Grey Gardens on Broadway

I just booked my ticket for this. Nov. 9 is the night. It’s one of those theatrical EVENTS which … well, rarely happens anymore. Now the movie is a whole other story.

Here is Ebert’s review of the movie. 4 stars. (It’s a review so gorgeously written, by the way, that it makes me think, selfishly: get better FASTER, Roger. Come on!!)

Here’s an interesting article about the development of the musical, etc. – The article/review was written when the show was still in its off-Broadway incarnation (it’s moving to Broadway Nov. 2).

I don’t know what to expect from the show – but I am freakin’ exCITED. For the whole thing. For Christine Ebersole’s performance which is getting the kind of reviews that make you just go … Uhm. Okay. Kinda HAVE to see that. Once in a lifetime kind of performance. (For example, the review above ends with: “And Christine Ebersole’s double triumph is sheer staggering magic: She plays both Act I’s Big Edie, a Billie Burke matron with sour milk and Tabasco added, and Act II’s frumpy, dotty, desperate Little Edie, a Beckettian tramp weirdly compelled to sing show tunes. When her transcendent energy’s switched on, Grey Gardens seems a perfect musical.”)

Sheer staggering magic.

I’ve seen a lot of plays. Haven’t seen a lot of sheer staggering magic. I am SO there. I only regret that Mitchell won’t be able to fly in and go with me. After I saw the movie for the first time, he was the one I called. I had to talk about it. I had to talk about it with someone who knew. Who had seen it.

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10 Responses to Grey Gardens on Broadway

  1. tracey says:

    Oh, Sheila. How I WISH I could see this with you. I’ve never seen the movie version, but Christine Ebersole is one of my absolute favorites. So if she’s in it, I want to see it, is my philosophy! I’ve loved her since seeing her in “Amadeus” years ago. Wow. Can’t wait to hear about it!!

  2. red says:

    I know – Amadeus, right?? And then she was on SNL … her career has been long and all over the place … and it’s just so cool to see her just get all these accolades.

    I can’t wait to see it.

  3. Alex says:

    It’s sick that Im not going with you. Sick I tell Ya!

    “…but…what the relatives DIDN’T know, was that they were dealing with a staunch character. There’s nothing worse than a staunch character really. S-T-A-U-N-C-H.”

    I’m dying right now.

  4. red says:

    Alex – fly in for the night. Come on – there are still tickets!!!

    How ’bout when she comes up and WHISPERS to the camera.

    And then of course the baton twirling dance. I can’t really talk about that one yet.

  5. mitchell says:

    “this is REALLY the best costume of the day”…btw..you know that my friend Kent (UPS guy) is writing a book about the family,the house..the whole thing!!!

  6. miker says:

    Now I have to see this movie. Even before seeing it, I have a sneaking suspicion I’m going to end up owning it…

  7. red says:

    Mitchell – I did not know that!! So he’s tracking down relatives and stuff? Has he been interviewing people?

    That movie … man, oh man.

    by the way, how are you? I miss you. :(

  8. My contributor Josh R recently did a piece about Grey Gardens, if you haven’t already read it.

  9. red says:

    Edward – I did see that!! It was great to read a first-hand response to the show.

    Everybody I know is dying to see it- I can’t wait!

  10. Kent says:

    Kent (UPS guy) here.

    I just dropped in on ghoulish Mitchell on his last day of haunting Daley Plaza and he told me to come here and check out the shout out.

    Yes, I am writing an illustrated bio of Little Edie using some of her archives – yes, archives. Diaries, letters, poetry, photos, legal docs. You name it.

    It’s mostly her words – so you get 5 versions of every key event in her life. There is simply no other way to do it. Her truth was her truth. There will be other voices of family, friends, etc. And they will have their truth. But it is definitely a journey. Would you want it any other way?

    It will answer as many questions as possible (the hair, why no money, the parents arranged marriage and failure, what happened to her in NY, her sex (!) life, what happened at Reno Sweeney, and what was her life like after her mother died and she was out on her own).

    Until this comes out late next year, and if you want more questions than answers, then you must order the new Beales of Grey Gardens when it comes out in Dec. It is 90 minutes of out-takes from the original documentary and it is an Edie-lovers’ dream come true.

    To learn more about GG, go to my pal Buster’s blog and you will be entranced.

    http://www.greygardensnews.blogspot.com

    Best,

    Kent (former UPS guy)

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