![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
With Caroline off on her adventure in Connecticut, Peter and I decided to see some Broadway Theater. I don’t think we could have seen two more contrasting plays if we tried. Both have single syllable, four word titles and that’s about it. One is a musical and the other a play. One was written in the 1960 and the other in the 2000. One deals with harmony and the other with disharmony. One has nudity and the other doesn’t.
Hair was brilliant all be it a little dated. I heard a mother explaining to a daughter in the restroom line what a draft card was and why burning it was such a big deal. I knew but I remember when we switched to a volunteer system. Now one has to register but it doesn’t mean anything other than you might be called up if they reinstate the draft which isn’t happening anytime soon. The current Tribe is very much into their show and they make sure that the audience is too. Peter and I did go dance on stage at the end but apparently the video was FUBARed by gremlins so there is no record of it which is too bad because it was fun to do. I got hugged by various cast members and we were able to tell the members of the tribe that sang Peter’s parody song at Broadway Bears that it was up on YouTube.
After the show, we decided to walk over to the Disney Store on 5th avenue only to find out that it is gone or rather moved to Time Square later this year (which I think is a much better place for it). So we walked up to FAO Schwarz instead and have a look around. The Muppet Workshop has added monsters to its mix and they are very cute. It is apparently one of the biggest success stores for FAO with pretty consistent business. We had dinner at a deli and wandered around Times Square until it was time to go see David Mamet’s newest work called Race.
It was a fascinating play as most of Mamet is and the cast was top notch. We had James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington, and Richard Thomas. Someone needs to give Kerry Washington a lead in a film or a TV series that isn’t animated, she has such presence on stage and I think she has a great career in front of her. All the actors did very well with what they were given. Mr. Thomas’ character suffered from being the least fleshed out since he was the catalyst for the situation so his character was what Mamet needed him to be to move the plot along. Mr. Spader did a wonderful job but for me that other find of the play was Mr. Grier who I don’t think I had ever seen do drama. He is amazing. His timing is great and you listened very carefully to what he had to say because of such stage presence. I also found out that Mr. Grier and I are both graduates from the dear ol’ YSD. It shows in a good way.
The play itself had its funny moments and its squirm worthy moments just because of the subject material that Mamet hits dead on and spares no punches or feelings in the execution. It is about a very rich white man accused of sexual assault on a black woman who had, until that evening, been his mistress and the law firm he wants to represent him against the charges. Like many Mamet plays, you are left to figure out what is the truth or what you believe to be the truth of the matter is only to have your views challenged again and again as the play unfolds.
The first act flew by and the second act is strong too. During intermission we talked to the people around us about what we had seen in the first act. We could have held a mini-UN with all the contrasting people in that room discussion what we had seen. The bathroom line was very lively as we waiting for a stall to open up. Everyone agreed that it was a good play and needed to be seen. After the show we did the stage door Johnny thing. It was a crush but I was up front getting autographs. Again people were talking about the play with each other and what they had just seen.
I am grateful that I saw both of these plays in the same day. Gave me a lot to think about.
Hair was brilliant all be it a little dated. I heard a mother explaining to a daughter in the restroom line what a draft card was and why burning it was such a big deal. I knew but I remember when we switched to a volunteer system. Now one has to register but it doesn’t mean anything other than you might be called up if they reinstate the draft which isn’t happening anytime soon. The current Tribe is very much into their show and they make sure that the audience is too. Peter and I did go dance on stage at the end but apparently the video was FUBARed by gremlins so there is no record of it which is too bad because it was fun to do. I got hugged by various cast members and we were able to tell the members of the tribe that sang Peter’s parody song at Broadway Bears that it was up on YouTube.
After the show, we decided to walk over to the Disney Store on 5th avenue only to find out that it is gone or rather moved to Time Square later this year (which I think is a much better place for it). So we walked up to FAO Schwarz instead and have a look around. The Muppet Workshop has added monsters to its mix and they are very cute. It is apparently one of the biggest success stores for FAO with pretty consistent business. We had dinner at a deli and wandered around Times Square until it was time to go see David Mamet’s newest work called Race.
It was a fascinating play as most of Mamet is and the cast was top notch. We had James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington, and Richard Thomas. Someone needs to give Kerry Washington a lead in a film or a TV series that isn’t animated, she has such presence on stage and I think she has a great career in front of her. All the actors did very well with what they were given. Mr. Thomas’ character suffered from being the least fleshed out since he was the catalyst for the situation so his character was what Mamet needed him to be to move the plot along. Mr. Spader did a wonderful job but for me that other find of the play was Mr. Grier who I don’t think I had ever seen do drama. He is amazing. His timing is great and you listened very carefully to what he had to say because of such stage presence. I also found out that Mr. Grier and I are both graduates from the dear ol’ YSD. It shows in a good way.
The play itself had its funny moments and its squirm worthy moments just because of the subject material that Mamet hits dead on and spares no punches or feelings in the execution. It is about a very rich white man accused of sexual assault on a black woman who had, until that evening, been his mistress and the law firm he wants to represent him against the charges. Like many Mamet plays, you are left to figure out what is the truth or what you believe to be the truth of the matter is only to have your views challenged again and again as the play unfolds.
The first act flew by and the second act is strong too. During intermission we talked to the people around us about what we had seen in the first act. We could have held a mini-UN with all the contrasting people in that room discussion what we had seen. The bathroom line was very lively as we waiting for a stall to open up. Everyone agreed that it was a good play and needed to be seen. After the show we did the stage door Johnny thing. It was a crush but I was up front getting autographs. Again people were talking about the play with each other and what they had just seen.
I am grateful that I saw both of these plays in the same day. Gave me a lot to think about.
