Alex Cole, Elizabeth Gilbert, Miguel Govea, Einar Gunn and Andy Lutz.

For anyone and all of BroadwayWorld attending this evening, we ask that you please report back on the goings-on - thoughts, opinions, comments, concerns, etc. Surely, they'd be greatly appreciated. To Mr. Langella and Co. - "Break Legs!"

Happy Theatregoing!

Best,
- Mike





Updated On: 9/12/08 at 02:44 AM

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 2:57am

For a second, I thought I was going to be reading a review. I have tickets for the first preview and you got me scared for a moment that I missed the show!

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 7:39am

I thought the same thing, Luckydave. The title of this thread is very misleading...

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 7:42am

Indeed.

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 7:43am

I might not be seeing the show after all. I might be going home for the weekend and will have to find someone to take my tickets.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 8:24am

I thought the same thing and had a mini-panic attack here at work.

Anyone know roughly how long this thing is gonna be?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 8:47am

3 hours, give or take.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 11:33am

That long, huh?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 12:33pm

Haha I thought the same thing! I thought I missed the show. But I'll be there tonight. I hope its good...obviously. I'm usually not good with period pieces like this but I love Langella and for ten bucks, why not?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 2:41pm

You'll be so mesmerized by Langella it'll only feel like 1 hour, adamgreer. The man is one of the greatest actors living today and is nothing short of a genius.

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 2:45pm

Do you guys think I could make a bus home that leaves at 11:20?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 3:20pm

Don't count on it.

[bwayfascination]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 3:24pm

Is the first preview tonight or the 14th? One page of their website says the 12th, but the page to buy tickets says the 14th. But it looks like you guys have tickets for tonight.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 5:27pm

I find it interesting to compare the portrayal of Thomas More in this play (noble, determined, principled) with that in The Tudors (pragmatic, reticent, underpowered). I loved the irony in The Tudors of him condemning heretics to be burnt at the stake not knowing that he would be martyred himself.

And Holbein's wonderous portrait of him faces off that of Cromwell across one of the galleries in the Frick Museum.
Updated On: 9/12/08 at 05:27 PM

[EugLoven]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 9:05pm

F*ckity f*ck f*ck!

Tonight, the cursed N-Train decided to turn a usual 20-min jaunt from Astoria to Times Square into an hour-long delay-ridden nightmare.

I found myself at The American Airlines Theatre 30-mins late, so turned-around and came right back home.

MTA could destroy the world if they really wanted to.

I'll buy a HipTix for next Tuesday. I'm only out $20, but it's the principle of the thing. This was my reward after a really trying work-week. Had I known, I could have grabbed tix to Goldfrapp or Fuerzabruta. Instead, I found myself walking back on a Friday night in the rain listening to Amelie, milking my sadness.

And I was really looking forward to seeing some fellow BWWers.

Hope the rest of you enjoyed the show!
Updated On: 9/12/08 at 09:05 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 9:09pm

That sucks Eugloven! I feel your pain! I was stuck on the F train today between a crazy fat man and an annoying teenager playing with this Iphone. How does the Hiptix work? I would love to see this show - I'm up to see anything, I like to expose myself to new things - and $20 ain't bad!

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 9:22pm

Hey, what do you know? I DID look it up, and it IS a true story. Huh, the things you learn from message boards. Cramazing.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 9:28pm

RentBoy86, do you live in the city now?

Here's the HIPTIX website:

http://www.hiptix.com

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 11:23pm

I'm on the way home so Ill post more when I get in but I mean I guess I liked it. The show itself is very flawed and repetetive and at times excruciatingly slow. The direction was wildly uneven. Some scenes were very nicely done, others felt amateurish...shocking coming from Hughes. Langella was great as usual (expect a Tony nod) and the rest of the cast was ok...the only other person worth noting was Patrick Page who held his own in his one scene with Langella. A lot of the performances felt uninvested and robotic, just nerves or kinks that will work out I hope. The best aspects of the show were the design aspects and its uneven more on the positive note, mainly due to Langella. Is it worth paying full price for? No. 10 bucks? Of course. 45 bucks (which is the average discount being advertised) I'd say so...it needs work though. Its just passably good, nothing wildly exceptional.
Updated On: 9/13/08 at 11:23 PM

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 11:24pm

I couldn't help but think, for the majority of the evening, about how much I miss THE PAJAMA GAME (which also played at the American Airlines).

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 11:24pm

Who is Patrick Page playing?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 11:27pm

He's playing King Henry...what did you think WAT?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 11:37pm

I thought it was dull. Frank Langella had moments of brilliance, but I was bored through most of the show. Also, the transition music between scenes reminded me of TARZAN! I think they could have done a better job. I'll be interested to hear what others had to say. Please note that I only got four hours of sleep last night, so I was pretty tired all day...

After the brilliance that is EQUUS, nothing can compare...

[EugLoven]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 11:39pm

How were Hannah Cabell and Michael Esper... rather, what are their characters and how'd they fit in the scheme of things?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 11:42pm

I agree. Totally.
And is Equus worth full price? I'm dying to see it.