Full house - the show started about ten minutes late - first two scenes had quite a few lighting cue issues and the set looked unfinished
First act lasted 30 minutes - had never seen the show before so don't know if that is normal
To separate the first three scens in act one they projected fortune cookies quotes on the curtain
Bobby C and A. Pacino were over the top - everyone was actually - it is in great shape - Pacino's opening scene dragged a bit but his work in the second act was masterfully crafted -
As you can imagine the audience ate it up - there were a few moments in act two that were some of the most powerfully delivered scenes I've ever witnessed
I know tickets are hard to come by (I actually ended up with an extra) but you will want to see this
bwaybri2, a short first act is how the show is written.
PlayItAgain, when the SRO policy was announced, the press release stated it wouldn't be available until after the show opens. However, who knows? Maybe it was sold.
Have they included the "Always Be Closing" speech? A post on this board a few months (years?) back indicated that it has become an optional insert in the stage play.
Saw it this afternoon. I'd give it high marks. Pacino's first scene does drag a little but the second act is just masterfully done; extremely subtle and far from the usual "Hoo-hah!" Schtick he gets away with because he's Al Pacino. The speech about making the sale is a particular highlight. Carnavale is extremely fine throughout and his big scene in act two, where he is hard-selling Lingk, is so convincing I nearly bought something myself. John C. McGinley's scene with Richard Schiff (also excellent, in an in an extremely tricky role) is the highlight of the first act, and his screaming fit in act two won him exit applause. David Harbour is terrific at the slow-burn and Jeremy Shamos is nicely pathetic as Lingk. Catch it if you can.
Oh, and by the way, the stage door was a MADHOUSE, even though Pacino was announced as not coming out. There seem to be two kinds of stage door experiences: there's the kind where the actors are really willing to actually talk to you; to recieve your compliments or answer your questions. Then, there's the kind where you are effectively expected to get your program signed but not get any real interaction. I realized quickly that GLENGARRY is the later, and got the hell out of there real fast
The Opening "Always Be Closing" speech is not performed.
I saw it yesterday. Al is amazing, but yeah his first scene kinda dragged a bit. Bobby Cannavale was amazing as Roma the scene between him and David Harbour is so powerful. John C McGinley was really good. Overall it needs just some minor tweaking and work with pacing and it'll do just fine.
Stagedoor: Crazy but it got even crazier for Bobby Cannavale than Al Pacino. I was in the front and got almost knocked down because people were pushing me.
I did some online research today about Mamet's use of commas and inflections etc in his writing so it may be that Pacino is taking thise commas to the extreme- there was a lot of stammering - John John John etc - and several false starts - I didn't know the show but there were times in his first scene last evening where I thought, "oh no he's forgotten his lines" And it might have been a character choice but he kept fidgeting with his upstage ear which made me wonder if he had an earpiece in - I doubt that he did but that's how awkward some of the pacing felt -
Bottom line - it was the first night of previews - by the end of the show nothing seemed out of whack - but there was something unnatural about the first scene -
Thanks for the explanation. Hope it doesn't become too much of a problem for Pacino., especially since it's been said for both of the first two performances.
Saw the 10/20 evening preview and yes Act I dragged but Act I is three dialogue scenes which will test the mettle of even the best actor. That said all three scenes got good crowd reactions and Bobby Cannavale was amazing in the third scene and I am confident by the open these pacing issues will be worked out.
Act II was a home run. Pacino was mesmerizing as Sidney Levine, and Bobby Cannavale ruled the stage. A great scene between the Schifft (George) and Harbour (office manager) drew the crowd reaction of the night.
I say this as someone who has seen the movie version about 10 times and can probably recite half the movie, John McGinley does a good job but if you have already seen the movie Ed Harris is a much stronger Moss; that said, if you haven't been contaminated by the movie you'll probably like his performance he does a good job but if this a play for over the top actors he doesn't seem over the top enough for me but these are only previews.
The Alec Baldwin scene-----I was told by a friend that directed a community version of GGG that the ABC scene was written specifically for the movie for Alec Baldwin and that is why it is not in the stage version?
-----As for Stage Door my wife and I hovered a little before the play and Bobby Cannavale rode up on a bike and got right in then a few minutes later snuck back out and in for a cup of coffee; we were both taken aback how athletic and young he looks on the street compared to how he looks on stage and screen, a truly remarkable talent.
Overall a good night of acting; I can now die happy saying I saw Pacino on stage. I think I would have liked the play better had I not seen the movie because inevitable you start comparing the stage performances to the screen version because the screen version is so acting heavy.
Sondheifan: well, the set looks pretty cheap in act one, but it's supposed to. The Chinese resturant is very far downstage and is just A wall, a few posters, and two booths. You don't really need anything else. The second act Office was really nice, by which I mean super tacky and cheap-looking and very well-designed.
I think Pacino is a great actor and I was privileged to see him, however, the stammering and seeming to forget his lines and the dragging took away from the whole play for me. I've never seen the movie. Was this the way it was supposed to be?
I saw the show this past weekend and it was fantastic. I definitely feel the need to dispel the myth circulating that Pacino doesn't know his lines. I've read the play and seen the movie a million times, and let me vouch for it: he knows all of his lines, and, like other users have said, the stammering is intentional. Pacino was brilliant, and was, perhaps, the wildest variation from the film, as his performance was the polar opposite of Jack Lemmon's interpretation of Levine (but in a fantastic and surprising way). Anyway, it was terrific.
I haven't seen the current production, but this play usually runs under two hours, including intermission. The last revival was around 1:45.
Does running time really matter all that much, though? Shouldn't a work be as long (or short) as it needs to tell the story fully--does a short play really stifle your enjoyment? (Or make you feel like you didn't get your money's worth?)
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Posted: 10/19/12 at 06:13pm