May 27, 2010: Center Stage: Blithe Spirit and Prelude to a Kiss

>> LOVE IS IN THE AIR AND IS

RATHER HAUNTING IN TWO

COMEDIES NOW PLAYING IN

BOSTON THEATRES, IN

TONIGHT'S CENTER STAGE WE

LOOK AT PRELUDE TO A KISS

RUNNING AT THE HUNTINGTON

THEATRE COMPANY AND THE

CLASSIC BLYTHE SPIRIT AT THE

LYRIC STAGE COMPANY OF

BOSTON IT.

>> NOEL COWARD'S CLASSIC

ENGLISH MANOR BLYTHE SPIRIT

WE FIND CHARLES AND RUTH A

COUPLE QUITE SETTLED

ALTHOUGH RUTH IS SLIGHTLY

HAUNTED BY THE LEGACY OF HER

HUSBAND'S LATE WIFE.

>> I WONDER IF I DIE HOW

LONG IT WOULD BE BEFORE YOU

MARRY AGAIN.

>> OH, YOU WON'T DIE.

ARE YOU NOT THE DYING SORT.

>> WHAT SORT AM I.

>> OH, NOW THAT I LOOK BACK

ON IT, SHE HAD A ADVICE

SERIAL LOVELY QUALITY ABOUT

HER.

NOBODY COULD CALL YOU EVEN

REMOTELY --

>> THE COUPLE'S WORLD TURNS

TOPSY TUR VERY WHEN THEY

INVITED SPIRITED MEDIUM

MADAM CURRY FOR AN EVENING

OF OVER WORLDLY ENGAGEMENT.

>> PRESENTLY, WHEN THE MUSIC

BEGINS MI GOING TO SWITCH

OFF THE LIGHTS.

I MAY THEN WALK ABOUT THE

ROOM FOR A LITTLE OR LIE

DOWN FLAT.

IN DUE COURSE I SHALL DRAW

UP THIS-- AND JOIN.

I SHALL TAKE MY HAND BETWEEN

YOU AND YOUR WIFE AND REST

MY HAND LIGHTLY UPON YOURS.

>> BLYTHE SPIRIT PLAYS AT

THE LYRIC STAGE COMPANY OF

BOSTON THROUGH JUNE 6th AND

OVER AT THE HUNTINGTON A

COSMIC CONFLUENCE OF A

DIFFERENT SORT LAYINGS A

YOUNG COUPLE ON THEIR

WEDDING DAY.

>> CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH

OF YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> HI, I'M TAYLOR McGOWAN.

YOU MAKE A LOVELY COUPLE.

I'M SORRY, YOUR NAME.

>> WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY.

>> YES.

>> GOOD TO MEET YOU.

>> IN THIS CRAIG LUCAS

COMEDY AN OLD MAN'S KISS

WITH THE YOUNG BRIDE RESULTS

IN THE PAIR SWAPPING BODIES.

IT MAKES FOR A CHARMING AND

FUN TABLE ABOUT APPRECIATE

FOR LOVE AND LIFE.

MOST HEARTWARMING WHEN THE

YOUNG COUPLE RECONNECT.

THE GROOM FINDING HIS BRIDE

IN THE OLD MAN.

>> WHAT SHAPES YOUR

FATHER --

>> ME THINK IT'S SHAPED LIKE

A SAXOPHONE BUT IT'S NOT.

>> I KNEW T I KNEW IT, OH MY

GOD.

>> WATCH THE LOVE EXUDE IN

PRELUDE TO A KISS PLAYING AT

THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE

THROUGH JUNE 13th JOINING ME

IS MY SISTER STAGE COLLEAGUE

THEATRE CRITIC TERRY BYRNE.

IT'S WEIRD WE ARE ALL BY

OURSELVES.

>> IT IS LONELY.

>> LIKE WE ARE ON A LITTLE

DATE OR SOMETHING.

>> OOH.

BUT TO START WITH THE

HUNTINGTON COMPANY PRELUDE

TO A KISS.

I HAD TO CONFESS HI NO IDEA

WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

I HAD NEVER SEEN THE FILL

WELL ALEC BALDWINING I THINK

HE PLAYED IT ON BROADWAY BUT

THIS WAS CRAIG LUCAS WHO

WROTE THE PLAY AND WE SAW

HIM IN THAT VERY DEMEANTED

SPEAK EASY PLAY RECKLESS

EARLIER IN THE SEASON.

SO YOU ARE PLOTING ALONG

THINK RUG SEEING THIS

TYPICAL LOVE STORY WHICH I

REALLY LIKED ACTUALLY

BECAUSE EVERYTHING YOU CAN

IDENTIFY IN A FIRST MEETING

SORT OF THAT AWKWARDNESS AND

TRYING TO GET IN YOUR

ONE-LINERS AND SUDDENLY IT

DEPARTS RADICALLY WHEN THEY

HAVE THIS KISS.

BUT IS THIS TYPICAL FOR HIM

TO HAVE THIS SORT OF

SPIRITED TYPE OF DIFFERENT

COMEDY?

>> NO, I THINK IS REALLY A

DEPAR TURE FOR HIM.

