Tonys Live Chat!

News is thinning out at the moment, so apologies for the paucity of meaty links. At Stage Door Rants there's a recap from the Outer Critics' Circle awards, including Jack O'Brien's speech:

[...] Jack O'Brien talked about the need for a national theatre here and mentioned creating a company where a group of amazing actors could come together and work and have a creative home. COAST was a very special, unique experience made possible by the extraordinary efforts of Lincoln Center but it shouldn't be - we should have a place where projects of this size happen because they have to and are good for the theatre. We all agreed. [...]

BroadwayWorld has coverage of the same event, with a couple of cute photos of Martha Plimpton and Mr O'Brien. More photos at BroadwayWorld, this time from the Drama Desks press room and after-party.

On the Tonys front, results from polling at Off-Off Broadway have Jennifer Ehle ahead of Ms Plimpton by a mere 7 votes, or 5%. It's going to be close! There's discussion at ATC to the same effect: everyone seems to agree it'll be a Utopian, but aren't sure which.

A couple of old reviews. First, one of Shipwreck by Margarent Croyden of NY Theatre Wire, which I have in my notes under "thbbbbt". Secondly, and with quite a different perspective, is commentary from 4th wall saying how Coast of Utopia revealed the meaning of life to the writer, no less. Some good quotage of the text there as well...and a call to arms Belinsky or Bakunin would've been proud of.

Meanwhile, we haven't been following John Ehle's work for some time- Press53 is republishing another of his works, The Free Men.

It's not too early to start preparing for the big night! The Tony Awards ceremony is on Sunday, June 10. The red carpet will be webcast from the Tonys site from 6.30pm and the ceremony will be telecast on CBS at 8pm. This is the Tonys webmaster's response on what international fans will be able to see:

The Tony Awards will be broadcast exclusively on CBS. Please visit TonyAwards.com before, during, and after the awards ceremony for complete text and photo coverage, with video interviews with winners and presenters, and much more.

The word from prior years is that there are real-time transcripts and plenty of multimedia to enjoy even though you can't see what's going on onstage. No excuses, get in on the excitement and partay like it's 2000! Er, yeah. It's no fun alone, so we are organising a live chat for the event. Mark your calendars:

• Date: Sunday, June 10
• Time: 6.30pm US EST (see your time zone)
• Place: Tonys Live Chatroom 2007

Don't be shy, come join in the merriment! There will be squeeing, finger-crossing, dress-snarking, speech-groaning and more. This is a chance not only to celebrate Ms Ehle's nomination and Utopia, but also to meet fellow fans. The chatroom only requires a Java-friendly browser; have a test of it now if you suspect yours is not compatible.

t-6

What surely must be a record number of famous faces attended the final Utopia marathon, according to Lawson Taitte of Over The Top Blog. A few All That Chatters also present spotted Tony voters and more VIPs. Another final-marathon runner, Heather, sez:

...I will just say - it is surely one the most beautiful things I have ever seen a group of human beings do together. I hope wherever you are there is something to cause you to ruminate on beauty, art, and love. [...]

And more marathon reportage from Wendell Brock of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

[...] A very long journey, indeed, but a starry, satisfying and wholly opulent one.

"Starry" as in the constellation of Ethan Hawke, Billy Crudup and Brian F. O'Byrne.

"Opulent" as in sets by Bob Crowley ("Aida," "The History Boys") and Scott Pask ("The Pillowman"). I'm talking about images that got applause before a single word was spoken. I'm talking about an enormous crystal onion dome hanging from the ceiling like some Dale Chihuly chandelier. I'm talking about a tableau vivant representing what looked like hundreds and hundreds of serfs. (Call it the magic of theater.) [...]

Jere-Rigged, who liveblogged from the marathon earlier, posts this summary:

The Coast of Utopia - This was the very definition of epic in every way...huge cast, huge sets and costumes, huge running time. I saw all three of the plays that comprise this work in a single day and it was a bit overwhelming. Cast was terrific, especially Ethan Hawke, Brian F. O'Bryne (terrific in everything and New York's most reliable character actor), and Jennifer Ehle. It about a group of real-life Russian philosphers/rabble rousers and follows the group from their student days in St. Petersburg through their lives for 40 or 50 years. It's like Chekov by way of Stoppard. You just sort of have to go with it and let the whole thing wash over you. Go, if you have a chance. We don't get big theatrical epics like this very often and this is a chance to catch something the likes of which you probably won't see again.

rm on Shipwreck and curtain calls:

[...] The staging of the revolutionary stuff in France was particularly compelling, especially with the singing, and it really gave me chills and moved me to tears just for the sheer scale of it -- it put me in mind of the awe, but in a much darker way, that I felt at the end of Act II of Luhrmann's staging of Bohemme with that damn streamer cannon.
...
One of the stranger things that's stuck with me from both parts 1 and 2 were the curtain calls. Part of it is how exceptionally well choreographed they are (curtain calls always feel like last minute disasters to me when I'm in them), but it's also a sense of how between fact and fiction I find them -- with the thematic music and the victorious, almost martial, staging of them -- is this the heroes of the play celebrating? or the actors? There's a real gleaming pride in these curtain calls and a ferociousness to the body language from all the actors and it interests me, both as a glance into the nature of performing something as insane as this piece, but also as a glance into the characters in a way that's out of Time (even more than the plays themselves) and into the authorial and directorial mindsets of the presentation. [...]

At a thaumaturgical compendium, the Utopia marathon prompts interesting musings on contempory technological utopias - sorta reads like an essay in the LCT Review. Here's his wrapup of the show, but click through for the thinky bits.

[...] I won’t review, because I am rarely very good at that. It was, however, an excellent production. The plays were well written, though the third seemed a bit more harried than the first two. The acting was generally excellent. Ethan Hawke got on my nerves—I am sure that was why he was cast in the role—and tripped on the lines at one point, but I’m sure it has to be a bit harrowing to do three different shows in a day. Tom Stoppard was in the audience (as were some familiar faces, including Bill Bradley, Nathan Lane, and Jane Krakowski), and was dragged on stage to take a bow at the curtain call. The staging was breathtaking, and director Jack O’Brian deserves special credit for making this an astoundingly engaging performance, making use of lighting, a stage turntable, sets, sounds, and odors to draw the audience into the dialogue. In all, a great experience. [...]

There's a fascinating comparison of Turgenev translations at Steamboats Are Ruining Everything. Only tenuously linked to the premise of this blog but that's never stopped us before. Finally, on the awards-tipping front, Modern Fabulosity's Tony predictions are up, with nods to Utopia and a number of cast members. Ditto at BroadwayWorld.

Less than one week til Utopia closes! If you haven't seen the show yet...get out from under that rock!

What's in a nom?

• The Drama League nominations are now out, with Coast of Utopia up for Distinguished Production of a Play. Utopian blokes Brian F. O'Byrne, Ethan Hawke and Billy Crudup are also nominated for Distinguished Performance. The awards will be announced on May 11th.


