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Come Back Little Sheba Reviews
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Review by: Broadway Fan, Jun 21, 2008 |
S. Epatha Merkeson is nothing short of brilliant, and how she did not win the Tony Award is something I will never understand. Her portrayal of this sad, simple, damaged, hurting woman brought me to tears. The rest of the cast supports her brilliantly, but she IS the show. She is the quiet driving force that bring the audience along the sad sad story of loneliness, lost dreams, and eternal longing for what was or could have ... read more been.
Rarely have I been touched like this, and I thought about her character for weeks afterward.
Come Back to Broadway, Come Back Little Sheeba.
For those who did not see this production, you have missed a most remarkable evening of theatre. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 2 |
Review by: Magnolia, Mar 16, 2008 |
| S. Epatha Merkeson played the part wonderfully, as did the rest of the cast. My only issue was the sound in the theatre. I was in the 4th row of the mezz, and I found it difficult to hear. The voices did not carry well; found myself straining to hear. People around me express the same feelings. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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Recommended for:
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| 3 |
Subdued drama Review by: JW, Mar 14, 2008 |
| "Come Back Little Sheba" contains the seeds of great drama (a marriage on the brink of collapse), but the tension in the play is by and large so subdued that one waits almost two hours before something memorable happens. Much too much time is focused on the banal conversations between Lola, the frustrated wife, and those who casually come in contact with her (the mailman, milkman, and her busy next door neighbor--all props with ... read more no other purpose than to basically demonstrate how lonely Lola is), robbing the subject matter of the poignancy it deserves. To be fair, this was William Inge's first play, and no where near as moving as his later works like "Picnic" and "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs". "Sheba" simply lacks bite. Edward Albee must have studied it though. The latter did a much better job detailing a troubled marriage in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 4 |
A WONDERFUL PLAY Review by: Beth M, Feb 27, 2008 |
COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA
I just had the privilege of seeing William Inge’s 1950 Tony Award winning play. (As I have never seen the film, or the original production, I cannot compare them).
I found Come Back Little Sheba to be extremely moving both in its themes and character analyses. I was struck by, especially in act one, how the excellent acting seems pitched in a lower key, which seemed to me to enhance the desperation,... read more, emptiness, and excruciating loneliness that lies so close to the surface. Though it is certainly it is in the second act where the intensity of the drama develops and escalates in seismic proportions.
This play is also daringly courageous in its landmark use of themes, shown rather graphically (some of which might still be labeled “for mature audiences”), which include teenage sex and pregnancy, the need for a so-called “shot gun” wedding, alcoholism, and domestic violence, as has been stated.
Doc and Lola are both, in their own ways, extraordinarily vulnerable and unhappy. They had to marry because Lola became pregnant at 18. As a result, Doc had to give up his professional dream, which he resents. And while I would imagine that Doc was head over heals in love with Lola at that time, he has clearly come to lose interest in Lola and the marriage during the intervening 25 years. Lola, once a great beauty, has lost the appearance of her youth. And consistently ignored by Doc, Lola is a portrait of a desperately lonely woman. Lola is magnificently played by S. Epatha Merkerson of Law & Order fame.
Doc’s deep frustration and anger at his lot are quite visible throughout the first act. Kevin Anderson does a fine job of revealing a sense of seething emotion just below, or at times, right on the surface of his generally quiet demeanor. Doc has been sober for nearly a year, through the grace of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Marie, an art student to whom Doc and Lola have rented a room, and her boy friends have come to help to fill the emptiness in Lola’s heart, as she was never able to have a family. They become a surrogate family for her. And Marie adds a something to Doc’s life as, despite his outward strong morality in terms of male/female relationships, he appears to feel a combination of daughterly affection, and also an understated sense of attraction to Marie. It is this latter feeling that leads to near tragedy.
The Sheba of the play’s title is the dearly beloved dog of Lola who disappeared a number of years before. During much of the play, Lola still, and pathetically, calls out for Sheba, unable or unwilling to relinquish the hope that Sheba might still return. To me, the significance of the play’s title seems very much to do with the inability to move toward the realization and ultimate acceptance of the loss. And losses of different kinds pervade this play. For me, loss and its often devastating impact is the underlying theme of Come Back Little Sheba. The circumstances of the life journeys of Lola and Doc are filled with dashed hopes and shattered dreams. The play is also about recognizing that there are things that can be salvaged, and that it is possible to move forward.
Come Back Little Sheba is sad play, though it concludes with some sense of hope.
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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I saw this show with:
Alone
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Adults
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| 5 |
Review by: , Feb 2, 2008 |
| I saw this in previews a few weeks ago. I found it slow, and uninvolving. I think it is terribly miscast. The film version is heartbreaking, I didn't feel that with this production. A great disappointment. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 6 |
Good Classic Theater Review by: Carol, Jan 30, 2008 |
| S. Epatha Merkeson is extraordinary in this role as the spouse of an abusive alcoholic. It is a far cry from the self-confident, strong woman she plays as Anita Van Buren on Law and Order. The cast is good, but the first act drags. It is not until the second act that the play really takes off. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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| 7 |
Incredible Revival!!! Review by: Carl from NY, Jan 26, 2008 |
Incredible show. I grew up always knowing the title of the play and remembering Shirley Booth in the film. S. Epatha Merkerson is powerful and moving. She brings great nuiance to the role. The entire show is great and the play seems quite relevant even though it was written in the 1950s.
this is what theatre and acting should be. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Tourists, Adults
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| 8 |
OK Review by: , Jan 24, 2008 |
SHow was ok, the first act was very slow, most of the cast were good, second act was better.
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Adults
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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