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Post by anthony40 on Jan 20, 2024 19:06:59 GMT
Hmm, interesting to read the mixed reviews.
I know there are three plays in this piece but if I'm honest, I don't think I've ever seen the whole show though; I'm a vaguely familiar with the third of the three plays ans very familiar with the third.
I am not in a position to say as I've not seen this production but from reading through the above, it doesn't seen to be the performances that is the problem.
I wonder if it's simply a case that the play is dated?
Maybe it's just a play that doesn't resonate with a UK audience but is better pitched at a New York/Broadway Jewish audience?
My understanding was that this was a massive hit on Broadway, thus the motivation to transfer this production with the two leads.
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Post by sph on Jan 20, 2024 19:27:08 GMT
I think a lot of older plays, particularly comedies, come off a little bit static and dated when they're revived nowadays. They're such a stark contrast to the more hard-hitting and/or frenetic plays we've seen emerging in recent years.
I'll try and see this if I can do so cheaply.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 20, 2024 20:04:05 GMT
Considering the original buzz it seems to be turning into a massive damp squib.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Jan 20, 2024 20:17:52 GMT
It wasn't received massively well on broadway by theatre fans. Similar criticisms to here.But it doesn't matter, its selling purely on the cast.
Broadway also had the advantage of coming back from covid lockdowns
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Post by Rory on Jan 20, 2024 21:15:37 GMT
A lot of Neil Simon's stuff hasn't dated particularly well. The idea of paying £300 to see this is preposterous.
As if anyone would have remotely considered forking out more than £50 in 1999 to see Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason in The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the Haymarket! Everyone's lost the run of themselves these days.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jan 21, 2024 11:12:14 GMT
I think a lot of older plays, particularly comedies, come off a little bit static and dated when they're revived nowadays. They're such a stark contrast to the more hard-hitting and/or frenetic plays we've seen emerging in recent years. I'll try and see this if I can do so cheaply. Good luck with that! |
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Post by theatrefan62 on Jan 21, 2024 14:16:36 GMT
A lot of Neil Simon's stuff hasn't dated particularly well. The idea of paying £300 to see this is preposterous. As if anyone would have remotely considered forking out more than £50 in 1999 to see Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason in The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the Haymarket! Everyone's lost the run of themselves these days. It's no different to forking out hundreds to see Madonna or Beyonce in concert. It's the chance to see someone you really like/admire doing what they do in the flesh. People aren't paying for the play, they are paying to see SJP live. |
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Post by alece10 on Jan 21, 2024 14:33:32 GMT
I've booked to see it in mid Feb. A friend wanted to see it so I bought tickets. I had no idea what it was about so it was a surprise reading above about it being 3 plays. I will however go with an open mind.
I'm looking forward to seeing Matthew Broderick on the stage, SJP didn't have any pulling power as I've never seen her in anything including Sex in the City.
Why have I got Maggie Smith in my head? Did she do a film version if this or was that something completely different?