• The Drama Desk nominations are up too, with Utopia scoring TEN nominations. Sadly, no love for Jennifer Ehle there. Here are the categories, lifted from the LCT's news page:
  
  
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Director of a Play (Jack O'Brien)
  • Outstanding Actor in a Play (Brian F. O'Byrne)
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Billy Crudup)
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Martha Plimpton)
  • Outstanding Set Design (Bob Crowley and Scott Pask)
  • Outstanding Lighting Design (Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, Natasha Katz)
  • Outstanding Costume Design (Catherine Zuber)
  • Outstanding Music for a Play (Mark Bennett)
  • Outstanding Sound Design (Mark Bennett)
  
  Congrats everyone nominated so far! Get your diaries out, awards recap:
  

• Drama League: May 11th
• Outer Critics Circle: May 14th
• Tony nominations: May 15th
• Drama Desk: May 20th
• Tony awards: June 10th

BroadwayWorld discusses the awards: Outer Critics and Drama Desks. Same at All That Chat.

• Also congrats to Utopia for being the top fundraising Broadway Play for Broadway Cares.


• There's a new post at the LCT's Utopia backstage blog about some of the above, as well as where the Utopians are headed after the show closes.


• Elsewhere in blogland, a glowing review of Shipwreck at Laughing Wild with much praise for the cast and production.
  

  [...] Jack O'Brien's direction leaves me speechless - he HAS to be a lock for every award that's coming up. The way he's masterfully taken this epic, sprawling work, this tremendous ensemble and this grade-A design team and turned it into something that stays true to its spirit, yes has a grand, riveting, almost cinematic in its epic-ness sweep to it stuns me. Everyone studying theatre should experience this production. [...]

  She also posts a discount code that lets you get Voyage seats for $55. Chad Jones of Theatre Dogs notes some of the show's iconic images:

  [...] Walking out of the theater after Shipwreck (when I ran into former San Francisco playwright Adam Bock – New York is such a small town), I could tell you I saw actors Jennifer Ehle, Brian F. O’Byrne, Jason Butler Harner, Ethan Hawke and Amy Irving do some interesting things, but they sort of all ran together in a mish-mash of Russians expounding on philosophical, romantic and political themes. But I won’t soon forget the images by Crowley (working here with Scott Pask): a stunning, forced-perspective view down the Champs d’Elysees; a demolished post-riot white marble statue; a gaudy chandelier and a man sitting deep in thought in the middle of a raging sea. [...]

  There's more love for Utopia at Metaplasmus, and another marathon fan report from Tess up at the forum.


• Word from EhleNews is that the Alpha Male DVD is due May 1st, presumably in the US. Can't find confirmation of this elsewhere. It has already been released in the UK, Greece and Poland (the Polish title is Skrywane namietnosci), according to IMDB.


• Check out our video bar over yonder on the right- they're Coast of Utopia clips from YouTube. Plus note that in the "What did you think of Utopia" poll, the coding is messed up so that votes for "haven't seen it yet" are read as 1 star. My bad.


• We haven't been following Spider-Man 3 here because of Utopia immersion, but there is plenty of news and press about it lately. Rosemary Harris has been doing the publicity rounds in the UK, Japan and Europe. Have a squiz at the official movie blog featuring a video of her saying she's sad she didn't get the chance to fly in this movie!

Score!

• Joyous! The Coast of Utopia soundtrack is going to be released by Ghostlight on June 12th. Pre-order now at CD Universe. Tip from BroadwayWorld, where there's also discussion whether Utopia is a chance in the Best Score category, and it's suggested several times in a thread about the one must-see straight play on Broadway.
• Brian F. O'Byrne was interviewed about Utopia on CUNY's Theater Talk program that aired last weekish. Watch it online in RealPlayer format.
  
• Anne Marie Walsh of the San Diego Union Tribune reviews Utopia. Extremely long but good.
• Amy Irving is going to be one of the hosts at this year's Broadway Cares Easter Bonnet competition on April 23rd-24th, reports Playbill.
  
• SuperJen talks about the marathon, with special mention of Ms Ehle in Shipwreck. Later, she reflects on how "freaking unbelieveably awesome" it was - and how she's glad she didn't see Natalie as Lizzy in a certain lunch scene.
• Todd saw the three shows on consecutive days, rating Shipwreck as best.
  
• A reminder from Stage Door Rants: Outer Critics' Circle nominations are due tomorrow.
  
• Brian D. Johnson muses about colour, birth and death in Utopia, and why Belinsky gels with Sir Tom.
• At Show Showdown, discussion on whether Coram Boy or Utopia are likely wins at the Tonys.
• Apparently, Road to the Sky/Keral/Kerala has been renamed once again to Before the Rains. Thanks Kate- good spotting!
  

thebell.blogspot.com

• Above title is inspired by the latest LCT blog offering, in which Brendan Lemon notes some of the funnies overheard in the Beaumont lobby during the intermissions at the marathons.
  
• Brian D. Johnson recounts his experience at the Utopia marathon last Saturday, the "ground zero of Stoppardia". On the cast:

  [...] Ethan Hawke has a great role, Bakunin, and he makes the most of it. Billy Crudup was Belinsky and beloved. He carried much of the weight for the required number of Stoppard Self-Referential Sermons (monologues) about Writing and Art. Jennifer Ehle was the love of my life and the fire of my etc. Brian F. O'Byne was brilliant as Herzen. [...]

  Speaking of Stoppardia, Michael Berry of Cheaper Ironies has a post on Sir Tom's political activities.
  
• David Clement wanted more Utopia after the 12-hour marathon day. That says it all. By the way, can anyone help him out?

  [...] The subject matter (19th century Russian intelligencia in exhile) is kinduh up my alley; like many suburban introvert kids of my generation, or maybe just one other person I hope to meet someday, I got overexcited when I saw Reds and started reading Russian writers from before the revolution. Tom Stoppard's play was like watching all those provocative, nebulous historical ideas take the form of attractive young actors. [...]

• Ditto on time flying while you're in Utopia (marathons), at The Laboratorium. Par contre, Jim Carlson couldn't make it through one part.
• At Broadway & Me, reflection on the audience's "armada of emotions" post-marathon, and some envy at the camaraderie between the actors displayed at the curtain call. Ethan Hawke's "uncontainable joy" is mentioned in particular.
• Has all this talk of marathons given you the itch? There's a question at All That Chat about whether you can get last-minute tickets - one person says that someone was selling discounted premium seats in the morning.
  
• Am, who watched Shipwreck, has an interesting take on the timefoolery element.
• Nice Belinsky quotage from Patrick Kanouse (try substituting "actor" for "poet", etc):

  “A poem can’t be written by an act of will. When the rest of us are trying our hardest to be present, a real poet goes absent. We can watch him in the moment of creation, there he sits with the pen in his hand, not moving. When it moves, we’ve missed it. Where did he go in that moment? The meaning of art lies in the answer to that question.”

