Currently the Lincoln Center Festival is happening here in New York. Lincoln Center describes this festival as “an effort to look outside the Western European canon, to broaden notions of classicism by presenting classical works from other parts of the world.” Milton got us tickets to Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya as staged by the Sydney Theatre Company, a theater company run by Cate Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton.
Upton adapted Chekhov’s play and Tamás Ascher directed the terrific cast starring Blanchett as the ravishing Yelena. Hugo Weaving, and Jacki Weaver, who first came to our attention when we saw her in the film, Animal Kingdom, in 2010 are amongst her co-stars. Milton was certain that this limited ten-day run was going to garner rave reviews and would be a very tough ticket. He was right. This story about bleak love-starved bumblers spending summer together in a run down estate was both hilarious and sad. It’s not every day that I can declare misery so entertaining. Milton pronounced Blanchett’s performance, “Luminescent.” She is sensational on stage and I feel very fortunate to have finally seen her grace the boards.
The theater where this play is being performed is the cavernous New York City Center. It seats 2,750. I am quite sure that the entire brief run is sold out. We sat in the last row of the mezzanine, seats that were rather high and quite far from the stage. At intermission Milton announced:
Milton: We’re sitting so far away I don’t recognize anyone. Which one’s Jacki Weaver?
Me: Jacki’s the nanny. Cate’s the sexy blonde. Hugo Weaving’s the doctor.
Milton: Oh, that’s him? Good to know.
Even without knowing who was who, and seeing it from seats located in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, it was a brilliant production and very entertaining.
There were tiers of theater above and behind us. I think those sections were located upstate.
It is against theater policy to take photographs of the production, and we did not want to get kicked out. While waiting for me outside the theater Milton did take this gotcha shot of Tom Hanks with an unidentified female companion.
Tom Hanks pays the price of fame: Milton’s iPhone gotcha shot.
Odds are good that he sat considerably closer than us. When Milton was in the men’s room he noticed Bill Irwin at the urinal, but he resisted taking his picture. I’m sure there were other famous people in our audience, but since I emptied my bladder before leaving my garret, I did not scope out the women’s restroom.
Lame Adventures 
thank you for not snapping photos of ladies in the loo. much appreciated.
LikeLike
Yeah, we’re classy gotcha shot takers over here.
LikeLike
“Seats located in Englewood Cliffs”! Ha!
I love Hugo Weaving. I wish I had known about this play. Meh.
I wonder what would have happened if Milton had mimed something at Bill Hicks at the urinal.
LikeLike
Had Milton seen Bill Hicks at the urinal that would have been quite a ghost siting Weebs!
LikeLike
Dammit, I keep getting those two confused. Why do I always do that???
LikeLike
Because you’re the WordPress ghost whisperer?
LikeLike
Maybe. I’ll have to consult with Nostradamus on this.
LikeLike
Keep us posted on his feedback.
LikeLike
Oh man Tom hanks would have ridden the sweet train of international stardom smoothly if it weren’t for you meddling kids and your iPhone!
LikeLike
It was Milton’s fault, Mom!
LikeLike
Quite simply, and fundamentally, I love anything Chekhov has written. Even considering your view from Englewood Cliffs you were favored by the stars to be in attendance.
LikeLike
I was favored by Milton since he snagged those tickets almost the second they went on sale. It was his birthday gift to me. What a guy! As for the production, had you been there Samantha, I’m sure you would have been thoroughly entertained it was so spot on.
LikeLike
I know I would have loved it. And, for Milton, my birthday is Sept. 14, and then I might possibly have one Oct. 14 and Nov. 14; but, frankly, I’ve had too many as it is. I wouldn’t mind having them if I didn’t have to age.
LikeLike
38 would have been a nice cut off aging-wise over here even though I was stilling getting carded until 48. Seriously, WTF was that about? Now I’ve entered ma’am-hood. Don’t like that either.
LikeLike
NOW, when I go to the liquor store to buy my wine, the little man in the cash register says “Verify age.” What, like am I too OLD? I hate ma’am-hood, too.
LikeLike
That’s brilliant — too old!. A few weeks ago I met a 28-year-old friend for drinks after work. She gets carded frequently but I agree with Milton that she looks over 21. It’s ridiculous. Our waitress turned to me and said in a cheery affected tone, “I know you just turned 22!” It took all of my power of self control to resist quoting the Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer, “When I never nothing to say my lips are sealed.”
LikeLike
Affected. 🙂
LikeLike
Just your LA luck to have to sit in New Jersey! Hope you didn’t get a nose bleed.
Hugs,
Kathy
LikeLike
I have nose control Kathy.
LikeLike
Checkov. Love that bloke: almost English if he weren’t so damn Russian. Sounds like a must-see.
LikeLike
If Cate and her theater company ever play anywhere near your neck of the woods, even if she’s clad head to toe in a bear suit opposite some newcomer as Goldilocks, go see her. She is marvelous on the boards. I, too, love Chekhov. His stories transcend time but I’ve always been rather partial to misery.
