This Steinbeck classic first came into my possession in ninth grade. Though at the time I found it to be a bit on the dry side, the themes resonated enough to convince me to see the movie, and then I heard it was coming to Broadway. And with an all-star cast that includes James Franco, Leighton Meester, and Chris O'Dowd, I knew I had to see it before it ended after just 18 weeks. Needless to say, I was very impressed.
First off, let me talk about the perfomances. Chris O'Dowd is the jewel in the crown of the entire show as Lenny, the simpleminded and naive but unwillingly destructive friend of George, who is played by James Franco. O'Dowd brings out the innocence of his character with such power and enthusiasm, that it makes his performance remarkable. I commend him for an expert interpretation of Lenny, as I know he can be a difficult character to portray in a way that comes off as convincing instead of overtly juvenile. With regards to Franco's performance as George, he pulls it off very nicely. Judging by the type of acting style he goes for in many of the films he works with, it was no question that the character of George was tailor-made for him. The elements of a classic Franco performance were all presented here, from his mannerisms to dictation style, and all were pulled off flawlessly.
The rest of the cast were just as dedicated as the show's two starring leads, and they continuously knocked it out of the park. Leighton Meester does a fantastic stand-out job as the only female part in the play, and you truly feel the desperation for the character with her portrayal, and she even succeeds in earning sympathy for her plight. Jim Norton garners an equal amount of sympathy through his character, Candy, and let me just say that we all felt for him when his dog was put down. Alex Morf brought plenty of laughs, Jim Parrack helped to centralize the conflict for the audience, and Ron Cephas Jones gave an intriguing and somewhat pleasantly intimidating performance as Crooks. Overall, every single cast member did an incredible job in bringing their characters to life.
As for the sets, this show proved that less really is more when it comes to elaborating on the surrounding environment of the story. The stream was a short strip of water, stones, and dirt, hidden under a plank that could be easily slid out during certain scenes. Simple, certainly, but very effective. When it came to the bunkhouse, I was impressed by how it was almost completely bolted together onto one metal wall, and could be lowered down effortlessly, bunk beds and all. I was pleased to see that all of the sets were interesting enough to add flavor to the story, but not so elaborate that they detracted from the actors.
If you don't want to miss out on this performance, please go now, because it ends soon! This powerful and poignant production is certainly not one to miss.
Overall rating: 10/10
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