• Stephen Smoliar talks about the analogy between the search for utopia (as conceived by Isaiah Berlin and Tom Stoppard) and the search for identity. Bit over my head, but that's not saying much.
• Mondschein of Third Row, Mezzanine makes the connection between the Bakunin sisters and Little Women after seeing Voyage. He enjoyed the performances and production, but was "a bit lost by the pace of the plot and the turnover of characters". And we can add another name to the list of illustrious Utopia attendees, Neil Simon.
• BroadwayWorld's MargoChanning is tipping Utopia as an almost dead-cert for the Best Play Tony. In another thread about the most hauntingly beautiful images on stage, the opening sequence of the plays as well as the end of Salvage are mentioned.
  
• Janmarie Anello is running a promo for her book Forever Yours, the prize for which is the US anniversary edition of Pride and Prejudice.
• QEIII saw The Philadelphia Story as a requirement for her course. Sadly, she was disappointed by it.
• Camille Hickman, a casting associate at the LCT who worked on Utopia, is hosting a free Q&A for aspiring actors on April 24.

Sorry again about the late and absent posts, dear readers. Thanks to Abi for keeping the ship afloat during my Easter trip to Chelsea's place in Brisbane, our first meeting after almost two years of blog-slogging together. A historic event!

"A visual and verbal feast"

At long last, some more theatre-goers have posted their opinions on Utopia in the NY Times Reader Review section.

The most laudatory of the two is from mapbrook, a marathon survivor, who describes the show as 'a visual and verbal feast':

I saw the trilogy all in one day, and I am still reeling with excitement. Don't fear the text, the wordiness or the history--it's great theater performed by an extraordinary cast, directed by a superb director and designed by a top-notch team of designers. It's easy to follow and understand. Theater events like this come around so rarely. Don't miss it. And don't eat or drink too much before the show. You'll want to hear and see everything this banquet offers.

Meanwhile, francisdyer went to the Saturday 21st matinee performance of Shipwreck. There is some negative discussion about Kolya, including a quite amusing vilification of his little spinning top. Overall though, this reviewer gives the show 4 out of 5 stars and implies that it clearly is great, even if he doesn't quite feel it.

This reviewer also wrote about Voyage for which there was a little more positivity but still an element of puzzlement and confusion.

Also, on this page of the NY Times reader reviews, I have just noticed a comment made by someone on November 30 2006. In response to previous reviews, this person used the title 'Ravishing' and wrote:

I just do not understand all the negative comments! The set design more than compensates for the actors expressing complex historical Russian experiences with their American acting idiom.

And what was the reviewer's name? Bruce Pask. Would that by any chance be Bruce Pask the set designer? Twin brother of Utopia set designer Scott Pask? I think it is a safe assumption! It goes to show that these reviews are read by at least some of the people involved! (And responded to - well done Mr Pask!)

There is also the odd Utopia fan spreading joy over at amazon.com. After describing the show as 'the most important theatrical event of the past 60 years', here is what else P. Bonoff "Yaleman" had to say earlier this month on the show and its legendary writer:

Stoppard's eloquence and wit are only the beginning. The subject is monumental and speaks to our times. Wisdom emerges at the perfect pace. Catharsis at the end. I have seen the trilogy and will see it twice more in marathon experiences. Reading the text beforehand enhances the understanding of the contest and of what takes place. If you don't recognize the importance of The Decembrists, please review some history before seeing and/or reading the trilogy. If you don't know at least a bit about Tsar Alexander, please look at wikipedia and go from there. Very timely and relevant and ominous. And if you read the inspiring text either before or after the experience, the catharsis will be even more powerful. If you haven't seen the epic, this is a must-read.

Thank you, Tom Stoppard (and ensemble) for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. "Rock & Roll" goes further. IMO, this is a transformational work which materially enhances Stoppard's prospects for already likely Nobel Prize. What next? What a genius. Unforgettable lessons to be learned dramatically.

But, there are two sides to every story, and E.Rabinovich posts the largely negative letter he/she sent to the New York Times in response to Ben Brantley's review.

Meanwhile, if you are not into online purchasing, Alexander Herzen's My Past and Thoughts is on sale in the New York Public Library bookshop should you happen to be in the vicinity without a lot to carry.
...
Lastly, if you fancy being talked to for half an hour, here is KCRW 's 'Politics of Culture' radio programme about Utopia and the subject matter behind it. It was recorded just after Voyage opened, and is hosted by Michael Silverblatt and Ruth Seymour. Largely elementary, but interesting nonetheless.

Goodies galore

Mark your diaries for Sunday April 22nd everyone, that's when the Working in the Theatre seminar is being first broadcast at 5pm on CUNY-TV. Guestlist:

Jennifer Ehle - Actor
Josh Hamilton - Actor
Ethan Hawke - Actor
Amy Irving - Actor
Theodore S. Chapin - Moderator
Sondra Gilman - Host
Douglas Leeds - Host

The show will be downloadable after the broadcast and will be replayed on TV later on as well. Check the schedule for dates. Also now up at ATW is a video of the seminar that includes Daniel Swee, casting director for Utopia.

Old Faithful has yet another feature on Utopia, this time about Mark Bennett's gorgeous incidental music. Good news: there are audio clips! We've mirrored them for posterity. All the below are mp3 files.

• Prologue
• Ginger cat waltz
• Déjeuner sur l'herbe
• Blackgange Chine
• Curtain call

[edit: here's the ATC thread Kate mentioned where someone says a Utopia soundtrack CD is in the works]

The recent Leonard Lopate radio interview made mention of others with Tom Stoppard and Jack O'Brien that I don't think we've posted before. There's another Stoppard one at Studio 360 as well. On the LCT blog Brendan Lemon interviews Josh Hamilton.

Blogs: a handy timeline of the French Revolution(s) at the girl works, another foodie-oriented review of the Utopia marathon at Give me food, a so-so Russian review of Voyage (Babel it), and Paul Broussard rates the marathon as "one of the all-time best theatrical experiences of my life". There's a tally borrowed from Variety at All That Chat for Salvage:

Cost of Utopia: Salvage
of 17 reviews:
11 pro:
Post, Times, Daily News, USA Today, Sun, AP, New York Mag, Newhouse, WSJ, NY1, Newsday
3 con:
Bergen Record, Gannett, Bloomberg
2 mixed:
Village Voice, New Yorker

More BroadwayWorld discussion of Tony categories, where MargoChanning says that Ms Ehle could go either featured or lead, but the former would be better. And things are looking good - at least one Tony voter enjoyed Utopia .

A fan just tipped me off to this: in Verve's production notes PDF for Alpha Male, there's mention of a film called Broken Thread in Jennifer Ehle's bio.

[...] Cinema roles followed, including Constance Lloyd in Wilde (1997), Kevin McKidd's girlfriend in Bedrooms & Hallways (1998), and a head-turning performance as the caustic, chain-smoking single mother in British comedy This Year's Love (1999). Recent films include Broken Thread, Michael Clayton with George Clooney and most recently Pride and Glory with Ed Norton and Colin Farrell. [...]

