When the chance to buy a pair of expensive but really good tickets to Equus came my way, I decided to splurge and go. I usually try to get bargains whenever I can, but there are just some shows where discounts are not to be had, and they usually involve celebrities. Three Days of Rain, which came to Broadway a few seasons ago starring Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, and Bradley Cooper, comes to mind. Sometimes the performances are mediocre and your money spent is for little more than being in the room with such star power (again, Julia Roberts comes to mind). Happily, Equus offered a lot more.
Just to get it out of the way, yes: this is the play where Daniel Radcliffe gets naked. The trio of gay men behind us were very clearly there just to see Harry Potter’s magic wand (this phrasing is on par with their maturity level about the whole thing, too) and were probably disappointed with the very tasteful lighting that accompanied the extended nude scene. While there is something titillating about seeing someone naked, the play and Radcliffe’s performance are rich in so many other ways.
The play centers on the time Alan (Radcliffe) spends with a psychiatrist (played by the ever talented Richard Griffiths) after committing a horrifying act of violence on the horses that he tends. The play questions the cost of passion versus the value of reserve, medical ethics, and self worth. Griffiths was excellent, but it was really Radcliffe who impressed me. His role is a difficult one and without such a nuanced performance it could have become laughable, squirm-inducing, or both. His three-dimensional and emotionally honest performance served the play extremely well, and if this is any indication of his expanded acting ability, we have a lot to look forward to.
Oh, and I got to see Harry Potter naked.
A small post script: I really loved the artwork for this show, which is a rare treat. With so much creative talent connected to theater, a whole lot of Broadway art is pretty ugly. Check out Triton Gallery if you want to see what I mean.
Monday, September 22, 2008
More than just a boy wizard
at 11:44 PM
Labels: On the Boards
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4 comments:
I'm glad to hear that you liked it so much and good to know he's not just a wizard. That's so ten years ago...
I really wanted to see this in London, but tickets were like gold. I'm glad you got to see it, and that he's worth all the hype. Continuing our conversation from my last visit to NYC, though - neener neener neener. You get Harry Potter. We still have Clive Owen. :) hahahaha
YAY! I'm so glad you liked it, and I hope your seats were good. The nude scene is really not at all tittilating in context, and the play is actually quite fascinating.
And, for real, we saw Harry Potter naked.
Gah! How did I not know this was in the states?! Equus has been one of my most favorite shows since Rutgers did a production of it during my fourth year there--and that was with a big let-down of a psychiatrist (I know you're saying the role of Alan is hard, but the psych. has a lot of monologues, and that is also extremely difficult in a very different way).
I'm going to go ahead and believe that I can't possibly afford both a ticket to the show and the travel expenses of getting to NYC. Because otherwise I'll cry. ;)
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