R + J = LURRRVE
Saw a performance of Romeo and Juliet! And liked it! And my goal in life is now to attain some sleeve glitter and learn how to use it.
Review is under the cut, in order to avoid subjecting you to, as Peter so aptly put it,
So like, first of all, the set was gorgeous. I actually gasped when I walked in. Crumbling walls, fog, the whole deal. Less than three. But then all the costumes and everything were modern, and they had machine guns at times, and I was like, WTF, this does not go with the crumbling walls. :P But the costumes they had for the ball were fabulous.
All the actors were REALLY LOUD, in that actorly way that modern actors in Shakespeare are often REALLY LOUD and OH SO EXPRESSIVE without really changing their tone at all. Ick. Even Benvolio was really loud. Which is crazy, because he's supposed to be the quiet, calm, sane one. Like the Horatio of R&J, except that he isn't covertly involved with the main character... oh, right, the play. XP
Anyway, Benvolio was really loud and funny (talk about usurping Mercutio's part - he even reminded me of John McEnery!Mercutio), but he was really pretty and had subtle facial expressions, unlike most of the other people, so that was okay.
But Mercutio's role was NOT usurped. Because. Open-shirted Mercutio. Open-PINK-FLOWY-shirted Mercutio with crazy hair. GUH. He was fantastic. Even lewder than usual, and without some of the crazy-energy but not enough to harm the part, and with this weird little chortle-laugh that he kept doing which was oh-so-Mercutio. :P And he had SLEEVE GLITTER!!!11! He kept shaking it out of his sleeves into his hands and tossing it all over the place at convenient times. <3
AND he was in love with Romeo. SO in love. It was achingly unrequited but beautiful and perfect. They got ALL the subtext. Meaning Benvolio was longing for Mercutio as well - in the scene where Mercutio insults him, he looked really hurt. And I was like, aww, Benvolio! And Mercutio used him as 'Rosaline' when he was doing the "I'll conjure Romeo with his lady" speech, which also hurt. And OMG MERCUTIO AND TYBALT DUEL. Soooo much sexual tension, it wasn't even funny. Mercutio even meowed at Tybalt. Rawr. It was such a great scene.
Tybalt was meh. Which he shouldn't have been, because he's Tybalt. But meh.
OH YEAH. When R&J were meeting at the ball & doing "palm to palm", everyone else dancing was turned the other way and frozen, and Mercutio was the only one watching, standing on a table and looking angry. Less. Than. Three.
But like... Romeo and Juliet! Were bad! And that really sucked! Like, they didn't have any love, they just took spazzes all the time. Romeo was hyper and Juliet was bitchy. If I couldn't get by on just The Boys, they would have ruined it.
Annnnd that's already too long, so... yeah. In conclusion. Mercutio = always show-saving rock. Fin.
I have to stop comparing everything to the Zeffirelli R&J. Nothing will ever live up to it. Love ya, Zef. Except that your Hamlet was teh major suckage.
Review is under the cut, in order to avoid subjecting you to, as Peter so aptly put it,
So like, first of all, the set was gorgeous. I actually gasped when I walked in. Crumbling walls, fog, the whole deal. Less than three. But then all the costumes and everything were modern, and they had machine guns at times, and I was like, WTF, this does not go with the crumbling walls. :P But the costumes they had for the ball were fabulous.
All the actors were REALLY LOUD, in that actorly way that modern actors in Shakespeare are often REALLY LOUD and OH SO EXPRESSIVE without really changing their tone at all. Ick. Even Benvolio was really loud. Which is crazy, because he's supposed to be the quiet, calm, sane one. Like the Horatio of R&J, except that he isn't covertly involved with the main character... oh, right, the play. XP
Anyway, Benvolio was really loud and funny (talk about usurping Mercutio's part - he even reminded me of John McEnery!Mercutio), but he was really pretty and had subtle facial expressions, unlike most of the other people, so that was okay.
But Mercutio's role was NOT usurped. Because. Open-shirted Mercutio. Open-PINK-FLOWY-shirted Mercutio with crazy hair. GUH. He was fantastic. Even lewder than usual, and without some of the crazy-energy but not enough to harm the part, and with this weird little chortle-laugh that he kept doing which was oh-so-Mercutio. :P And he had SLEEVE GLITTER!!!11! He kept shaking it out of his sleeves into his hands and tossing it all over the place at convenient times. <3
AND he was in love with Romeo. SO in love. It was achingly unrequited but beautiful and perfect. They got ALL the subtext. Meaning Benvolio was longing for Mercutio as well - in the scene where Mercutio insults him, he looked really hurt. And I was like, aww, Benvolio! And Mercutio used him as 'Rosaline' when he was doing the "I'll conjure Romeo with his lady" speech, which also hurt. And OMG MERCUTIO AND TYBALT DUEL. Soooo much sexual tension, it wasn't even funny. Mercutio even meowed at Tybalt. Rawr. It was such a great scene.
Tybalt was meh. Which he shouldn't have been, because he's Tybalt. But meh.
OH YEAH. When R&J were meeting at the ball & doing "palm to palm", everyone else dancing was turned the other way and frozen, and Mercutio was the only one watching, standing on a table and looking angry. Less. Than. Three.
But like... Romeo and Juliet! Were bad! And that really sucked! Like, they didn't have any love, they just took spazzes all the time. Romeo was hyper and Juliet was bitchy. If I couldn't get by on just The Boys, they would have ruined it.
Annnnd that's already too long, so... yeah. In conclusion. Mercutio = always show-saving rock. Fin.
I have to stop comparing everything to the Zeffirelli R&J. Nothing will ever live up to it. Love ya, Zef. Except that your Hamlet was teh major suckage.