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Photo by Don Kellogg

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Popularized by the 1988 Glen Close movie, this time around it's Laura Linney (Sight Unseen, The Crucible, HBO's John Adams) in the cold, calculating, and deceitful role of La Marquise de Merteuil on stage at the American Airlines Theatre.  She's surrounded by a great deal of talent including Olivier award winning British actors Ben Daniels and Sian Phillips, as well as American actors, Mamie Gummer (Mr. Marmalade, Hunting and Gathering, HBO's John Adams) and and Kristine Nielsen (Spring Awakening, Die Mommie Die!, Our Leading Lady, Based on a Totally True Story).

I suspect the play will never out-shine the movie.  Nothing can beat the close camera angles and intense drama and cinematography a film can provide.  In almost any size house, it's hard to capture the intensity that only the people in the first two rows can absorb.  If anyone could try, Roundabout would surely by the natural choice where elaborate and ornate costumes and sets as well as excellent direction are a mainstay.  

All in all - the actors did a superb job.  Many will say Act I was too "funny".  Some will complain the ending was different from the movie.  You can't please everyone.  You just have to keep playing the game.