I know much has already been said about Shakespeare in the Park, but I thought I would add my 2 cents as I just saw it last night, and as I was a cast member in the critically acclaimed producton of Twelfth Night 2 years ago at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison, NJ… (The only critics who came were my parents and they loved it, so that counts, right?)
Well, I have to say that the cast was superb, the set was stunning and the costumes were gorgeous. And here is the real kicker – Anne Hathaway was wonderful! it is so rare that stars are stars for a reason, but she is constantly showing up because she is the real deal – and guess what -
She won’t go away. This has been a great year for plays in New York. And in this stand out year, we have seen a great many American actors of b oth stage AND screen who have delivered wonderful performances for us. In a year with its unquestionable difficulties not only in theatre but in most industries, it is inspiring to see people who could no doubt be making much m ore money in Hollywood come to New York and do solid work.
Among the list of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows this season with big names in it are Exit the King (Susan Sarandon, Geoffrey Rush), God of Carnage (James Gandolfini, Hope Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels), Waiting for Godot (Bill Irwin, Nathan Lane, John Glover, John Goodman), The Wiz (Ashanti), and of course Twelfth Night. These productions are not selling because of the star power that I just listed, but because they are wonderful pieces of art that make people think and believe in the power of live theatre to change.
I applaud the teams that cast these stars for their prudence and vision. So for as much trash talk as I talk about stars being cast to sell tickets, when I see Anne Hathaway I realize that us theatre snobs should not fault someone for being famous. Because sometimes they are magical.
icbins
jraemaldonado
lbferrel
mannycbins
