Sunday, September 13, 2009
Action Heroes James Bond and Wolverine (Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman) on Broadway
NYTimes.com: "Rarely do fans have the thrill of seeing two of their favorite testosterone-charged action heroes square off. But Daniel Craig (Mr. Bond) and Hugh Jackman (Mr., well, just Wolverine) are offering a variation on that theme on Broadway this month in “A Steady Rain,” a dark portrait of two Chicago cops whose close friendship corrodes from suspicion, betrayal and lethal rivalry."
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15 comments:
It seems like Craig and Jackman have been able to build up a good chemistry, and have paired up for a play that they've become very passionate over. It's interesting to hear their comparisons between Broadway and Hollywood, having both done a few stints in theater and movies. Talking about the different audience atmosphere between the theater and movies, and such. Seeing them together in what seems to be a very dark play in "A Steady Rain" should be intriguing, and by the way they talk about it, they've gotten it down well.
I always love it when actors return to their roots on the stage. There is something very raw about seeing people you associate as being one thing showing you a totally different side of themselves. From the article they both seem to have good senses of humor about their avid fans/followers. Who knows this may get a lot of people to the theatre who might normally not go to see any live theatre.
It's a sad truth that it is very difficult to separate actors from their previous roles. I think that it is especially risky to use well known stars to originate roles in the theatre. If that actor is seen playing that role with the audience being constantly reminded of a character they played before, the new character is tainted with the residue of the old. I feel that if not carefully dealt with, famous actors originating the roles of new characters can cause a stained view of that new character.
It is wonderful when you get two such powerful actors working together to create a piece that, I'm sure, is stunning. Unfortunately, they do bring up the good point of having so many fans in the audience that some of the spectacle of the show becomes ruined by the erratic fan, but it is still worth it. I also imagine that these two actors enjoy settling in NY for a month or so to do this run, rather than the grueling schedule of a film set.
I have always had the mentality that a good actor or actress makes a good show, not a famous one. Not to insult the talents of either Mr. Jackman or Mr. Craig, but I feel like the publicity for a show like this should be about the plot, not the actors who are playing the characters. After reading this article, I felt more aware of these gentlemen's ability to finish each other's sentences and less about the show. JMHO.
I feel like these two men are very dedicated to this show and to their characters. I thinks its admirable that when they were talking to the real police officers, they were really trying to dig deep and see what makes these officers tick and see how their work affects their lives so that they as actors can give a much truer performance. I think that this drive to discover their characters will show on stage and that the audience will be more engaged by these characters and won't be distracted by who the actors are or who they have played in the past. I think these two men care about this show too much to let any audience member see "Wolverine" or "James Bond".
I think it is great that they are bringing some big movie stars into a serious dramatic play. Many times when they bring in movie stars to do plays it is a marketing ploy more than anything, knowing that people will come to see the star more than the play. However, this play sounds like it will stand on its own and the actors will have to keep up. Obviously people will go to see them rather than the show, but with the economy being the way it is, it will be great for the industry to be able to have the boost of their presence.
I am quite a big fan of both these stars, and for once I can say I actually have some faith in the production. Often Hollywood actors attempts to crossover to the stage are pretty dreadful (julia roberts, david hasselhoff - though that's probably a bad example). No offense to the talent of the film actors (in every case) but acting for the stage is different than acting for film. Generally its the actors with roots in theatre and not films that succeed the best on stage, and I think with a seasoned performer like Hugh Jackman this could be a very interesting show. I am not familiar with Craig's theatre background so hopefully he's just as talented as Jackman and can together they create a very dynamic, interesting show.
While theater and plays are worlds apart, I find the slow trend towards the 90 minute continuous play an interesting trend. I'm not saying that theater is slowly the way of movies, but it seems like their is a new focus on almost condensing the experience so that the movie patrons might find theater more accessible. Also, while I know little of what acting background Jackman and Craig have outside of their movies, "A Steady Rain" seems to in some ways appeal to those who might enjoy the roles these actors have in the movie world. The article hinted that there are a few what I think of as movie antics, which I thinks actually an interesting idea if this actually gets more people into watching theater again.
I AM SO EXCITED! I love both of these guys so much. I am definitely on Team Craig for the Bond saga, (you can't beat Connery, but Craig is my 2nd favorite). He pulls it off with such ease. I have not seen his other films, but I would love to see what he does on stage, and if he is able to exude the same presence. This is definitely a huge marketing strategy, and an absolutely brilliant one. I do not care what the show is about, I will want to see both of them on stage together. Also, in response to the comment about separating people from their previous characters, I have no doubts in Jackman. He went from Curly in Oklahoma to Peter Allen, and he excelled in both roles. Craig, I am not so sure, but we'll just have to see.
Personally, any opportunities for actors to get outside the roles thier respective audiences have traditionally seen them in is a good opportunity. Overall, I think the use of the big names in this instance will provide the show with a willing and open audience to the new piece. But bring thier different fan bases to the theater, a wider range of audience members will be exposed. And while the actors are best known for their roles in action movies, they both have held roles in movies which display their versitility. By choosing these actors for this particular roles the production is already out to a great start.
This gained me a new respect for these two actors. It's funny how even those of us who are always around the theatre still seem to make associations about actors the way the theatre-goers in this article do. Ergo, actors are just that much better when they break from this; this is what distinguishes the boys from the men, though. Interestingly enough, both of them seem to be pretty nice and cheerful guys in real life which is completely different from the "Wolverine" or "Bond" labels that audiences give them.
I absolutely love it when movie actors decide to come back onto the stage and show the world that theatre isn't some hokey or dead art form.
I get the feeling that if more serious movie actors would at least try to act on stage, the credibility of the theatrical world would grow exponentially, and that we wouldn't revere the movie actor with his or her nine thousand takes and recuts of a scene as "better" than those on the stage. Just because we lead quieter lives doesn't mean we're any less fantastic at our craft.
Using already well-known actors in a Broadway production in a great way to promote the show. I'm always a fan of finding clever ways to draw a new audience into the theater, especially in this period of economic hard times. I also feel that these two actors will only add to the show, instead of detracting from it as some money-making Broadway schemes do.
Movie actors going back to their roots is always a plus in my book. Going back to your roots, to the one-shot-and-its-done mentality of theatre is really refreshing to see because you know that these actors, unlike their counterparts who wish to have nothing to do with where their craft originated from, are settling back into where they began. They're taking a fresh look at those thousands of retakes they've done in their movies, all the wasted cuts, and are coming back to what I believe to be the purer form of their performance skills.
Bravo, you two. And man, it doesn't hurt that they have such good chemistry.
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