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Post by Rory on Jan 21, 2024 15:53:48 GMT
A lot of Neil Simon's stuff hasn't dated particularly well. The idea of paying £300 to see this is preposterous. As if anyone would have remotely considered forking out more than £50 in 1999 to see Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason in The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the Haymarket! Everyone's lost the run of themselves these days. It's no different to forking out hundreds to see Madonna or Beyonce in concert. It's the chance to see someone you really like/admire doing what they do in the flesh. People aren't paying for the play, they are paying to see SJP live. Yes, and fair enough if they think she's worth shelling out 300 quid to see in an old star vehicle. |
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Post by Jon on Jan 21, 2024 17:48:49 GMT
Neil Simon's plays aren't performed that much anyone. I do think a revival of The Odd Couple would do quite well with the right cast.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 21, 2024 18:10:23 GMT
It's no different to forking out hundreds to see Madonna or Beyonce in concert. It's the chance to see someone you really like/admire doing what they do in the flesh. People aren't paying for the play, they are paying to see SJP live. Yes, and fair enough if they think she's worth shelling out 300 quid to see in an old star vehicle. Producers set a precedent with Cabaret, Cock et al and found the public coughed up. Then they pushed it further, changed the casts to lesser names but kept the prices high and the public still coughed up. The genie is out of the bottle. |
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Post by Rory on Jan 21, 2024 18:13:54 GMT
Yes, and fair enough if they think she's worth shelling out 300 quid to see in an old star vehicle. Producers set a precedent with Cabaret, Cock et al and found the public coughed up. Then they pushed it further, changed the casts to lesser names but kept the prices high and the public still coughed up. The genie is out of the bottle. You're right. Unfortunately. |
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Post by Being Alive on Jan 21, 2024 18:54:32 GMT
This is ultimately it - lots of people said at the time "people won't pay that" but people did, and thus producers are right to assume people will pay it again
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Post by callum on Jan 21, 2024 21:03:30 GMT
Saw this at the 5pm Sunday performance (I think the first time I've ever seen a show at that time) and had a terrific time. I was sceptical going in but SJP and Broderick have such magnetic chemistry, and both have brilliant comedic moments. Loved a lot of the jokes, and didn't feel particularly dated as the stories are explicitly framed as taking place in 1968/69. I think I enjoyed Act 2 the most, but Act 3 was pitch perfect farce alongside some unexpected melancholy in Act 1. Noticed shades of Pinter coming through in the writing.
I was in F28 in the Upper Circle, sold at £25 for restricted view due to a safety bar. The restriction however was negligible, and would strongly recommend if this seat is available and you fancy saving yourself up to £275! And if anyone cares, I'd also say the majority of the action in Act 1 and 2 takes place on the left side of the stage (from the audience point of view), and on the right side for Act 3.
My seat also meant I was straight out onto street level right next to the stage door and got a barrier spot. I can't remember the last time I did a stage door, but thought why not for these two. I have never seen so many people at a stage door before - there must have been well over a hundred people there and the queue was 6 to 7 people deep. I left to give other people a chance once I got my signatures so didn't see how long they stayed, but the rules were no selfies and only Plaza Suite merch to be signed. Both absolute pros and only took around 10-15 minutes to appear! Programmes £8.
Summary of the show is yes it's eyewateringly expensive, however if you can find a bargain then you'll have a very charming and entertaining evening, which will be enhanced if you're a fan of Broderick or - in particular - SJP.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jan 22, 2024 16:33:27 GMT
Apparently last night SJP stopped the show and told someone (politely) to stop taking photographs/filming
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Post by Jon on Jan 22, 2024 16:35:31 GMT
Apparently last night SJP stopped the show and told someone (politely) to stop taking photographs! Why no one goes full on Patti, I don't know. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jan 22, 2024 16:38:08 GMT
Apparently last night SJP stopped the show and told someone (politely) to stop taking photographs! Why no one goes full on Patti, I don't know. YES… UNLEASH PATTI |
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Post by A.Ham on Jan 22, 2024 16:42:27 GMT
Apparently last night SJP stopped the show and told someone (politely) to stop taking photographs/filming Good for her! It must be so distracting for those performing, as much as it is annoying for fellow audience members (as we frequently discuss in the Bad Behaviour thread) |
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Post by theinvisiblegirl on Jan 22, 2024 17:29:39 GMT
Apparently last night SJP stopped the show and told someone (politely) to stop taking photographs/filming She broke character just long enough to say “Please put your camera down…thank you” and then went straight on with the show like it never happened. |
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Post by callum on Jan 22, 2024 20:04:38 GMT
Apparently last night SJP stopped the show and told someone (politely) to stop taking photographs/filming She broke character just long enough to say “Please put your camera down…thank you” and then went straight on with the show like it never happened. I have to say - I was there yesterday and didn't even notice! |
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Post by theinvisiblegirl on Jan 22, 2024 20:46:00 GMT
It was in the last Act, when she was sat on the sofa.
