Philadelphia Story galore

It's heating up at last. These are mostly from the EhleNews Yahoo group, from the ever vigilant HC and Evelyn.



Photo from the Telegraph, below, and probably copyrighted by the Telegraph.

Telegraph: "Critic's choice":

Things haven't been going swimmingly for Kevin Spacey since he took over as artistic director of the Old Vic last year, so a good deal is resting on the revival of Philip Barry's comedy The Philadelphia Story, best known as the great George Cukor film starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. The luminous Jennifer Ehle (above) plays the heiress Tracy Lord while Spacey steps into Grant's shoes as her first husband, still smitten and intent on wrecking her second wedding. The supporting cast includes Julia McKenzie and Nicholas Le Prevost, with the highly experienced Jerry Zaks directing. The show is booking until Aug 6, but Spacey leaves the cast on June 18. Old Vic, London SE1, now previewing, opens Tues

From the Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye (not yet online), found by Aishling, posted by Evelyn:

"Jennifer Ehle makes a luminous return to the London stage in Philip Barry's The Philadelphia Story. Ms Ehle plays Tracy Lord, an heiress regarded - by her own father no less - as 'the goddess who has no regard for human frailty'. Tracy has money and position in society but she's a prig and lacks an understanding heart.

Although it's a comedy, staged with some zest by Jerry Zacks (it's in preview at the Old Vic so it'll be more zestful by opening night), Ms Ehle, who famously starred as Elizabeth in TV's Pride and Prejudice, enables us, between the laughs, to see the sadness underpinning the false pride.

The play is a delightful comic concoction, with a cast that includes Julia MacKenzie, Kevin Spacey, Lauren Ward, D W Moffett and a winning stage debut by Talulah Riley as Tracy's sister Dianah."

From WhatsOnStage.com:

OPENING TUESDAY, 7 May 2005 (previews from 3 May), The Philadelphia Story is the final, and arguably most keenly anticipated, production in Kevin Spacey’s inaugural season as artistic director of the West End’s Old Vic (See News, 30 Mar 2005). Spacey stars (to 18 June only) as ex-husband CK Dexter Haven to Jennifer Ehle’s spoilt heiress Tracy Lord in the revival of Philip Barry’s 1939 Broadway comedy, which was famously made into George Cukor’s 1940 Oscar-winning film, starring Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.

Another LiveJournal review, this time positive, from Schehrezade [NB. this link contains some, erm, raunchy R-rated Buffy fanfic]:

Back from the theatre and BTW Kevin Spacey AWESOME!! Really amazing production Jennifier Ehle carried the show and she was amazing. She was the girl who played opposite whatshisname in Pride and Prejudice in the BBC production I want to say Colin Firth is that right?

Anyway I highly recc The Philadelphia Story for anyone UK based and can get hold of tickets (I think it's sold out but there maybe returns?)