NY Trip--The Best of the Best

We didn't bring a computer to NYC last week, so I'm going to try to get caught up while Ann is in Florida for yet another vacation!

Best of the Best: A Little Night Music and A View From the Bridge

Ann and I LOVED the new production of Sondheim's A Little Night Music starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury. From the opening scene of a beautifully choreographed waltz, it was clear this was going to be one of those amazing nights in the theater. Zeta-Jones is absolutely beautiful in her gorgeous Edwardian gowns, and she captures the earthy sensuality and humor of her character, aging actress Desiree Arnfeldt, at a time when the glamor of her life on the road is beginning to wear thin. She is very natural on stage and also has a lovely voice. When she sang "Send in the Clowns" you could hear a pin drop in the theater, and I have to admit I had to reach for a Kleenex. . . Angela Lansbury is perfect in the role of Desiree's mother, and the whole ensemble is very strong, especially Alexander Hanson in the role of Desiree's former lover, Frederick. The only weak point, to me at least, was the performance of the two young leads--Ramona Mallory as Frederick's eighteen year old bride, and Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as Frederick's son--but overall, this was a wonderful production!

The other outstanding play we saw was a production of Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge which opens later this month. Liev Schreiber plays Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn longshoreman who has made a good life for himself and his wife and niece in 1950's Brooklyn. As a former immigrant himself, Eddie is happy to house and protect his wife's Italian cousins who arrive illegally in pursuit of the 'American Dream'. When his niece, played by Scarlett Johansson, falls in love with one of these immigrants, however, Eddie’s jealousy begins to consume him. We knew Schreiber (who we saw in his Tony-nominated role in Talk Radio) would be terrific, and he was. The surprise was how good Johansson is in her Broadway debut--she is a real natural and her performance in this rather difficult role is pitch perfect. We are keeping our fingers crossed for excellent reviews from the NY critics.