NYTimes.com: It wasn’t only plays with Hollywood stars like Daniel Craig and Billy Crystal that made money on Broadway this winter. A critically acclaimed double bill of Shakespeare, “Twelfth Night” and “Richard III,” starring Mark Rylance — a two-time Tony Award winner but hardly a household name — has recouped its $3.1-million capitalization, the plays’ producers announced on Thursday.
6 comments:
I think that its really exciting to see these two Shakespeare productions having so much success on Broadway. Shakespeare is not always very appealing, especially to my generation. The first time I really enjoyed Shakespeare was actually a production of Richard III at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Mass. But reading it in school can sometimes being boring and turn people off. A good production of a Shakespeare play makes a big difference. What I think is most interesting about this is that, as the article mentions, Romeo and Juliet, staring Orlando Bloom was not very successful. Orlando Bloom is a much bigger name in the mainstream than Mark Rylance, but the productions Rylance starred in were far more successful. Its nice to see that a production of higher quality is more successful than the one with the bigger name (even though on Broadway Rylance is probably pretty well known).
It is actually refreshing to hear that viewers are starting to se where the quality acting is. I am not saying that Orlando Bloom or other screen actors are not good enough or fit for stage. I just think alot of the time some actors can be praised for their popularity more than their talent. Usually when people go see a show on broadway hey want to see it because their favorite actor from television will be on stage. Mark Rylance is probably one of the greatest actors that lives and its disappointing that if I bring him up in a conversation with my non theatrical friends they most likely won't know who he is. I give it up to the viewers for filling so many seats to see quality work instead of fame. I also give it up to Rylance for his two Shakespeare's in a year.
Revivals are a tricky thing. When you try to change and redo a much loved favorite it can either go really badly or it can add much more to the original than you could ever imagine. I think in order for a revival to be a success the director needs to take into account the theatrical interests of the time. What are people going to the theater to see and how can that influence the tone and atmosphere of the new production. Directors also need to think about the actors they choose and how they are seen in the current spectrum of the entertainment industry. All of these factors really play into whether or not the revival is going to be a success or not. I can't wait to see the Glass Menagerie with Zachary Quinto!
I visited New York last December (for winter break) and was lucky enough to see Twelfe Night during my stay. Unsurprisingly, I thought the performance was phenomenal, and, of course, Mark Rylance was unbelievable. I'd never seen someone handle Shakespeare so accessibly. Having read and seen productions of Twelfth Night before, I was blown away to have the story told to me with such approachability. Rylance is getting the praise he deserves, but I haven't heard nearly enough celebration for the rest of the outstanding ensemble. In particular, two gentlemen,
Paul Chahidi (Maria) and Samuel Barnett (Viola), made groundbreaking performances as well. Rylance (to me) has been billed as THE male in the all-male production, but I think there's something to be said about the other men performing the female roles.
When I was home over the break I actually got a chance to see this production Twelfth Night, and it was fantastic. I didn't recognize most of the people in the cast, but all of them were fantastic. It was one of the highest quality shows that I think I've seen on Broadway. It was also really interesting to see how the production was put on in a Elizabethan manner, with period style costumes, sets, and the chandeliers with real candles. One of the most interesting parts of the production though was at the very beginning when, before the show began, all of the actors were on stage changing from their street clothes into their costumes. If anyone is in New York and has a chance to see it before it closes, it's definitely worth it to go.
I'm sorry, my computer shortened my name to T in the comment above.
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