rOcKS @ 'Equus' and 'All My Sons'

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/21/08 at 12:18am

I saw both today. EQUUS in the evening and ALL MY SONS in the afternoon. And I have to say I was surprised by both. In very different ways. I'll start with my thoughts on ALL MY SONS.

The play itself is really strong and well-written with a lot of heavy-handed themes being tackled with remarkable skill. Miller is a brilliant playwright and I don't think anyone on this board will disagree with that. With this production, I was expecting another stagnant money-hungry mounting of a great play (much like the last revival of THREE DAYS OF RAIN). While it's not ferociously alive for the entirety of its duration, when it comes alive (which it did mostly during the second and third acts), it's really fantastic.

I predict this show will divide a lot of people. It will have its dissenters and its followers for sure. I can be considered as part of the latter. Simon McBurney's direction will surely either bowl people over or seem pretentious...and while I fell somewhere in the middle (he has his moments of genius here but also moments that need some work), I was really won over by his attempt to try something different.

The four lead performances are really all very good. Dianne Wiest is totally believable as a mother who simply won't give up hope that her son who was reported missing during the war is still alive. Patrick Wilson shows immense character development in a short period of time, showing a wide range of his talents along the way. John Lithgow is giving a tour-de-force that will hopefully get him a Tony nomination. And finally there's Katie Holmes. I won't harp on her performance but I have to say she was surprisingly strong. The first act was rocky for her (she was a bit too jumpy at points and seemed somewhat insecure and uncomfortable) but when she ripped into her character's pivotal scenes in the second and third acts, she really impressed me. I have no doubt she will get stronger as time goes on. I have never thought Holmes had a great talent for film or T.V. acting but I really hope she takes lessons on stage acting and continues to pursue it because she could really be a great stage actress...the talent for it is there.

The technical aspects of the show are all fine, I especially loved Tom Pye's set. Again, the show needs tweaking. It's not perfect, but it's in previews and compared to some of the other garbage and money-hungry productions that are plaguing Broadway of late, it's a welcome respite. I really enjoyed myself...a lot more than I expected.

*** out of ****

And then I saw EQUUS at night. And again, I was surprised by my reaction. But this time it was a different reaction. I didn't love it like many of the posters on here and many other people seem to.

I have always had MAJOR problems with the play itself which is the trick in reviewing revivals. The material is basically a non-factor, at least in its technicalities. But this production just seems to highlight the plays weaknesses as opposed to highlight its strengths. There are moments where the emotions and tensions really work together but they aren't very frequent. The opening scenes are beautifully stark and well-acted and involving and the sequence before the end of the first act is also memorable. But everything else is kind of just underwhelming.

The direction, by Thea Sharrock, is obviously "there" but a bit dormant and never really takes the ideas that it introduces to the extents it could. I apologize if my thoughts on EQUUS are a little disjointed but that is just how I felt about the show itself. It was very disjointed.

I really loved Richard Griffiths' performance and I have to say I wasn't bowled over by Daniel Radcliffe. Maybe it was because I had heard he was so spectacular and he's just ... not. He's fine, sure, and he's really giving the role his all but he's a bit unengaging to watch, at least for me. I also particularly liked Anna Camp and Kate Mulgrew. The artistic aspects of the show (the lighting and sets and costumes) are exceedingly beautiful.

My feelings for EQUUS are very mixed. I keep bouncing back and forth between enjoying it and finding it somewhat pretentious. So, for now, that's where I'll stay. In the middleground.

**1/2 out of ****

[WiCkEd4LyFfE]

Posted: 9/21/08 at 2:27pm

Thanks for your thoughts, I am very excited to see both of these shows.

[BroadwayBoy2]

Posted: 9/21/08 at 2:38pm

THANKYOU fr your thoughts, I am seeing AMS on Saturday and CANNOT wait. Every review i have read of this show, everyone says Dianne Wiest is a powerhouse. I cannot wait!

I had to choose between AMS and Equus, hopefully I made the right choice!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/21/08 at 2:42pm

I think you definitely did.

Report back and let us know what you thought!

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 9/21/08 at 2:56pm

I had almost written off AMS because of the brouhaha about Katie Holmes. However, I was in the city yesterday and got a ticket for 10/09. When I was in Sardi's later in the day, one of the old-timers (and he'd have to be an OLD timer to beat me in that category) had seen ALS at the matinee and was prettg much raving about it. Said there were four genuine standing ovations. SOOO, I'm glad I changed my mind.

[BroadwayBoy2]

Posted: 9/21/08 at 2:58pm

WILL DO!

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 9/21/08 at 3:18pm

I had opposite reaction to some of the performances in "Equus." I saw it yesterday afternoon with my partner and thought the Radcliffe was excellent, worth the price of admission on his own.

I had serious problems with Kate Mulgrew, who was so mannered in comparison to everyone else that I thought she walked from another play. And while I thought his performance overall was good (if underplayed), Richard Griffiths had projection and enunciation issues, as did Carolyn McCormick as Alan's mom, which in turns left some of their dialgue a bit garbled.

Even so, the show itself is very much worth seeing..in fact, my partner is debating a return visit.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/21/08 at 4:27pm

I totally agree about the projection issues. Every cast member in EQUUS could improve on their enunciation and projection.