It's an India-UK co-production starring Linus Roache, which is curiously similar to Road to the Sky. Could be just a mix-up.

Finally, some left-field randomness. On YouTube, the global repository of wack, Utopia kids Kat Peters and Sophie Rudin do the opening monologue of Salvage. Also from the random corner is an interview with a vampire (oh alright, a novelist who writes about vampires) who enjoys the right version of Pride and Prejudice.

Enjoy the show, Mr President?

I had the Sagittarian good fortune of being present at the aforementioned Wednesday night performance of Shipwreck. It is the third time I've seen part two, and the audience was the best yet (even before the Clinton-ized intermission). After it, it was electric. Beautiful summer-like evening too. Fabulous.

I noticed a few changes in dialogue and direction since I last saw it back in December, but nothing major. The only examples I can think of off-hand are the George/Natalie/Natasha scene in Act One (no "And you were one of hers") and the Natalie/Emma/Herzen scene in Act Two (Natalie sits after "What strength I have..." not before). Whether these were just natural changes on the night or deliberate alterations, I am of course not qualified or knowledgeable enough to say. But great show, whichever.

Going back a few light years to This Year's Love, here is what Ms Ehle had to say on this fab film while making it, taken from the interview on the DVD:

I thought the script captured something that I hadn't read before - a side of London that I hadn't seen portrayed in a film before. Its very urban, young and sexy and funny. The characters aren't particularly healthy, and...you watch them make mistakes again and again.

I thought it was very funny and very well-observed. There was just something about it that I really loved.

Talented writer David Kane also praises Ms Ehle's attempt at single mum Sophie:

Jennifer Ehle had to play a character that was quite selfish and cold, and a lot of people wouldn't have wanted to play that kind of part or that kind of character.

Well she did, and what a good job she did too. That's all folks.

More as promised

• Chapter 3 of Brendan Lemon's essay about Alexander Herzen is up at the LCT site.
• Broadway.com has a Word of Mouth review of Salvage with video. At the same place, John Simon asks whether Utopia marks the return of epic theatre (verdict: nope).
  
• The second marathon is on today. Again, bon voyage/courage to all! Chowhound people discuss eating on marathon days - go for small meals, long walks and ditch alcohol in favour of caffeine, is the advice.
  
• Terry Teachout excerpts part of his Washing Post rave review of Salvage on his blog About Last Night.
• Ricky Patterson found Ms Ehle's performance riveting, not so the rest of Utopia.
  
• This Yale guy's photoblog documents his ordeal getting to Shipwreck, which he was confused by. (I don't think the "JE" he refers to is same as ours...)
• The calendar featuring the dozen actresses of Utopia is now available online or in the lobby.
• Jaime of surplus doesn't like Salvage as much as the other two parts, finding that the story gets lost in the ideas.
• Even the WSJ Law Blog manages to name-drop Utopia.
• Wrote to the LCT on Feb 17 asking when the transcript from the Platform Series Q&A with Tom Stoppard would be online, they said within two weeks, ie. now. It's not up yet, but watch this space.
  
• The River King came out in Spain on Friday March 2nd. Cineando gives it 2 stars (en español, por supuesto). Cap below is from there.
  

Saving the best til last?

Oooh, scary!

Ok, what have we today?

Brendan Lemon speaks about the first marathon, which took place last Saturday. Cast member Denis Butkus gives his opinion on how the day went, with other cast members to give their views at a later date.

The LCT Multimedia section now also has a 'view scenes from' Shipwreck video, which unless I'm much mistaken differs from the aforementioned Broadwayworld one.

Boris Kachka of New York magazine has a useful little piece entitled The Men of Utopia: Who's Who in the Cast. I know the men are more important in this instance, but how about one for the ladies perhaps?!

Review-wise, Michael Bracken of Metro New York is a little disappointed with the plot.

Edward Rothstein in the NY Times has a mixed but well-written article about Herzen, Stoppard, and even parallels between them at one point! Be sure to view the audio slide show on the left-hand side - it is only two minutes long but is a brilliant little commentary by Jack O'Brien along with photos, a few of which are previously unseen.

Meanwhile on the NY Times reader review section, 31 people have rated Salvage and have given it an average of 3.93 stars out of 5. Not bad?! That places it at number 13 out of the 31 Broadway shows currently open. (Shipwreck is at number 19; Voyage at 23.) So at least as far as NY Times readers go, it seems to be a case of saving the best til last...

She plural

From Variety's report on the Salvage opening:

Any psychiatrist could tell you that playing three major roles throughout playwright Tom Stoppard's sprawling, eight-hour play about pre-Revolutionary Russia, "Coast of Utopia," could cause schizophrenia.

Luckily, star Jennifer Ehle diagnosed herself as having split personalities before she ever joined the "Coast" cast.

"I knew that a long time ago," she said at the Feb. 18 opening night party at Ruskie Restaurant Row haunt Firebird for "Coast's" third installment, "Salvage." "You have to be to get into this profession." [...]

Terry Teachout raves about Salvage for the Wall Street Journal (sadly not online). The most verdict-y bit:

[...] On the other hand, it could be that Mr. Stoppard has written an all-but-unstageable masterpiece that my generation of playgoers will not see again in our lifetimes -- and judging by a single viewing of the complete trilogy, I think "The Coast of Utopia" might well be a masterpiece.

To be sure, Mr. Stoppard's penchant for making his plays out of the ideas of other men has led some to wonder whether he might be less a playwright than a kind of journalist -- albeit one of genius. But "The Coast of Utopia" is far more than just a brilliantly pointed primer on the historical significance of Alexander Herzen and his contemporaries. By interweaving the revolutionary notions of his characters with the mad disorder of their private lives, Mr. Stoppard has contrived to give us that rarest of plays, a pageant that has real emotional depth. I confess to wondering whether I would have been quite so impressed with "The Coast of Utopia" had I first seen it in a less memorable production, and it may also be that I responded to it so strongly because I share its author's antiutopian vision of the tragedy of modernity. But countless other viewers who feel otherwise have been no less deeply moved, suggesting that Mr. Stoppard has succeeded in transfiguring the unpromising raw material of politics and turning it into high art. [...]

And what's this, more NY Times on Utopia? Indeed; Edward Rothstein weighs in this time.

Some survival stories from the first marathon are up at All That Chat. robert_j is mixed though considers the marathon format effective, while StageStruckLad, who had been considering leaving after Voyage, was glad to have stayed til the end. Both report that Richard Easton did not perform at the marathon. whyohwhyoh isn't happy with the cast except for Mr Easton and Ms Ehle.

In blogland, lizellis is in raptures over the show and spotted a coupla famous faces in the audience, The Playgoer saw Tom Stoppard at Wallace Shawn's The Fever and RS thought Voyage "good but not great". Unrelatedly, a reciprocal shout-out to us from Philip Shaefer.

