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Friday, June 8, 2012

Report Card---"The Lyons"

This is the last Broadway Report Card before the Tony Awards.

"The Lyons" is a play that I highly recommend.
It stars Linda Lavin, who is nominated for best actress, although the play is not.
Linda Lavin is great in this, and certainly deserves the nomination.
The play is not nominated, and I consider this criminal.
It's not quite as good as Clybourne Park", but nothing is.
"The Lyons" is a ball-busting and gut-busting comedy with a tremendous dramatic
underpinning.
It is about major family discord, dying, and keeping secrets.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Very much so.
A+.

Compelling even?

Quite often.
A+.

Is it good storytelling?
Excellent.
A+.

Is it well written?

The dialogue is first-rate.
A+.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well staged?

Yes to all three. Linda Lavin and Dick Latessa in particular are wonderful.
A+

Is it too long? Too short?

The length is perfect.
A+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Yes, and yes, tremendously on all counts.
A+.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Always surprising.
A+.

Is it worth the forty bucks I paid to get in?

Absolutely.
A+.

Is it controversial?

Somewhat.
A.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

There's what to mull over.
A.

Is it funny?

It is fucking hilarious.
A+.

Is it a story worth telling?

Yet even more.
A+.

Is it impressive ?

Highly.
A+


Overall grade: A.

I can't imagine why this wasn't at least nominated for best play.

More about Linda Lavin next time.

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My book,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or
Happy Days.
You might want to check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.


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1 comment:

  1. I've always thought Linda Lavin was a funny, talented woman. In fact, I think the whole cast of ALICE was funny and talented. Too bad the material they had to work with wasn't up to their level.

    ReplyDelete

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About Me

Hi. I am, according to my Wikipedia entry,(which I did not create) a noted television writer, playwright, screenwriter, and occasional actor. You can Google me or go to the IMDB to get my credits, and you can come here to get my opinions on things, which I'll try to express eloquently. Hopefully I'll succeed. You can also e-mail me at macchus999@aol.com. Perhaps my biggest claim to fame is being responsible, for about six months in 1975, while Head Writer for the "Happy Days" TV series, for Americans saying to each other "Sit on it."