Monday, June 12, 2017
Review: TONY AWARDS 2016
71ST TONY AWARDS
The acceptance speeches this year seemed more interesting than usual, and the performances from the shows were very well chosen and well performed.
The awards were nicely distributed among a lot of shows.
Previewing future shows is a great idea, but the heavy-handed plugs were not.
The opening number was disappointing. Probably the best host is a talk-show host and comedian with experience on Broadway and a strong interest in all kinds of theater. Kevin Spacey boasts many of these skills, but not much as an improvising comedian. In fact, his best moments as a host came when he channeled Johnny Carson. Given his skill set, it's a little disappointing that he did not boost serious theater as much as he might have.
All in all, though, I enjoyed the show! (And it's refreshing to have this award after a long break from the excessive film award season.)
(Note: A quick shout-out about THEATER TALK on Public TV (in NY, it's usually 2 AM Sat on channel 13 or https://theatertalk.org/) which has had interesting discussions in the last few weeks with many of the nominated and winning actors, directors and writers!)
Here are the winners in the top categories...
PLAYS
Best Musical
DEAR
EVAN HANSEN
Best Play
OSLO
Best Revival of a Musical
HELLO,
DOLLY!
Best Revival of a Play
JITNEY
ACTING
Best Lead Actor in a Musical
Ben Platt
DEAR
EVAN HANSEN
Best Lead Actor in a Play
Kevin Kline
PRESENT
LAUGHTER
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Gavin Creel
HELLO
DOLLY
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Michael Aronov
OSLO
Best Lead Actress in a Musical
Bette Midler
HELLO,
DOLLY!
Best Lead Actress in a Play
Laurie Metcalf
A DOLL’S
HOUSE, PART 2
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Rachel Bay
Jones
DEAR
EVAN HANSEN
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Cynthia Nixon
THE
LITTLE FOXES
DIRECTING
Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher
Ashley
COME
FROM AWAY
Best Direction of a Play
Rebecca
Taichman
INDECENT
SPECIAL AWARDS
Spacial Sound
Gareth Fry
Pete Malkin
THE
ENCOUNTER
Tony Lifetime Achievement
James Earl
Jones
Labels: Ben Platt, Bette Midler, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, HELLO DOLLY, James Earl Jones, JITNEY, Kevin Kline, OSLO, Theater Talk, Tony Awards
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
MERYL STREEP, KEVIN KLINE, ROMEO, JULIET, AL PACINO
Shakespeare in the Park
Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep
Directed by Daniel Sullivan
Gala Honoree: Al Pacino
This one-night-only event will be performed on the Delacorte’s 50th Anniversary, June 18, 2012
Conceived by Joe Papp, The Delacorte Theater in Central Park officially opened on June 18, 1962 with its first production, The Merchant of Venice featuring George C. Scott and James Earl Jones. During the past five decades, more than five million people have enjoyed free Shakespeare in the Park thanks to the support of Partners and Sponsors.
Tickets for The Public Theater’s Anniversary Gala on Monday, June 18 begin at $1,500 and include dinner al fresco in Central Park and a post-show dessert celebration. For more information, please call 212-539-8547 or visit
http://shakespeareinthepark.org/gala/
www.ShakespeareInThePark.org .
The Public Theater | 425 Lafayette Street | New York, NY | 10003 | 212-539-8734
http://www.publictheater.org/
Note: For more about Joe Papp & The Public Theater, see:
Labels: Al Pacino, Daniel Sullivan, Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, Shakespeare in the Park, the public theater
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
THE EXTRA MAN
THE EXTRA MAN
A Magnolia Pictures release
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Kevin Kline is brilliant in The Extra Man. (He is also brilliant outside of The Extra Man -- see below.)
This film is very funny.
(Note: According to the NYT (Sunday Arts p 6 , July 25, 2010), as an online reviewer/interviewer/journalist, I need to add that the film is "quirky, eccentric, off-beat".)
An "Extra Man" is not a gigolo, he is the unpaid (apparently), sometimes compensated (perhaps with a free meal, free cultural event, or free vacation apartment), non-fornicating escort for (usually) old women who need a companion at events.