We've posted these Broadway.com videos before, but thought it might be a good idea to gather them together. Here: Voyage, Shipwreck, Salvage.

End of an era

Tis a sad day, losing the best partner in crime one could ever wish for. Chels, you've been the sanity of the blog, and without you this thing would've died a quiet death in 2005 already! All your fault. It's been a ball sharing the squeeful highs and angsty lows of this crazy rollercoaster with you, and a million thanks for your loyalty, support and hard yakka. This friendship has far outgrown its original fannish roots - shotgun on teaching your kids to embroider cushions and play their instruments very ill!

Well, the show must go on - til June at least. More on that later.

• The pictures above are courtesy of the LCT - their site also has some other Salvage stills. More pictures can be seen at Broadway.com's photo feature and in their video on the Salvage opening, according to Kate (ta) there's a clip of Ms Ehle as German-accented Malwida and interviewage.
• Playbill reports from the Salvage opening night bash.
• LCT blog updated with a post about the last opening. The LCT site also has a roundup of reviews, but nothing new there.
• On to Salvage reviews. Peter Marks, Washington Post.

  [...] Martha Plimpton, playing a woman Herzen conveniently turns to -- even though she's married to a friend of his -- not only makes for a wonderfully impetuous life force, but also a nifty counterpoint to the severe German nanny portrayed by Jennifer Ehle. As Herzen's friend Ogarev, Josh Hamilton provides a finely nuanced account of a man with all too human weaknesses. [...]

• Toby Zinman, Philadelphia Inquirer.

  [...] The remarkable Jennifer Ehle reappears in her third role in the trilogy, the frowning German governess, and Martha Plimpton reprises her Natasha of Shipwreck, revealing how her girlish charm has tarnished with time. [...]

• Eric Grode, NY Sun.

  [...] Jennifer Ehle and David Harbour, who provided emotional ballast for the first two plays as two very different sets of lovers, are still around but in lesser roles. Ms. Ehle, last seen as Herzen's doomed wife, has returned in the thankless role of Malwida von Meysenbug, a stern German nanny who inveigles her way into his domestic life. (The real-life Malwida was far more interesting, the sort of galvanizing intellectual force who met Friedrich Nietszche through their mutual friend Richard Wagner.) Mr. Harbour, by contrast, is given the juicier but even smaller role of Bazarov, a proto-nihilist whose chance encounter with Turgenev spurs the writing of "Fathers and Sons." [...]

• Elysa Gardner, USA Today.

  [...] Jennifer Ehle, Martha Plimpton, Josh Hamilton and Richard Easton shine in other roles, though Ethan Hawke, as before, emotes a little too eagerly. [...]

• Roma Torre, NY1. Note the video content as well, in both dialup and broadband formats.

  [...] Ethan Hawke as the imprisoned anarchist Bakunin returns battered but energized. Josh Hamilton's ailing drunken Ogarev; Martha Plimpton as his unstable wife, and Jennifer Ehle who is now the upright governess, deserve special mention. [...]

• Eric Alterman, The Nation. A piece on the significance of the trilogy.
• At Westport Public Library this Sunday 2pm, there's a free talk entitled “Who’s Afraid of Tom Stoppard? Navigating The Coast of Utopia” delivered by Mark Schenker, associate dean at Yale College.
• On the blogs and forums: Lady Crumpet liked Shipwreck, positive notice for "Rosemary Ehle" in Salvage at the Follies of Greg, and there's general praise of the trilogy at Future Librarian. Cajun Boy dittoes Charles Isherwood, critic David Cote of Histriomastix is mixed on the trilogy, All That Chat's rwb is less impressed by Salvage than Shipwreck. BroadwayWorld discussion continues.
  
• The first marathon performance is this weekend. We wish bon courage to both the cast and audience! If you're going, we would welcome a report - write to jenniferehle@gmail.com, as per.
• Mention of Road to the Sky in an interview with Nandita Das.

Salvage press reviews

Aw, the last first night. BroadwayWorld folks beat us to the roundup, but here's the relevant quotage. The photo above is from Playbill which has a handful - none of our frau. Watch this post: it'll be updated as more reviews come in. Newer stuff is up top.

• Michael Sommers, Star Ledger.

  [...] Ehle's stern yet loving governess is an oddly radiant figure. [...]
  

• Malcolm Johnson, Hartford Courant.

  [...] The most telling and watchable performance in "Salvage" comes from Jennifer Ehle as the tightlipped Malwida. Having played a girlish innocent in "Voyage," and an adoring but swept-away wife in "Shipwrecked," she now reveals an iron core as the strict governess who can only watch in horror as the feckless Natasha, so extravagantly costumed by Catherine Zuber, distributes presents to the Herzen children. [...]

• Joe Dziemianowicz, NY Daily News.

  [...] In one story strand, he strives to launch the Free Russian Press, to give radicals a voice. In another, he deals with a complicated home that includes his children, a stern German governess (Jennifer Ehle, fabulous and unrecognizable from Parts 1 and 2), revolutionary friends and a married lover. Sometimes it smacks of "One Radical Life to Live." [...]

• Ben Brantley, NY Times (discussed at All That Chat).
  

  [...] Nearly every scene is built on the impossibility of imposing order on the squirming mass of contradictions of human existence. The same evidence of dashed intentions comes across in matters domestic (in the chaotic rearing of Herzen’s children, despite a resolute German governess, played by the Jennifer Ehle) and epochal (the freeing of the serfs in Russia in 1861). [...]
  
  This production also lets us savor the actor’s tasty art of expert reincarnation, via performers who showed up in different roles in earlier installments. (Ms. Ehle’s obdurate governess and Richard Easton’s dying Polish count are especially memorable.) Fans of Ethan Hawke will be pleased to know that his character, the anarchist Bakunin, gets out of prison and is, if possible, even more obnoxious than before. (That’s meant as praise.) [...]

• Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press.

  [...] When Herzen isn't agitating for freeing the serfs, he is dealing with domestic duties, trying to make sense of his family life after the death of his wife and younger son. He still has three other children to care for and into their orbit comes a stern German governess, played with crisp, Teutonic authority by a marvelous Jennifer Ehle. [...]

• David Rooney, Variety.

  [...] O'Byrne's performance has steadily grown in stature and humanity through its accumulation of fine details, turning increasingly more introspective to shed light on the man and his alienation. As the strong-willed German governess to the widowed Herzen's children, Jennifer Ehle adds another flinty characterization to stand alongside her intelligent work as Liubov Bakunin in the first installment, "Voyage," and her luminous Natalie Herzen in "Shipwreck" -- three remarkably distinct women who share deep self-knowledge. [...]

• Clive Barnes, NY Post.

  [...] Nor can we forget the women - Martha Plimpton, Amy Irving (like Crudup, not in "Salvage") and the extraordinary Jennifer Ehle - who together with all the rest made up a cast that represented repertory acting at its finest. [...]

• David Finkle, TheaterMania.

