one of the benefits of dating someone with other interests is getting introduced to new things (and doing some introducing.) s, as an audio engineer, is always bringing new music into my life. as a theatre nerd, i have gotten to bring to him the joys of a live play. for christmas this year, i gave him tickets to see present laughter, the noel coward revival starring victor garber.
we saw the show in previews, which i really enjoyed. they were still working out the kinks, and i liked getting an almost-backstage look at their processes. little, almost indecipherable, trip ups (on lines and telephone cords) help the magic to me--you realize that they're real, that this is happening for you right now. that human effort is such a rewarding element in a live play. (it should never look like work, per se, more like play, but i like knowing it's all unfolding in front of me.)
it's an enjoyable show--noel coward is always funny--and the cast does well, for the most part. victor garber seemed to be holding back at times. his character gary essendine is accused of over-acting so often that i would have liked to see a little more over-the-top from him, but i thought he performed well. i especially liked harriet harris as gary's long-suffering secretary monica, and enjoyed the balance between love and exasperation that lisa banes struck as his ex(ish)-wife liz.
i went crazy for the art deco decadence of the set, although s wasn't too keen on all the marbled wood and golden fixtures. the costumes were similarly lovely and sumptuous, and fit the characters well. gary's dressing gowns did an especially good job at playing their part, and a set of pajamas added a nice visual joke in the second half.
overall, it was a very enjoyable night at the theatre, and i would recommend it. i would also recommend using the roundabout theatre's preview ticket system. the tickets were extremely well-priced, and we had good seats. i look forward to the rest of the season.
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