Incommunicado

Over two weeks, and not a peep from me, thanks to busyness and laziness and the ever-present feeling that damn, I'm in New York, and I should really be out and about seeing beloved friends as much as I can, and experiencing this city to the hilt on this salary. It's wearying, I tell you, to live the fabulous life I do.

This blog entry is brought to you courtesy of the HOTT Liev Schreiber, whom I just saw playing Macbeth in Central Park, partnered by Jennifer Ehle, she of BBC Pride and Prejudice fame, as Lady "Just Call Me OCD" Macbeth.

It's been at least a decade since I've read Macbeth, and I watched it with a pleasure that surprised even me. Part of it was the venue -- the Delacort Theatre is flanked by a pond and a weird castle thing on a hill, and it's completely outside (I amused myself briefly by thinking of the actors playing through in the rain, as it did sprinkle a bit during the day -- as that would mean my own personal soaking, I am glad it a remained dry). The theatre is in the middle of Central Park, perhaps listing a bit toward the western edge, and I walked there from Madison Avenue after a day of doing zero hours of work. That in itself is a little depressing in its way. But the velvety grass and the people playing frisby and soccer and softball, and the whispering trees and the kind face of the parks service guy who directed me toward the theatre did much to soothe the weary corporate, citified soul.

Mighty Big Firm had dinner for us backstage, overlooking said pond and up at said castle-y thing, and it was pleasant, though I would have enjoyed it more, of course, with friends. Just being outside in the warm but not too warm summer evening, in the park, with a beer and picnic food, was lovely.

I was disappointed by Ehle's Lady M -- I imagine a steely, chilly Lady M, and Ehle was a touch too breathy and emotive in her reading of the lines. When I think of Lady M, I think of Laura Bush (funny, I thought of her first and Hillary Clinton second). Can't you imagine her being all strong and pulled together, but then slowly unraveling under the weight of a guilty conscience? (Maybe that's why I thought of her first - I don't think Hillary would unravel. Not to rag on the Hill or anything -- I actually like her.)

But Liev Schreiber -- dear lord, the man is insanely hot, and an amazing actor to boot. He played Macbeth a little weepily for my taste, but got the underlying terror just right, as well as the tragic sense that he could have had a perfectly beautiful life had those damn witches minded their own business. Speaking of which, I don't remember the words with which the play actually ends, but I think they were altered to convey a strong message of anti-war sentiment -- the witches (called "weird sisters" in the playbill -- was that in the play? I don't remember so) at the end circle around Malcolm and ask, "When shall we three meet again?" And the stage goes black. Nice touch.

You know, I saw Sweeney Todd earlier this summer, and didn't enjoy it half as much as tonight's performance. A preference for plays over musical theatre? Maybe. The Liev factor? Quite possibly. Whatever the reason, I loved it.