  [...] The sad situation, however, is that Herzen is a plodding, dour character. In Salvage, he whiles away the latter part of his life attempting to establish a broadsheet called The Bell, while also trying to keep his children-overrun household in order. While Stoppard's idea is to show how often an influential person's private life is mundane in contrast to the public life, daily routine isn't the surefire stuff of compelling dramaturgy -- even if some of it is devoted to Herzen's passionate dalliance with Ogarev's wife Natasha (Martha Plimpton) and to spirited domestic exchanges with the children's German governess, Malwida von Meysenbug (Jennifer Ehle). [...]
  
  In Salvage though, Hawke finally gets away with his bellowing now that his Bukanin has turned Falstaffian, while Ehle, Harner, and especially Plimpton seem most at home in Stoppard's diffuse world. [...]

• Matthew Murray, Talkin' Broadway.

  [...] Inextricably bound to his plans for arousing Russian serfs’ ire through nonviolent means are his own relationships, with the paternal Polish émigré, Count Stanislaw Worcell (Richard Easton), through whom Herzen works to establish free Russian and Polish presses; with his son, Sasha (played at different ages by Evan Daves and Matt Dickson); with his longtime friends and one-time schoolmates Michael Bakunin (Ethan Hawke) and Nicholas Ogarev (Josh Hamilton); and with two devastating women, his German governess Malvida von Meysenbug (Jennifer Ehle) and Nicholas’s wife, Natasha (Martha Plimpton), with whom he creates some lives and destroys still others. [...]
  
  Other actors, however, do some of their best work of all three plays here. Easton’s Polish count is highly persuasive as a man who knows he’s outlived his own usefulness, but who becomes crucial in Herzen’s own development; Ehle finds layer after chilly layer in the dominating yet brittle Malvida. Plimpton’s Natasha is a gorgeous rendering, smoothly acidic and comic, devoted to Nicholas and yet longing for Herzen’s more understanding arms. Plimpton makes you feel every moment of confusion, every kickback from the wounds she inflicts in Nicholas, and you respect - as you might not expect to - the choices that lead to several global and personal downfalls. [...]

• Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star (review of whole trilogy).

  [...] There's also astonishing work from Jennifer Ehle, who delivers three distinct and galvanizing performances, and Amy Irving, who portrays two diametrically different women. [...]

• Michael Giltz, NY Daily News. Interview with Jack O'Brien and Ethan Hawke.

And non-press reviews:

• Aaron Riccio has another Salvage review:
  

  [...] Along the way, Stoppard continues to introduce us to characters that all deserve their own plays. Billy Crudup might be missing from Salvage, but there are plenty of interesting characters to be found in Count Stanislaw Worcell (Richard Easton), the doddering but passionate voice of the past, Malwida von Meysenburg (Jennifer Ehle), the steely German governess, and once-peripheral but now-central characters like Nicholas Ogarev (Josh Hamilton), his second wife, Natasha (Martha Plimpton), and the famed writer Ivan Turgenev (Jason Butler Harner). Easton is, as always, a pleasure, and Hamilton and Harner are even more mellifluous now than they were previously. As for Ehle, playing a disciplinarian may prove to be the best move of her career. Aside from showing off her range, stripping her of her all-too-easy dramatics forces her to find a deeper strength, and the controlled chaos that she experiences in the Herzen household is wonderful to see. [...]

• Yankeefan007 at BroadwayWorld (with discussion):

  [...] Ethan Hawke is phenominal, again, as usual, as the flamboyant and now heavily bearded and fat Bakunin. Jennifer Ehle as Malwida is appropriately restrained (I enjoyed her more as Natalia). Also wonderful are Martha Plimpton and Josh Hamilton as the Ogarevs. [...]

  
  
• Voyage review at Where's Higgs.
• Negative Salvage review at Mokka mit Schlag.
  

Ctrl-V

• The Wall Street Journal has an interview with Jack O'Brien (subscribers only). Here's a taste:
  

  [...] Another with three roles to juggle is Richard Easton, a friend of Mr. O'Brien's for four decades and counting, who in 1969 took direction from Mr. O'Brien in "Cock-A-Doodle Dandy," his first full-fledged Broadway directing job. "Actors trust Jack. So do designers and other technical people. He's always practical. Whatever it is, he knows how to do it, but he doesn't want to do it himself. He's funny, so there's always lots of energy in the room. He's sentimental, and he cries a lot. He's thoughtful. When rehearsals start, he basically sits and listens and watches. He has the confidence that whatever happens, he can deal with it. He uses what you bring. He never thwarts you. He's not in competition with anyone he's working with -- which is more unusual than you think." [...]

• Theatreboy is anti-homework.
  
• Russian review of Voyage and one from Sharky with bonus Stoppard-fangirling in the comments. Patrick of Recursive Bee is critical, while despite misgivings Mike thought it a good play on balance.
• Blogger Jennifer Chang on Shipwreck (she too spotted Sally Field).
• On the LCT site the dramaturg's notes on Salvage are up.
  
• Note from an extra on Alpha Male.
  

Back-blog

Oops, Mon is me. Apologies.

• Martha Plimpton responds to the Isherwood thing, which also caused a kerfuffle on the NY Times' letter to the editor page. (NB. To read Martha Plimpton's blog, you must be a Myspace friend of hers)
  
• Famous names continue flocking to the show, according to Rachel Glickman and usher Jeff Goldstein. They spotted Sally Field, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn and Lauren Bacall.
  
• Broadway Beat has video on Coast of Utopia with clips from Shipwreck and interviewage from Voyage's opening night. Ta for the tip, Pinky & Kate.
• Reminder about the LCT Platform Series Q&A with Tom Stoppard on Feb 14th. Note that the time and date have apparently been changed.

  Lincoln Center Theater’s Platform Series continues its 2006-2007 season on Wednesday, February 14, from 5:00 to 6:15 pm at the Kaplan Penthouse (10th floor of the Rose Building, 165 West 65 Street) with a pre-performance talk with the Tony, Olivier and Oscar winning playwright, Tom Stoppard. Admission is free and open to all; however, seating is limited. Admission passes will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning at 4:00 at the entrance to the Rose Building.
  

• Ricky Patterson has mixed views on Voyage.
  
• Mike at Lunar Gemini reports on the whole trilogy. Quoth he:

  [...] The cast is consistently strong. Not surprisingly, O'Byrne has the gravitas to carry the show, but I would have gladly watched a show that centered on any of the supporting characters as well. Hawke is the perfect blend of angst and obnoxiousness as the moody, pushy Bakunin. Jennifer Ehle creates three great characters but particularly shines as Herzen's wife Natalie in the second part, "Shipwreck." Amy Irving, Martha Plimpton, Richard Easton, Billy Crudup, Patricia Conolly...all superb. [...]

• Michael Giltz of Popsurfing seems to be interviewing some of the Utopians (Tom Stoppard, Ethan Hawke). Watch that space, I guess.
• Bob Martin relates the "censorship > free press" issue from Utopia to the free-for-all internets.
  