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Jan 23, 2024 2:32:08 GMT
Apparently last night SJP stopped the show and told someone (politely) to stop taking photographs/filming She broke character just long enough to say “Please put your camera down…thank you” and then went straight on with the show like it never happened. This sounds very classy and dignified. Good on her. |
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Post by JJShaw on Jan 25, 2024 11:24:24 GMT
Grabbed a seat for £55 yesterday rear dress circle, so they are doing a little dynamic pricing.
Very enjoyable evening, felt very 'Broadway' with a luscious set and tight direction. Loved SJP and MB was very solid too (with more shining moments in act 3) but felt a tad stiff, perhaps an off night or just tired so focusing on movement and placements but they were both very fun. I'm more of a SJP fan but the audience were loving MB.
I didn't feel that it was dated all that much, I really liked all three acts, I imagine once fully settled in and into the swing of it there will be a few more moments that pop but I was excited to see the show and very glad I managed to get a reasonably priced ticket. Nothing will ever ever be worth some of the top prices some shows are trying to charge(and as someone else mentioned above concerts) but if you can get a ticket do go see it! £55 is a bit higher than my usual price or what I am comfortable paying but it was worth the little splurge for myself.
Will be interesting to see what the critics think on Sunday, really don't know which way they will go.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2024 7:59:51 GMT
Fun Fact They both met in How to Succeed
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Post by A.Ham on Jan 26, 2024 10:00:14 GMT
I saw this last night and really enjoyed it - to an extent it is a little dated as others have said, but they make the 1968/69 setting clear (and of course the costumes highlight the time period too). It definitely builds - Act I is probably the weakest in terms of laugh out loud moments, and the narrative is one we’ve perhaps seen more of than the stories told in Acts II and III. So for those unimpressed after the first act, stick with it!
Coming back from the interval, Jesse and Muriel’s story is amusing, but they definitely save the best till last with a farce-like final act with the Hubley’s bridal daughter locked in the bathroom. Laugh out loud funny in places here and the audience were very much wrapped up in it and laughing in all the right places.
Thankfully no bad behaviour to report, although the Savoy’s tills clearly didn’t stop ringing with sales of champagne, gin and the rest - based on the number of patrons looking very ‘merry’ the bar take must be rivalling the box office, even for this show. But everyone sat very quietly and respectfully so it does show it can be done. Perhaps there’s just less opportunities to join in at a play than a musical?!
Although I’d booked stalls row A when this first went on sale last autumn, this has now become the third row, and having been at Sunset a few weeks back and knowing the front stalls are inevitably flat with no rake, I called ATG last week and was able to switch into a central row AA seat by paying the difference. The stage isn’t particularly high and there’s around a metre of gangway in front of AA, so this proved to be the perfect spot to see and appreciate all the details, of both the set and the acting. There’s a lot of dynamic pricing going on with those front few rows - time it right and they’re not as horrendous as some of the coverage of the show’s prices would have you believe, and I spotted AA at £125 which is a lot less than they’ve been at times (unless you’re a lucky lottery winner of course). I was also able to retrieve the paper aeroplane that Karen Nash makes with the hotel’s headed paper and flies at her husband in Act I, which makes a nice piece of memorabilia given it’s printed with the Plaza hotel logo.
I’m going for four stars in the poll - I think it’s probably a three star play but SJP and Matthew Broderick really do elevate it - great timing and expressions from them both ramp up the comedy and SJP in particular uses so many different looks, glances and grimaces that she ekes out those extra laughs. I’m not sure it would play quite so well further back/up in the theatre so looking forward to reading comments on this thread over the next couple of months to see what others think.
As callum has posted above, stage door was packed - several people deep all along the barrier and I’ve no idea if SJP and Matthew keep going until they’ve signed for everyone. They did come out fairly promptly though, and thankfully I’d got a good spot so was able to get my programme signed almost straight away before moving back - Sarah was very pleasant and enthusiastic, Matthew going through the motions somewhat!
It’s certainly a great chance to see two iconic American stars in a slick comedy so for me it made a great night out.
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