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Man and Boy Reviews
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Riveting Performances Review by: Carol, Nov 19, 2011 |
In the early twentieth century there was Charles Ponzi for whom the Ponzi scheme was named. Terence Rattigan's play is a study of a ruthless, sociopathic businessman: his inability to love and the impact of this on others, most notably, his son and his wife. The central character Gregor Antonescu was based on the lives of Ivar Kreuger, the Swedish Match King, who hobnobbed with celebrities and politicians, including Douglas Fairbanks, ... read more Mary Pickford and Franklin Roosevelt, and Samuel Insull the Anglo-American investor.
Langella has recently been drawn to portraying dark characters, in this case one whom Rattigan called "as evil as Iago." Yet he also poignantly ends the play as his frauds are revealed and his relationship with his son unravels. The title is telling in that it is not Father and Son, but Man and Boy implying a more distant, generic relationship. The parallel between the 1963 play is, of course, Bernard Madoff and the suicide of his son, Mark. In desperation, Langella as the financier tries to lure a rich gay banker to prop up his teetering enterprise.
The scenes between Gregor Antonescu and his wife (Francesca Faridany) are also based on a fraudulent identity Gregor has cooked up for her. His son (Adam Driver) assumes another name in repudiation of his father’s rejection after he went so far as to tell his business associates his son had died five years earlier. It is only in the final scenes that we discover Gregor could always make Basil/Vasily, his son cry while Basil holds on to a photo of himself as a child with his father at a beach resort. His aide, Sven Johnson (Michael Siberry), dictates a suicide note absolving him of any implication in the plot to defraud investors before the long-time relationship is severed. Although the twists and turns of the plot can be cumbersome at times, making suspension of disbelief difficult, the first-rate performances by Langella and the supporting cast make for good theatre.
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Snoozer Review by: Chubby Theater Goer, Oct 27, 2011 |
If you just want to nap at the theater, this is the show for you provided that you don't disturb anyone with your snoring, of course. I like Langella very much as an actor. He really raises the bar in all his movies, but this vehicle that is Man and Boy does not offer enough juicy parts for him. There is a lot of talking going on but most of it without wit or humor. The set is very claustrophobic and does not change. It is just a run-down ... read more apartment with a bedroom. But set or no set, it all comes down to the script. The motel room in The Mountaintop is just as stagnant and uninteresting but yet it is miles more entertaining than Man and Boy. And there is no way Jackson is a better actor than Langella. The acting is superb by everyone and the woman playing the boy's girlfriend is very stunning. Langella tries real hard but there is just nothing entertaining about the script or story.
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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Frank Langella is SUPERB!!!!! Review by: nyer, Oct 19, 2011 |
| SUPERB ACTING!!! Frank Langella is amazing! I would recommend this show 100%. You won't regret it!!! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Romantic Date, Seniors, Tourists
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Perfect Review by: BrendaT, Oct 16, 2011 |
The Rondabout Theatre Company has mounted a revival of Terence Rattigan’s Man and Boy. For those with a pressing engagement or abbreviated attention span, I will cut to the chase: it is phenomenal.
Frank Langella (‘nough said?) stars in this drama set in Greenwich Village in 1934. Directed by Maria Aiken, the fluid and balanced action unfolds in real time one October evening.
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must see!
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Enjoyed Review by: S, Oct 16, 2011 |
| Enjoyed this show very much. Had mezzanine seats but could see very clearly. Took a while to get into the plot, but after the exposition, when the characters started coming in, it got much better. Liked the open ending. Also liked the set. |
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Recommended for:
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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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