• Jesse21 from All That Chat makes mention of Jennifer Ehle in Salvage:

  Yeah, and was not Jennifer Ehle just great when she circled that big stage in Act 1 as her power was being usurped.

  sabra_n is critical but notes that she plays the part with a German accent. Other Utopia discussion at ATC includes some love for Josh Hamilton.
  
• NYCriticsCorner has reviews of all three parts: Voyage, Shipwreck and Salvage. Mentions from the latter two respectively:

  [...] It is Bryan F. O'Byrne & Jennifer Ehle (Design for Living, The Real Thing) who deserve all the glory for their performances here. Much like Billy Crudup's (who is completely underused in this second installment) tour de force in VOYAGE; O'Byrne navigates through Stoppard's words as if he just passed the S.A.T.'s with a perfect score and knows it! Matching him bit for bit is Tony winner Jennifer Ehle as Herzen's wife. Any actress who is comfortable being fully naked on stage for ten minutes, automatically scores points - but this one is breathtaking and beguiling! [...]

  [...] And Jennifer Ehle and Martha Plimpton never ever disappoint as the trilogies female standouts. [...]

• At BroadwayWorld Yankeefan007 agrees:

  [...] Glad you liked them. I concurr whole-heartedly about the 1st 2 parts (seeing the 3rd in a week). O'Byrne and Ehle are delivering tour-de-force performances, as are Crudup and Hawke. I wonder how the actors will be ruled at the Tony Awards. They all seem like sure-shots. [...]

• Lastly and randomly, shoutout to us from The Beef. Merci!
  

You may have noticed that "bi-daily" has been dropped from the sub-heading. With three of us now on the job, in theory there should be posts every day except Tues, but we get muddled. Expect more scheduling changes later.

PS. There are cheap ($40-65) Salvage tix at All That Chat's Shoppin' section for Feb 14, 16 and 22.

"Exhilarating ride in Russian history"

Here are some excerpts from the Boston Globe:

In case you've missed the claps of thunder, there's been a storm crackling on the stage of Lincoln Center Theater this season. Passionate Russians debating the future of their country, its enslaved masses, its relationship to the West, the merits of free love, the infinite varieties of socialism. Yes, yes, we know how it all turns out, but don't say it too loudly. The year is still 1833, and the history of the 20th century has not yet been written.

Or so we begin when the curtain goes up on "The Coast of Utopia," Tom Stoppard's sweeping trilogy about a generation of brilliant Russian intellectuals, philosophers, anarchists, poets, novelists, and critics, their lives, their families, their tumultuous romances, and their fumbling through the darkness as the utopian future they're sure is around the corner shows its face far too slowly, and the present in which they live is one of failed revolution abroad and brutal dictatorship at home.

I have seen Parts I and II so far, and they have been, by and large, an exhilarating ride. These plays course with an intellectual vigor not often found in Broadway theater, and they manage, through Stoppard's particular brand of alchemy, and O'Brien's fluid direction, to turn the stuff of intellectual history seminars into a vibrant theater of ideas, to take the words and arguments of these men and women seriously, but at the same time, to wonder if any of their cultivated banter or their fusillades of political insight made one iota of difference as the gears of history ground forward.

But beyond that, "Utopia" does not entirely forget to be a human drama, and there is a deep poignancy to the plight of its genial, broad-spirited central character, the writer and theorist of revolution Alexander Herzen (played superbly by Brian O'Byrne) . Herzen is a fascinating if largely forgotten figure in Russian history, but there is an abiding resonance to his guiding ideas, his relentless optimism, and the generosity of his stance toward a broken world he was trying so desperately to fix.

It all adds up to a theatrical experience with more relevance than you might otherwise expect from 19th-century Russian history, and a sense that the stories of these figures, the contours of their unrealized visions, are worth recalling, if only for a few hours in the darkened theater. Or maybe, as was the case for me in Parts I and II, you'll find a particular line lingering in the mind long after the house lights have come up. And then there's always a chance that, despite the loud chorus of critical raves, you'll be part of the small but vocal minority for whom this play seems like one tediously long string of chatter without the trappings of a vital drama, a view voiced recently by Charles Isherwood in the New York Times.

Zig and zag

• Tune into Charlie Rose tonight (Wed 7) to catch his interview with Tom Stoppard. Thanks to Paula for the tip!
• At ATC there's a review-count for Shipwreck:

  12 pro
  New Yorker, Post, Times, Time Out, Daily News, USA Today, AP, New York Mag., Newhouse, WSJ, NY1, Newsday
  4 mixed
  Village Voice, Bergen Record, Gannett, Bloomberg

• Brendan Lemon at the LCT blog responds to the Isherwood-lead backlash (eg. at the Washington Theatre Review blog and Amy Ettinger's).
  
• Eccentric Iguana reflects on completing Utopia - and is eager to come back for more!

  Second in theater news, I finished The Coast of Utopia Trilogy. Each play stands out on it's own. Voyage was a Chekhov-esque drama, with many characters to be introduced and each scene moving by the year. What Stoppard did that was brilliant was how he lead you into the mood of the show through a character who in fact wasn't the main character of the series. It was like giving the audience exposition, but first hand.
  
  Shipwreck soon showed you who the next two plays would revolve around. Of the three I enjoyed this one the most. It started off with the same grandeur as Voyage, but in the second act soon became much more human and intriguing to watch. As well as heartbreaking.
  
  The final, Salvage, brought the series to a close, or did it? Do we forget that after 1866, Russia still went through much more historical events.
  
  Hello Lenin.
  
  But for the final piece I have to say it combined the complexity of the first part with the enjoyability of the second. It was great. So after the show naturally I bought a ticket to a marathon day...
  
  Yes that's one day, ALL THREE plays. It's a 12 hour day kids. Starting at 11 am, and ending at 11pm. Granted I get a lunch and dinner break. It's going to be intense!!! I can NOT wait. To see it all together.

• More love for Salvage at ATC from WilliamHacker, concluding:

  [...] But after seeing the conclusion, it just felt immensely moving and satisfying seeing the story of such an influential, important figure, who is yet almost unknown in this country, brought to such complete and rich life on stage.
  
  Obviously this type of work isn't for everyone, but for me, I found it to be one of the best things I've seen in thirty years of seeing theatre in NYC.

  Also from jesse21:
  

  [...] However, inside the theatre, I sat among as savvy an audience one is likely to encounter in this city. Our attention was riveted on the stage as "The Coast of Utopia" roared to its conclusion, magnificently rewarding us with one of the most memorable experiences of, not just this, but any season.

• Film blogger Emma, who's raved about Jennifer Ehle in Alpha Male in the past, gives one more special mention:

  [...] It’s been over 10 years since Jennifer Ehle showed graced our TV screens as the wonderfully sweet Lizzie Bennet, and Alpha Male is probably her best performance since. Her portrayal of the put-upon mother who loses a husband and slowly loses her family is wonderfully realistic and sweet. She steals every scene she’s in, and provides the basis for a potentially dull film, making it totally watchable. [...]