LikeLike
Go Milton! I would still be fumbling for my phone like I did when 2 moose walked right in front of us while we waited in the ski lift line….
LikeLike
Two moose cut in front of you in the lift line? Were they wearing skies on all eight hooves? And you failed to take that shot? Now I’m very depressed.
LikeLike
It is depressing. No one would ever believe me…
LikeLike
HArd to imagine a theatre with over 2500 people watching!!
LikeLike
It’s a bit like an airplane hangar but with nice sightlines. If you’d like to know this theater’s history click here. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
LikeLike
That’s an interesting history. Some clever thinking to save the building. Glad they did. It’s beautiful. I am doubly glad that so many dance companies use this theater stage. I am a fan of both historical preservation and “the dance”, not to mention beautiful, ornate old theaters.
LikeLike
It’s a beautiful building that I’ve walked past several times never realizing that it was once a masonic temple even though it looks exactly like a temple. [Insert Homer Simpson saying, “D’oh!”] Milton thought it looked much nicer from whenever he was last there, so I’ll take his word that the renovation was a success. That was my first time there and I thought it was a lovely space with very comfy seats.
LikeLike
There’s a thought. Maybe Milton can start a spinoff from Your Lame Adventures blog. Maybe something along the lines of celebrity “privates” sightings from the restrooms of NYC’s theaters and watering holes. I would imagine that there are numerous copyright as well as decency laws that would serve as impediments, but inquiring minds probably would want to know. The logistics of public urinals pretty much guarantees that this site would be male only. Not sure that you could get the right angle from a stall for the female equivalent. But I’ll leave that one open to debate.
LikeLike
Milton does not harbor a death wish. I’m not a female stall stalker. Even Lame Adventures has standards … Or so we like to think.
LikeLike
Really believe nothing good could come of that plan, but the juxtaposition of Mr. Hanks’s photo and Milton’s near brush with fame just fired away in my brain and this is where the synapses took me. I blame Catholic school and the Sisters of St. Joseph. Yes, the very same patron saint of children’s aspirin who have been teaching at Springfield Cathedral HS since the late 1800s. Pre Deo et Pro Patria.
LikeLike
I cast a wide net and blame Catholic school for everything.
LikeLike
Can I get an “Amen” from the congregation?
LikeLike
They’re in hiding from their BMI’s.
LikeLike
Read your olympic’s post and resisted the urge to hit the link. The Paris trip was as expected: a gastronomic tour de force. Back to work today and back to salads.
LikeLike
I’ve been eating salads for a month solid — why I’m now unofficially Vietnamese. Did you take any pix in Paree?
LikeLike
Bride did. She left me this morning for 5 day bicoastal romp to see her favorite biotech companies. I will search out appropriate photos and try to send.
LikeLike
Cool. Is she out on the West Coast?
LikeLike
In the Olde Towne for 2 and then headed to Rainbow Central for the rest of the week.
LikeLike
Is that code for Boston and Mars?
LikeLike
That would be your old stomping grounds: San Francisco.
LikeLike
Thanks for the explanation for slow is me. I’ve been eating salad by the acre and laying off the sauce. I’m simply not myself until temperatures cool down.
LikeLike
Have hope dear LA woman as the autumnal splendor is right around the corner. I am feeling poetic today as I just jumped on Amazon to purchase 10 books/monographs for kid #1 (aka son) celebrating Irish and English poets for his British Lit class at USC. No, not that one, the one in Columbia, South Carolina. He’s in for an enlightening semester. Check out http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/engl/people/pages/madden.html.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing the link. Back in my zero-frills day all I ever knew about a course was its name and the name of whoever was teaching it. Times have changed for the better in this regard big-time. Are you aware of what Jeff Bezos was up to while you were in Paris last week? http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/amazons-founder-pledges-2-5-million-in-support-of-same-sex-marriage/?hpw Nice counterpunch to Chick-fil-A.
LikeLike
I will check it out thanks. That poor excuse for a restaurant is huge at USC. I will attempt to educate my son. Despite his general lack of social awareness he’s surprisingly tolerant of most everyone on the planet (except d-bags like the owner of said eating eatabliahment).
As a HS student he focused almost exclusively on wrestling, soccer, and drinking. Going into his junior year in Gamecock land the same apply if only a change in order. He did wrestle there his freshman year but now just works out like a demon in the weight room and on the track so his fondness for liquid gold doesn’t impact his waist line. The kid is in for a rude awakening once he hits 30 etc.
LikeLike
I rode the train into work this morning with several contestants for the Mr. Beer Belly America competition. Joy. A woman in my former place of employ loved raving about guys with six pack abs. This prompted my friend Martini Max to sing the praises of wash tub abs. That shut her up — once she stopped laughing.
LikeLike
Similarly my wife pointed out that while kid #1 had six pack abs, I had an entire keg.
LikeLike
Bit the bullet and went to link. Seems I belong in Fiji. So I have that going for me.
LikeLike
As long as you’re under the US that’s a good sign.
LikeLike
Dude. Milton rocks. 🙂
LikeLike
He does!
LikeLike