Today: A Man For All Seasons

One of the rising Behind the Scenes Stars of Broadway is my very own Little Love, Noah Himmselstein. He is currently employed as an observer with the The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers under director Doug Hughes in the Roundabout revival of A Man For All Seasons. I'm thrilled to see this play today. During the rehearsal process and now during this preview time, Noah has been sharing his enthusiasm of all that he is learning. It would be enough for me to just go and support his efforts, but I've revisited what I learned in college (yes, I was a history major and am fascinated by the British royals) on the subject matter - Thomas More and his times. Besides, seeing Frank Langella in action again is just irresistible.

Update! Wow. Frank was UNBELIEVABLE. U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-A-B-L-E. It's a beautiful play - painful and sad, while humorous. Frank's delivery was incredible, so humorous but intense. Zach Grenier as Thomas Cromwell was menacing and gave an equally intense performance. He made the perfect government lawyer. The rest of the cast is fine - nobody particularly stood out for me, although a couple of them, when in costume, looked like they stepped out of a circa 1500 painting. The set is beautiful but minimal, with subtle lighting and lots of candlelight. Catherine Zuber's costumes are a feast for the eyes. I found myself longing to touch the rich fabric. I don't usually think about costumes but this time they were perfectly symbolic, even causing a gasp from the audience toward the end. The American Airlines theatre was frigidly, and probably appropriately, cold, reminding me of my visit to the Tower of London. I'd like to see this again in October. It's so powerful. I had two semesters of Western European history and one of them focused on the 1400s through the 1500s which included the Tudors, separation of church and state, the creation of the Church of England, and the protestant reformation. It struck me that we have a lot to learn from St. Thomas More and his commitment to his beliefs and it would do all of us good, especially our statesmen of all sides, to see this play and read his work. It was a great audience this afternoon and I didn't hear a single cell phone ring, however I have make note of the three people from our row - 6th row center orchestra - who decided to leave about 5 minutes before the final and most riveting scene - thanks. This is a limited run, opening October 7th and closing December 7th.