Recent Theater in London
We continue to enjoy the great opportunities to experience live stage shows in London's West End -- with special enjoyment added by the use of the Half Price ticket booth in Leicester Square. Among our most recent theater experiences were these three:
Tennessee Williams' Glass Menagerie in a wonderful staging, with Jessica Lange as the mother. The actors were, as we've come to expect, really fine. We'd seen other productions of this classic (maybe on a Hallmark Hall of Fame TV production, or something similar) and as a result the story was familiar. But never before had it struck us just how well-written the play was. It takes a great deal of creative subtlety to write a play which shows a mother, by her actions, destroying the lives of her two children -- but depicting this in such a way that it is clear the mother is not evil -- is doing what she thinks right -- but damaging her children nonetheless.
The Sound of Music (a present for Kathi's December birthday, but only attended in March because tickets are so difficult to get) did not disappoint in any way. Great staging, wonderful voices and the familiar classic story. The night we attended, 4 of the large parts (including Maria and the Mother Abbess) were played by understudies because of illness and other causes. There was no way to avoid saying to yourself "wow, if the understudies are this good, the regulars must be fantastic."
A less well known show was The Man of Mode, at the National Theater. This was a serious play (with comic overtones) originally produced in the 17th century, written by George Etherege. He was trying to demonstrate the degree to which (then) modern society had become obsessed with sex and was straying from traditional morality. The current production is set in modern London, but the theme fits perfectly. A stage play with a large cast, beautiful staging and fantastic comedic timing.
As our 3 year assignment in London draws to a close (4 months until we leave) we continue to realize to an increasing degree just how much we're going to miss the London theater scene.
Tennessee Williams' Glass Menagerie in a wonderful staging, with Jessica Lange as the mother. The actors were, as we've come to expect, really fine. We'd seen other productions of this classic (maybe on a Hallmark Hall of Fame TV production, or something similar) and as a result the story was familiar. But never before had it struck us just how well-written the play was. It takes a great deal of creative subtlety to write a play which shows a mother, by her actions, destroying the lives of her two children -- but depicting this in such a way that it is clear the mother is not evil -- is doing what she thinks right -- but damaging her children nonetheless.
The Sound of Music (a present for Kathi's December birthday, but only attended in March because tickets are so difficult to get) did not disappoint in any way. Great staging, wonderful voices and the familiar classic story. The night we attended, 4 of the large parts (including Maria and the Mother Abbess) were played by understudies because of illness and other causes. There was no way to avoid saying to yourself "wow, if the understudies are this good, the regulars must be fantastic."
A less well known show was The Man of Mode, at the National Theater. This was a serious play (with comic overtones) originally produced in the 17th century, written by George Etherege. He was trying to demonstrate the degree to which (then) modern society had become obsessed with sex and was straying from traditional morality. The current production is set in modern London, but the theme fits perfectly. A stage play with a large cast, beautiful staging and fantastic comedic timing.
As our 3 year assignment in London draws to a close (4 months until we leave) we continue to realize to an increasing degree just how much we're going to miss the London theater scene.
posted by Chuck and Kathi Calvano @ 7:50 PM
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