BUT IT ALSO CAME AT A TIME

WHEN AIDS WAS KILLING OFF A

LOT OF HIS FRIENDS, A LOT OF

THE COMMUNITY, THE ACTING

COMMUNITY SO IT WAS REALLY

ABOUT HOW PRECIOUS TIME S

HOW PRECIOUS PEOPLE ARE AND

HOW LITTLE TIME WE HAVE

TOGETHER.

>> BECAUSE IT IS SO SWEET.

APP I HAVE TO SAY THIS ACTOR

McINTYRE DIXON WHO PLAYS THE

OLD MAN WHO THEN MUST SHIFT

TO PLAYING THIS VIBRANT

WHATEVER SHE IS, 30, YOUNG

30 SOMETHING WOMAN IS

REMARKABLE BECAUSE YOU

REALLY CAN IDENTIFY.

BECAUSE WE LEARN IN THIS

PLAY THAT HE'S GOT THIS

YEARNING TO BE YOUNG AGAIN

AND FOR REASONS THAT WE

WON'T NECESSARILY SPOIL

HERE.

BUT IT'S I FOUND THIS A

REALLY INCREDIBLY MOVING

PLAY, SO SWEET.

AND VERY, VERY STIRRING.

>> PART OF WHAT I LIKE ABOUT

THE PLAY IS THAT IT'S A

FAIRY TALE.

AND INSTEAD OF THE PRINCESS

KISSING THE FROG, AND HAVING

THE FROG TURN INTO A PRINCE

THE PRINCESS BECOMES THE

FROCK SO IT'S SORT OF A

TWIST ON WHAT YOU EXPECT

WHICH IS WHAT MAKES IT WORK.

AND THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL

MOMENTS PART OF THE THING I

LOVE IS THAT THE COUPLE IS

NOT, NEVER'S IN THE A

PRINCESS AND A PRINCE.

THEY'RE NOT YOUR

ODE-- THEY'RE ODE PEOPLE.

THEY HAVE FLAWS.

>> AND SHE HAS SOME WEIRD

THINGS GOING ON.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT MAKES

THEM APPEALING.

>> BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO

BLYTHE SMIRT I JUST WANT TO

ASK YOU ABOUT PETER DUE BOY

AT THE HUNTINGTON, THE

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, NOW IN

HIS SECOND SEASON.

THIS WAS THE LAST SHOW OF

THE SEASON I REALLY FEEL

LIKE HE HAS GONE FROM 0 TO

60, NOT THAT ALL OF LAST

SEASON WAS A 0 BUT I FEEL

THAT ALL OF HIS SHOWS MOSTLY

THIS HE IS SON HAVE BEEN SO

FANTASTIC AND THERE IS EVERY

REASON NOW TO GO TO THE

HUNTINGTON FOR EVERYTHING

THEY ARE DOING.

>> AND HE DOESN'T ALWAYS

HAVE TO DIRECT EVERYTHING.

IT IS ABOUT THE CHOICES HE

MICKS, THE PLAYS HE BRINGS

IN AND THE DIRECTORS HE

CHOOSES.

I DIDN'T EXPECT SUCH A GREAT

SEASON BUT EVERYTHING THERE

HAS BEEN SURPRISING AND

REWARDING.

>> BECAUSE IT HAS GONE FROM

THE WONDERFUL FENCES TO ALL

MY SONS, THE ARTHUR MILLER

DRAMA TO THIS COMEDY PRELUDE

TO A KISS.

NOW BLYTHE SPIRIT AT THE

LYRIC STAGE COMPANY.

I MUST SAY THAT THIS IS A

DIFFICULT PLAY I THINK.

BECAUSE I REMEMBER SEEING IT

ON BROADWAY LAST SEASON AND

EVEN THERE I FELT LIKE THE

PACING IS A LITTLE SHOW.

>> IT'S THREE ACTS AND

PEOPLE WHEN I WAS THERE THEY

WERE SURPRISED THAT THEY HAD

TO GO BACK AFTER THE SECOND

INTERMISSION SO THAT DOES

THROW PEOPLE OFF A LITTLE

BIT.

>> THAT SAID I THINK IT IS A

TERRIFIC KATZ HERE.

SO THEY COME TOGETHER WELL.

AND IT'S VERY FUNNY I THINK

WHAT, DO YOU THINK.

>> I LOVE THIS PLAY IT IS A

CLASSIC BUT IT'S JUST SO

CHARMING GOING BACK THROUGH

THE MEDIUM, BACK INTO A DEAD

WIFE COME BAGING TO VISIT.

ANOTHER DEAD WIFE.

IT'S CRAZY.

AND ANN GOTLIEB IS ONE

ACTRESS VERY WELL RESPECTED

LOCAL ACTRESS WHO USUALLY

PLAYS CERTIFICATE QUUS

ROLES.

TO SEE HER SINK HER TEETH IN

A COMIC ROLE WAS WORTH THE

PRICE OF ADMISSION ALONE.

>> WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO THE

GHOST AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

>> THIS WAS FUN EVEN THOUGH

WE ARE ALL BY OURSELVES.

AND THAT'S IT FOR "GREATER

BOSTON."

EMILY ROONEY WILL BE BACK

TOMORROW.

I'M JARED BOWEN.

GOOD NIGHT.