runs about three hours.The first scene is hard to drop into. I found myself and others shifting in their seats. Granted, I was tired from Halloween night, but goodness. Mr. David Leveaux must have assumed that the entire audience has read the play before. People may know the story, but that doesn't mean that we've all read the play and are prepared for the wordy, wordy, wordy (did I say wordy play). Yes, it's about languages' eloquence and ferocity. Language is power, sometimes more than the sword.
Kevin Kline plays the title character and he's basically himself. I think he needs a break. I've seen him in some high profile roles and they're all the same. The cook in Mother Courage, King Lear and now Cyrano. He just does the same "act". When he starts to talking I almost fell asleep because you knew where he was going and his voice was just so one note. Kevin Kline shines when he's in a scene with someone going back and forth with listening and sending to his partner. When he's speaking text in the soliloquy's it's had to get through.
Jennifer Garner, although one note, was a breath of fresh air. Due to her interpretation I could see how Cyrano and Christian fell in love with her. I appreciated her vocal training although distracting at times when she hit her lower register. That training will server her because I doubt she will lose her voice during this short run. I'm a big fan Alias fan, so I was rooting for her.
Daniel Sunjata, what can I say. He's delicious. One of the best looking men I've seen on Broadway (I feel another post coming). It takes a very talented actor to make an idiot more than a one dimensional character. I could watch him for hours...lol
It was opening night, so star sightings were Kathy Lee Gifford, Maxwell, Joanne Gleason, Ben Affleck and lots of money men who I recognized, but couldn't put a name to.
A hard play to do and with all the plays out there; why this one at this time?
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