Saturday afternoon the CB's saw Chekhov's The Seagull. It was an afternoon of three hours of great play writing, wonderful direction, and breathtaking performances. This is a definite must see for any serious theatre lover. It is a new translation of the famous play and a very riveting production. The play begins with a bleak, sparse stage, and, once again, no curtain--just a few birch trees and some tree stumps which becom
e the stage for the son's production of his first attempt at play writing. In this one scene we see the family dynamics in all their cruelty. Kristen Scott Thomas plays the aging actress, Arkadina, who is the mother from hell--unable to provide the love, support and attention that her son desperately needs--but instead makes herself the constant center of attention. She is just wonderful as this selfish, narcisistic woman. But the standout performance for the CBs was the young actress Carey Mulligan's portrayal of Nina, the son's true love who starts as an innocent, fresh young girl and ends up as a broken women who has been rejected by her lover (who is also Arkadina's love) and banned from her family home. We recognized her from Bleak House and other PBS productions, and she is a wonder to watch on stage.
Later we saw
the opposite extreme of the Broadway spectrum- Billy Elliot. What a show! It is as over the top as Elton John's persona is!! The choreography was some of the best we have ever seen. The numbers with the Union workers and the young ballet dancers are magical and so creative. The young boy who played Billy- David Alvarez- is an amazing talent. We left the theatre feeling exhausted from this over the top experience only to find that my beloved Red Sox were ahead 4-2 and going to play Game 7 of the ALCS tonight! Today we are seeing the matinee of David Mamet's Speed the Plow and then taking the bus home. We are tired but happy CB's.
e the stage for the son's production of his first attempt at play writing. In this one scene we see the family dynamics in all their cruelty. Kristen Scott Thomas plays the aging actress, Arkadina, who is the mother from hell--unable to provide the love, support and attention that her son desperately needs--but instead makes herself the constant center of attention. She is just wonderful as this selfish, narcisistic woman. But the standout performance for the CBs was the young actress Carey Mulligan's portrayal of Nina, the son's true love who starts as an innocent, fresh young girl and ends up as a broken women who has been rejected by her lover (who is also Arkadina's love) and banned from her family home. We recognized her from Bleak House and other PBS productions, and she is a wonder to watch on stage.Later we saw
the opposite extreme of the Broadway spectrum- Billy Elliot. What a show! It is as over the top as Elton John's persona is!! The choreography was some of the best we have ever seen. The numbers with the Union workers and the young ballet dancers are magical and so creative. The young boy who played Billy- David Alvarez- is an amazing talent. We left the theatre feeling exhausted from this over the top experience only to find that my beloved Red Sox were ahead 4-2 and going to play Game 7 of the ALCS tonight! Today we are seeing the matinee of David Mamet's Speed the Plow and then taking the bus home. We are tired but happy CB's.
