Betrayal - Bye, Bye...

Sylvia's girl · Post by **Sylvia's girl** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 12:18 pm

Germangirl wrote:I am wondering, when they do start the TV shows for promo.

Me too. I have been checking - nothing showing yet.

Elvenstar · Post by **Elvenstar** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:13 pm

thank to all of u lucky ppl for reports!
really envious of u

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:17 pm

Hi Elvenstar - really nice to see you

caramel · Post by **caramel** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:48 pm

Comment from a guy from IMDB who saw the play opening night

peterquennel wrote:We saw the opening tonight, brilliant, as my wife said to Mike Nichols as he came out (he turned and strongly said THANK you!) and more humor than we could recall in the previous Betrayal we saw. Pinter is very sharp and the moods do u-turns in the blink of an eye. It needs very good actors to work.

The main three are well matched, Daniel Craig plays the aimiable husband who knows he is being betrayed but seems not to hold that against the other two (the guy is his best friend) except for tiny glimpses that he is hurt. He chats happily about his work and playing squash.

Daniel Craig is certainly magnetic and warm, and when he's offstage you wish he wasnt offstage. Rachel Weisz does agony very well though she has a few very happy times seen late in the play. The affair winds down because of her, though there is a surprise which you learn about up front.

Running time is 90 minutes. Each set change and there are a lot lasts over a minute but they are clever and fun to watch. Daniel Craig came outside on 47th for 2 minutes and signed 30-40 programs. He grinned but didnt talk. He disappeared back inside and they left via the back of the theater on 48th Street. Could be opening night desire to wind down.

When he's offstage you miss him, and wish he was back onstage! The wife is in every scene (there are about 10) but the men mostly alternate.

Our list of celebrities seen on Broadway stages and at stage door is hundreds long and theres something about Daniel Craig that makes him one of the most endearing. He's just plain likable.

In the play all three are meant to have graduated from Oxford or Cambridge and he makes that believable... but still theres a hint of the guy from the inner city or wrong side of the tracks who made it.

In the Observer today the reviewer says he should star in a biopic of Richard Burton, who also had that aura. I think he was seeing the same thing in Daniel Craig we were.

Really sorry if you cant make it to Broadway. A very common comment here. We talked recently with Alan Rickman (and sat right behind him and his girlfriend at another play) and mentioned it here, and so many fans sounded frustrated.

Remember, if you do get to NYC any time, you dont need to see the performance to line up for 'em at the stage door. Timing it right, you can do 2-3 stage doors in an evening. Some actors really perform again out there, and their entourage or limo drivers have to drag them off to bed eventually.

Elvenstar · Post by **Elvenstar** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:49 pm

a bit sad that its not excellent receptioon as i hoped but considering the talent involved they hopefully will improve

Nice point about Dan onstage & in films
Really want to see him in a non Bond role lla Road to Perdition or Layer cake etc
intense & charismatic

Hi Elvenstar - really nice to see you Very Happy

love ya GG

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:55 pm

Thanks C - lovely read. My hope raises, it will be a success for all of them.

Sylvia's girl · Post by **Sylvia's girl** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:57 pm

Thanks Caramel, what a lovely read.
Peter Quennell is the guy who bothered to post that positive comment from the Observer article.

Sylvia's girl · Post by **Sylvia's girl** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 2:00 pm

Heather Resnicoff ‏@hlsilver 9m
Saw "Betrayal" on Broadway last night with Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz -- it's a must-see (and still in previews)! http://betrayalbroadway.com/

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 2:04 pm

Seems they are getting there.

tampa · Post by **tampa** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 2:55 pm

Sylvia's girl wrote:
cassandra wrote:Sf, I should like to echo what Tampa said and thank you very much for all your posts. You must be tired out now, so I hope you have a good journey home and manage to catch up on some sleep.

I admit to feeling a bit disappointed this morning, but I remain optimistic that the production will improve with a bit of tweaking and that the actors will settle into their roles.
That goes for me too.

The problem is they can't rewrite DC's role into something substantial. It is a lousy role, and I agree with sf that he make an error in going ahead with this play and giving up the role of Jerry which is the role Nichols wanted him to do for obvious reasons. It is depressing to read the Betrayal Broadway review site. Posters who have seen the previews note that Rafe steals the play - easy to do that when you have the good role. Yes, yes, DC will do a great subtle job etc., but subtle doesn't cut it when the role itself is small and meh. If his dumb privacy hang up wouldn't allow him to play Jerry, then he shouldn't be doing the play. Nichols and Rudin aren't dumb business wise, he's there almost as a prop, being used to sell tickets. But the reviewers are noting that too - how disappointed ticket buyers will be who are paying very big money for tickets to see DC in a big role which is not what they are getting. A lot of those ticket buyers don't read Pinter.

