August: Osage County

My sister, Joan and I went to see August: Osage County last week. I thought it was eh. Maybe it was because half the cast abandoned ship after the Tonys. Maybe it was because it has been compared to A Long Day's Journey Into Night. I just didn't think it was great. I thought it was funny, but play-funny not funny-funny. These are tropical birds! [go to 5:36] strikes me as the kind of line that wouldn't get that big of a laugh if it were in a movie or on a sitcom—well, it would on a sitcom bcs they'd add it with a laugh track. I wonder. Does the audience at a play, knowing how much they paid for their ticket and how long they'd have to wait to get in to see the play again, does that make them want to like it so much that they laugh extra hard and kind of over-enjoy a play? there was a woman sitting in front of me who was practically laughing at the lighting cues.

I guess i was just expecting more. It didn't have the poetry of an O'Neill play or the vulnerability of a Tennessee Williams play. I pretty much knew everything that was going to happen before it did, including what saucy put-down was going to come out of Mom's mouth. Again, it could've been the performances. I was lucky enough to see The Producers with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. I can imagine that after seeing it with John Stamos and Tony Danza you might wonder what the big deal was about. I know i was disappointed when i found out i wouldn't be seeing Mr. Katimski from My So-Called Life, although i was happy to see Jim True-Frost and he was great!

P.S. I'm not equating Estelle Parsons and the rest of the new people with Tony Danza, i'm just saying cast changes can have a big effect on the experience.