Last chance this weekend for Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice on stage
Those of you in the New York/New Jersey area, this is the last weekend to catch the latest stage productions of Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice. The Editrix saw Northanger Abbey last weekend and enjoyed it thoroughly. The entire play is a delight from beginning to end. Our face hurt from smiling when it was over! Alert Janeite Heather L. sent us another review of NA (which she will be seeing tonight).
Stetkevych is so delightful as Catherine’s love interest Tilney that he left me wishing Austen had made the character more prominent in the novel.
We protest!!! How much more prominent can a man BE than booted and great coated, and with innumerable capes on his great coat, and driving so well? We ask you! (Mr. Stetkevych is rather nice, though. tee-hee!)
The Editrix and a group of JASNA members will be seeing P&P tomorrow and are very much looking forward to it! As Miss Bates might say, so much Jane, we do not know where to look first!
November 18th, 2006 at 3:38 pm
I’m seeing Northanger Abbey tomorrow on the last day! I can’t wait.
November 20th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
I saw it Saturday night with a cast of about a dozen (including Heather L. and Kelley B.). It was the second time I’d seen it (the first time was with the High Priestess herself), and I enjoyed it more this time than last. It was a lot of fun, and the cast seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. I cannot remember the John Thorpe actor from my first viewing to be quite as funny or annoying, but this viewing will definitely stick with me.
I have also promised Heather and Kelley that I would read the book with a much more open mind than I have in the past.
November 20th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
Northanger Abbey, Broadview ed. ………. $8
The Mysteries of Udolpho, Penguin ed. ………. $13
Playing with Canons ………. $20
Frommer’s Portable New York City 2006 ………. $11
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel must be intolerably stupid.” ………. priceless
It was great. A few of us were lucky enough to score the front-and-center seats (I didn’t fly across the country just to sit in the back!), and I grinned the whole way through as well – still smiling, in fact. Roses to Tatiana Gomberg for delivering an energetic, endearing, and overall outstanding Catherine. She had to set the pace and tone for the 2.5-hour show, and did so admirably.
The rest of the cast was fantastic as well, and I will write up a proper review for my site to give them and the adaptation itself their due credit, but I would be remiss if I neglected to mention Julian Stetkevych’s delightful performance as Henry (and Valancourt). He understood Henry (who is so often misunderstood), and it was a joy to watch. And had I known there would be an empty seat in my row on the return flight, I would have been tempted to bring home a 6′ “souvenir” from the play … although I must admit that while an excellently acted Henry Tilney may be rare to find, extra space on an airplane is even more precious.
November 20th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
I was fortunate enough to see it on Saturday with some of the most wonderful JA enthusiasts (Heather L, Julie P and several others who may or may not post at this site). I don’t think I stopped smiling once during the whole performance. Tatiana Gomberg stole the show. Her Catherine was as delightful as the heroine of the novel and I must applaud her for a marvelous performance (which was quite the endurance test).
Ah yes…dear sweet Julian Stetkevych…what a lovely Henry Tilney. So handsome, so witty, so remarkably spot on. And I adored his over-dramatic Valencourt (”EMILY!”).
Even though there are those who thought me absolutely mad for flying all that way just to see this play, it was worth every single penney and I would do it again in a heartbeat if the chance were made available.
November 20th, 2006 at 9:44 pm
I have to say it was a brilliant adaptation. Nothing from the story was sacrificed in the transfer from book to stage, which is so rarely done. The Uldopho scenes were hilarious and so perfectly over the top.
It’s so hard to get Henry right, but Julian Stetkevych did a fantastic job. (Cheesecake! Best line!) I was also extremely impressed by the costumes and sets. Tatiana Gomberg deserves a medal for sheer endurance, as Kelley said above. Out of the two hour and thirty minute show, Tatiana was on stage for two hour and twenty eight minutes of them. She was such a delight as Catherine.
I only wish I had gotten to see the NJ Pride & Prejudice production, too.
November 22nd, 2006 at 3:45 pm
*is utterly consumed with jealousy*
But I AM happy that everyone who posted here had the pleasure of seeing what was obviously a truly marvelous performance.
November 26th, 2006 at 8:04 am
That’s how I feel Karenlee. I’ve heard nothing but terrific reports about this NA play.
My ‘Playing with Canons’ is in the airmail now….