So some Pinter lovers may give him props for doing the play and taking the lesser role, but this is not what his reputation needs right now when he has a huge gap in his film career. This will be the only critical press he gets for up to 3 years. I'm not talking from the perspective of being a disappointed fan who is not getting to see him on film. I'm talking from the perspective of watching someone who could do some really challenging, vital work on film or Broadway mismanage a career in an almost self-destructive way. He took the Bond role. He went for the brass ring. Now it seems he doesn't want it.

So for me, watching what looks like a really bad series of career choices IS upsetting. I guess I'm a major contrarian, and many posters don't agree. Noting that the "Emperor has no clothes" instead of getting to rave about a sensational role ain't fun. I'm coming off a hard year, so I'm a tough cookie, and until GG tells me to stop, I'll just call it as I see it.

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 3:07 pm

I am not calling you to stop. You are often right, even if it is always a bit of "the glass is half empty" side, when you could give it a brighter side as well.

But I agree on that he is tired of the fame side and this shows in his choices. Choices of not doing anything or stepping back here. He will be getting good notes, but Rafe will be stealing his thunder. Thing is - by now - it really DOES seem like he is trying to work and still get out of focus. It was always clear, he is not made for fame, doesn't like it. He has inhaled the "sweet" smell of success and what came along with it, wasn't to his liking. He is a consequent man, almost to the degree of self destruction and it will be interesting to see, what he will do now. I often think, he really doesn't have an ego, which is a great character traite, but not so good for show biz.
Personally I will stick it out with him and see, what he will do. He will so SOMETHING (mnext year IMO) and one thing for sure - he is as unprecitable as they get. He might prove us all wrong with his next step.
We should NOT forget, that he is at it for almost 30 years and by now has seen all sides of it and might think twice now, if he really, really WANTS to do something and what it means for him.

As for the show .- they will make it a success, I believe now and even if it won't put any big jewels in his crown, he will have fun doing it and get away unscared if not better.

tampa · Post by **tampa** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 3:16 pm

Germangirl wrote:I am not calling you to stop. You are often right, even if it is always a bit of "the glass is half empty" side, when you could give it a brighter side as well.

But I agree on that he is tired of the fame side and this shows in his choices. Choices of not doing anything or stepping back here. He will be getting good notes, but Rafe will be stealing his thunder. Thing is - by now - it really DOES seem like he is trying to work and still get out of focus. It was always clear, he is not made for fame, doesn't like it. He has inhaled the "sweet" smell of success and what came along with it, wasn't to his liking. He is a consequent man, almost to the degree of self destruction and it will be interesting to see, what he will do now. I often think, he really doesn't have an ego, which is a great character traite, but not so good for show biz.
Personally I will stick it out with him and see, what he will do. He will so SOMETHING (mnext year IMO) and one thing for sure - he is as unprecitable as they get. He might prove us all wrong with his next step.

As for the show .- they will make it a success, I believe now and even if it won't put any big jewels in his crown, he will have fun doing it and get away unscared if not better.

Totally agree with everything you say above.

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 3:31 pm

What I admire and respect is, that he stays absolutely true to himself in the midst of all that circus. Maybe it be smart careerwise or not, this is rare and at the end of the day, he can look in the mirror and not be ashamed of himself. I believe, this counts for a lot.

Sylvia's girl · Post by **Sylvia's girl** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 3:52 pm

Germangirl wrote:As regarding to Jenifer - Pam, when are you going? Wasn't it early October?
Jenifer, for how do you stay. Meeting up with Pam would be great, because she always gets her pics and whatnot She is a pro.

I think Pam is going on Sat 12th.

tampa · Post by **tampa** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Germangirl wrote:What I admire and respect is, that he stays absolutely true to himself in the midst of all that circus. Maybe it be smart careerwise or not, this is rare and at the end of the day, he can look in the mirror and not be ashamed of himself. I believe, this counts for a lot.

My big problem with his choices to not work at all in film for years, and take a small role on stage, is that he spent 20 years of his life building this career. The important thing is to get great roles. They do not have to be big deal roles in big films, they can even be supporting roles. But they should be potent roles that show his power, his intensity, his unique talents as an actor. THIS stage role ain't one of those roles. The Jerry role IS, and he threw it away, and this choice is coming in the middle of virtually a totally stand still on film roles for years. The choices to not work in film for years, and then to do a meh role on stage are not the kind of choices that enhance your reputation as an actor.

He is wasting what few years he may have left to get important, challenging roles. There is too much competition from A listers, and he seems to have decided to simply not compete. If he does nothing, he will have nothing on his resume when his career is done to show what he could have done during these lost years. Worse, he's going to be left with nothing substantial but Bond on his resume for 10+ years, and to decreasingly less impact as an actual acting effort. He's reducing himself to an action film star. Coming off of SF gave him great clout. He didn't use it. Having a happy marriage does not require you stop working for years or be the prop in a small, meh role to fill seats for your wife's big stage role. They could have done a ton of plays that BOTH of them had big challenging roles in.