• Sunshine shoutout from funky_cowgirl:

  [...] It seems that the love stories are used as a breathing space, because those do take up a bit of time (busy filming schedule for Fiennes, love scene wise! ;-) ) but I didn't find it problematic. The relationships with the women do make the story flow. Especially Jennifer Ehle and her real life mum (as her older version) are amazing...She's as much in love with life as her character in Pride & Prejudice. [...]
  

• There's constant baseline squeeing for Pride and Prejudice on blogs which we largely ignore, but Adam's is notable because c'mon, he's a he (and wants to be Darcy) and also somehow finds a connection with CS Lewis' biography.
  

  Beth and I sat down to watch our newly acquired 1995 BBC/A&E 5 1/2 hour version of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" on Sunday afternoon. I was expecting to appreciate it, even enjoy it. Instead, I craved it and hated stopping. We watched half Sunday and finished it Monday. I dreamt about it both nights.
  
  Part of it was the ridiculously talented interpretive acting of Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth in the main roles. I loved the commitment in their eyes at all times. Ehle in particular connected her words with body language that fit the character perfectly and often resulted in movements that I had never seen on film before. So, anyway, point A: I'm very much in love with those two actors right now...but mostly Ehle...because she's a girl...and looks strikingly like Beth (but she'd heard that already). [...]
  

Utopia booze and books

• Update on the LCT blog that mentions the spiffy Coast of Utopia calendar featuring photos of the leading ladies and signed by them. It's in support of Broadway Cares and copies can be bought online or in the lobby from March, for $50 a pop.
  
• The NY Times and Guardian report that Utopia has increased demand for Isaiah Berlin's Russian Thinkers book. It has sold out at bookshops online and off, prompting a reprint. This news is being widely reported in the blogosphere as well.
  
• Coast of Utopia distilled - another NY Times article about the guy who designs cocktails for plays, including a recipe for the Voyage one.
• And yet another Times article, on how Utopian blokes spend their days off - in helicopters apparently.
  
• Reminder in the Post-Gazette about their Utopia tour.
• Word from the LCT is that there will be a Platform Series Q&A discussion with Tom Stoppard on February 14th. Details aren't up on the site yet.
• Quotage from the man at the recent Drama Desk "Conversation with Tom Stoppard" event. On swotting:

  [...] “You don’t need to read tons of research to enjoy the plays,” he explained. “It’s all there onstage and quite accessible.” [...]
  

• Review of Shipwreck at Stories of a Future Librarian and another at The Beef:

  [...] Again, the stagecraft wows. Who wouldn’t be delighted to watch the Place de la Concorde materialize in a moment? Yet the acting is even more impressive, as some players slip seamlessly into new roles while others gradually expand the characters we met last time. Alexander Herzen comes to the fore, allowing Brian F. O’Byrne to prove himself as the star of the show. As Herzen’s wife, Jennifer Ehle shines in a role with much more nuance than her tragically lovestruck Luibov of Part One. [...]

• Discussion on Tony categories for Utopia at Full Force Theater Musings.

Unordered list

• For Ruskophones in the audience, here's a Russian translation of English Coast of Utopia dialogue that is meant to be Russian at jakovlev's LJ, a review of the plays at good-boy's and discussion on the pronunciation of "Ehle" at an Austen LJ community. Babelfish em.
• At eBay, you can bid for a The Maitlands DVD and the Design for Living stagebill.
• Post-Tonys encounter.
• Reviewlets of Voyage and Shipwreck at OffTheStem by Barry, both given B's. Voyage is also reviewed by Jennifer who particularly dug her namesake:

  I saw The Coast of Utopia: Part 1, the Voyage this weekend at Lincoln Center. The rare cast consisting of Billy Crudup, Richard Easton, Jennifer Ehle (<-- my personal fave: Elizabeth Bennett from BBC's "Pride and Prejudice"), Ethan Hawke, Martha Plimpton , Brian F. O'Byrne (the priest in "Doubt"), and many others. The standouts in the cast were Billy Crudup (with the most ridiculous hairstyle), Jennifer Ehle, and Richard Easton. Richard Easton became infamous as he suffered a heart attack early on in the run during the play when he was offstage. Glad to see he's back in fine shape. [...]

• Voyage and Shipwreck reviews from the Epoch Times. From the latter:

  [...] After a shaky start with Voyage, Stoppard and director Jack O'Brien do a much better job here, thanks to a strong, through-narrative and wonderful performances by the two central characters; Alexander Herzen (Brian F. O'Byrne) and his wife Natalie (Jennifer Ehle). [...] In addition to the excellent Byrne and Ehle, the latter exuding sexuality, other standouts include Amy Irving, Bianca Amato and Jason Butler Harner. Another happy surprise is that the eternal believer Michael Bakunin (Ethan Hawke), one man who does accept responsibility for his deeds, is used to much better effect here than in "Voyage." [...]

  Couple of new reader reviews on Voyage at the NY Times, and another's up at Swarthmore's Phoenix student paper critiquing the play more than the staging.
  

• Possession music video of Christabel and Ash set to "I love you" by Fisher.
  
• Variety reports that while there's been a general post-holidays slump in Broadway box office sales, Utopia is an exception, still selling well.
• Wilde trivia from SX News:

  Jennifer Ehle won the part of Wilde’s wife Constance from Theresa Russell. Ehle was enjoying the recent popularity of her role as Elizabeth Bennet in TV’s Pride and Prejudice.

• From ICM the latest is that "as it stands" Ms Ehle will not be in Michael Clayton. Endeavor people explain that "the film was too long and they had to cut out her 2 scenes". So rend your garments, but praps not your Sunday best.
  

More reviews and photos

Remember Bruce who we linked two posts ago? He's done another great review- of Shipwreck. The pictures below are from his blog.

"Jennifer Ehle (who played Ethan Hawke's sister Liubov in part One) proves even a greater actress than I thought of her in Part One!"
"So THE COAST OF UTOPIA is not for everyone but for those who think Tom Stoppard is perhaps the world's premiere playwright, this is one of his best, spilling out ideas and visual brilliance to fill the mind up to the brim (and to some perhaps overflow it!)"

And from Anni In NYC:

And my current obsession is to see theatre, not just any piece but Coast of Utopia, Tom Stoppard's play about Russian intellectuals and their philosophical debates in pre-revolution Russia. Actually it's series: it consists of three plays, each about three hours long with over 70 actors including Ethan 'Before Sunrise/set' Hawke.

I absolutely want to see Coast of Utopia marathon, meaning seeing all three plays in one day during 12 hours. I can only imagine the amount of knowledge and ideas one is exposed to during this marathon. I imagine being a walking and talking Russian pre-revolution dictionary after those 12 hours. I want to go! I need to go! But I'm not the only one and the tickets are gone, gone, gone, even with the price of 200-400 dollars. I'll keep on hunting. It has become a mission. Hopefully not an impossible one.