Wednesday, May 18, 2011

King Lear

Derek Jacobi
So I liked King Lear last night, it was great.
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Plus BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) is an amazing space.  I had never had been there until last night and now I want to go again.  It is a great space (although some badly placed columns above row M).
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As for Lear, it was great.  Derek Jacobi was, as expected, amazing.  It is the same awesome voice i remember from Henry V.  I was also very impressed by Alex Newman as Edmund.
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I remember Alex as Paul from the Dune miniseries, and would not have expected this from him.  I think Edmund is probably the most fun role anyway.  I mean Lear goes crazy, the fool is funny, but Edmund is a scenery chewing role that is wonderful.  Mr. Newman did wonderfully in it.
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King Lear is a little .. you know.. basic.  Classic!  Don't get me wrong, but basic, isn't it.  I mean the 2 bad daughters are awful and Cordelia is warm sweet and pretty.  (I thought it would be better to have the bad daughters be really pretty and then Cordelia as unattractive.)  Lear is fool, blinded by his own vanity.
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And everyone dies..  E.........v........e.......n.........t......u........a....l..................ly.  Sometimes I think Shakespeare would benefit from a good editor.
Alex Neuman