Saw Blithe Spirit last night starring Angela Lansbury, Rupert Everett, Christine Ebersole and a great cast in this fabulous comedy by Noel Coward from 1945, now revived again on Broadway with just the right “light” touch. A wonderful treat for audiences who need to laugh and forget their own problems.
I actually did this play years ago in stock and the last time I saw it was with Geraldine Page as the dotty medium Madame Arcati (the summer she died in the role) at the Alvin Theatre. It’s still early in previews and the actors (notably Rupert Everett) were screwing up and dropping lines here and there but recovering nicely, as true stage pros do. Even though in previews, there were celebrities all around, giving this revival the whiff of a 2009 “event on the verge.”
I’ve admired Angela Lansbury from afar for years and try to never miss this working actress when she appears anywhere…but I’ve only had one personal contact with her: Years ago I attended a Christmas party tossed by Angela Lansbury on the stage of the (then Uris) Gershwin Theatre where she was doing Sweeney Todd.
FOOTNOTE: I still recall what a lovely lady she is…charming, genuine, chatty (even to newcomers), and a perfect hostess. I was only a cast member’s “date” but she went out of her way to make me feel comfortable and introduced me to her family members and other actors and crew present. Angela wore a pink chiffon “scarve” dress (remember those?) and the menu was Prime Rib, new potatoes, brussel sprouts and for dessert, piles of English trifle. It was served by a catering staff dressed like English maids and butlers and she assisted them clearing plates and refilling drinks, etc. She filled the Sweeney Todd prop oven with Xmas/party favors for everyone and had a DJ onstage spinning records (I still recall Sondheim and Len Cariou dancing to “I Will Survive.”)
It’s been fun to see her age over the years and grow into “old lady” roles with grace. The rest of the cast in this is also quite wonderful. Ebersole plays the deceased first wife Elvira who comes back in spirit form…the “blithe” spirit of the title. My only personal contact with Christine Ebersole was at a couple of American Theatre Wing events and she’s not a nice person but charming and talented in everything she tackles. She’s one of those self-promoting actresses (rhymes with rich) who must know exactly who you are and what you can do for her before she wastes a minute with you. And speaking of bitches, anybody in the gay world can tell you stories about Rupert Everett, who's been known to been to snarl at tourists in his West Village neighborhood while walking his dog.
Lansbury (as the eccentric medium Madame Arcati), Jayne Atkinson (as the second wife) and especially Susan Louise O’Connor as the maid are truly solid and hold the play together with their wonderful timing and professionalism. O'Connor makes the most of the role of the slow-witted maid. One of the people in my party (retired Broadway producer Michael Frasier (Lena Horne: the Lady and her Music)is not known for compliments unless he really means it, leaned over and said quietly: “this a really good production: the casting, the set, the lighting, the direction…everything” High praise from an old pro in the theatre.
FOOTNOTE: STOP THE PRESSES!!
Nathan Lane sat near me and actually seemed pleasant to strangers who spoke to him! So unexpected… the last time I saw him was at a bar in Chelsea all alone drinking until he couldn’t stand. When the bartender tried to help him get a cab home, he jerked away, said some nasty comments and staggered out of the bar and down W. 22nd Street. So much for the “great star” Nathan Lane (Joe Lane from Jersey City), I thought. Right after that the NY Times printed an interview with Lane lamenting why he is alone and can’t find a boyfriend. I laughed out loud, threw down the Times and said “it’s because you’re a nasty drunk and a jerk.” He seems to have changed..so docile...Perhaps he’s made a trip to Betty Ford or SilverHill?
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