Kevin Kline (as Henry Harrison) is the quintessential Extra Man. Paul Dano (as Louis Ives) is a young man of confused sexual identity who takes (ie rents) a room (actually, basically, just a bed in a not very private room) in Henry's apartment. Louis lives with a voice narrating his life in the style of Nick in The Great Gatsby (much the way other boys live with a baseball announcer calling the life they are living).
Henry is a brilliant, but unproduced playwright, whose one copy of his first (and only) play disappeared because (he believes) it was stolen. He is old-fashioned, sexually blocked, sexually obsessed, strongly opinionated -- often to the point of rudeness, extremely cultured, something of a master at certain cons, and incredibly poor.
"Incredible," however, means not credible; ie unbelievable. (The film therefore does require some strong "suspension of disbelief".) I tried, but could not convince myself that Henry could be as poor as he is described (for example, he owns a car that is decrepit beyond disgrace, something Henry's taste, I suspect, could not tolerate.) He has a job -- teaching in Queens. He is excellent at manipulating people, and the old women he escorts are very wealthy. I could not convince myself that between his teaching job, his skill at cons, and his wealthy friends, he could not acquire a comfortable income (and drive a car -- however ancient -- that looked really good in its own way).
The film also ends with a too-quick/too-soft landing, which seemed to require too big and too sudden a shift to tolerance from the demandingly intolerant personality Henry had so far exhibited.
But these two issues are minor, compared with the film's strengths -- it's a very funny film with fascinating characters and rich, humorous characterizations through superlative acting by some of New York's best actors.
Director, THE EXTRA MAN
Photo by Eric Roffman
The film is based on a novel which, in turn, is said to be based on the real experience of the author, Jonathan Ames. The film is directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (who by all accounts worked extremely efficiently as a team). They began as documentary filmmakers, and have made a career of fictional versions of real stories. Their (award winning) film, American Splendor, was based on the life and work of Harvey Pekar (who, sadly, just passed away). They are currently working on a film for HBO, "Cinema Verite," based on the story of the filming of the story of the Louds, who were themselves one of the first "reality TV" personalities.
THE EXTRA MAN
A Magnolia Pictures release
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Supporting roles are excellent. Katie Holmes has a small role (but is quite lovely) in the movie. John C. Reilly is hysterical. Marion Seldes and other classic actors contribute finely tuned performances.
THE EXTRA MAN
A Magnolia Pictures release
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Paul Dano continues his portrtayal of extremely strong characters that speak softly and behave in a retiring manner. (He's like that in person , too.) His films include Gigantic with Zooey Deschanel, There Will be Blood, with Daniel Day Lewis, and Tom Cruise's Knight and Day -- as Simon Feck, the inventor of the Zephyr battery.
He is currently in production (playing a cowboy) in Jon Favreau's Cowboys and Aliens.
Kevin Kline trained first in classical piano at Indiana, then switched to acting, joining the acting program at Juilliard. An actor with extraordinary range, from classical tragedy to modern comedy, he is a master of Chekhov: He has performed in The Seagull, under the direction of Mike Nichols, and played one of the rare productions of Ivanov, Chekhov's early and challenging masterpiece. He has performed many roles in many plays of Shakespeare, including a celebrated version of the "Seven Ages of Man" speech in Kenneth Branagh's film of As You Like It, and an iambic-pentameter-free Shakespeare duel with Steven Colbert (see below).
He has done serious roles, musical roles, and comic roles in both theater and film, including the classic political comedy film, Dave.
He's a thoughtful, quick-witted, well-spoken, highly knowledgeable actor. He'd be a great teacher if he had the time, and I'd love to see work he directed.
He is one of the most versatile, terrific actors around. It is a pleasure to see him in this fine, funny, multi-dimensional, completely original role.
HERE'S THE CLIP FROM HIS APPEARANCE ON THE COLBERT REPORT:
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Kevin Kline | ||||
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Labels: John C Reilly, Jon Favreau, Kevin Kline, Paul Dano, The Extra Man
