Blithe Spirit

Classy Comedy Closes July 19!

I say! These have certainly been the veddy best of times for me and Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit—the comic story of a man haunted by the spirit of his first wife. Back in September I saw David Lean's movie version; more recently I fulfilled my longtime desire to see the musical version, High Spirits, during its short, sold-out, Musicals in Mufti run.

And just last weekend I got around to seeing and enjoying the current Broadway production of the play (which Coward wrote during a visit to, sigh, Portmeiron). Yes, Angela Lansbury does good work in the role of the eccentric Madame Arcati—I liked how her character seemed to have an arbitrary dislike of the doctor's wife, Mrs. Bradman (Deborah Rush, bringing winning energy to this supporting character). But ultimately the strength of the production is in the depth of the entire company, performers and non-performers alike. Rupert Everett does a fine job as the haunted husband; Jayne Atkinson and Christine Ebersole as the wives contrast each other but also reveal more and more facets of their characters as the play unfolds. Complementing their work is the subtle costume design of Martin Pakledinaz and some clever blocking, especially in the final scene.



Source (3:08)

Going Soon, Coming Soon

Just thought I'd dash out a couple of theater notes.

Going Soon! I'm amazed that Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour premiered 75 years ago! Despite its age, it's surprisingly fresh—a good thing for theatergoers as well as actors, but of course also kind of sad because homophobia and the other plagues that it touches upon are still too much with us. The play has to do with a girl's accusation that the two close woman friends who run her school are actually lesbian lovers. The revival at the Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) isn't slick but it still does justice to Hellman's troubling work. There's only one more performance...and it's Sunday night at 6pm, just before the Tony Awards.

Coming Soon! I'm really excited about next weekend's five-performance revival of High Spirits, featuring Carol Kane. My regular readers (and friends) might recall that this musical, which is based on Blithe Spirit, has a hold on me—it's my Drowsy Chaperone! Having only heard the charming cast recordings, I've dreamed of Encores! reviving it, but it turns out to be Musicals in Mufti that has the good sense to offer theater lovers a sense of what a full-scale production might be like. I look forward to seeing it—and, if you're interested, I recommend snagging your seat(s) immediately. Tickets seem to be going fast, which is why I decided to make this post as soon as I could.