After being absent for a few days, Scarlett Johansson returned to play the role of Maggie in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. On her first night back, she noticed Meryl Streep sitting in the front row. Other famous personalities such as Jessica Lange, Anna Wintour, and Kelly Reilly were also present. It is not uncommon to spot Oscar and Tony winners, as well as famous writers and directors, among the audience at plays in New York.
Upon further reflection, I’ve realized that my admiration mainly goes towards Meryl. I appreciate how she remains seated during intermissions to avoid drawing too much attention. And it brings me joy to witness her laughter in response to something funny.
Smoking hot: Scarlett Johansson has made her comeback as the steamy Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It was definitely amusing when Scarlett’s character called some misbehaving children off-stage “little devils.” Her delivery of the line was so enjoyable that it left me tickled as well.
Meryl and I were completely absorbed by the intense confrontations between Scarlett and Benjamin Walker, who played Maggie’s “crippled” husband Brick, and the second act session between Brick and Big Daddy, played by Ciaran Hinds. The Tennessee Williams play is currently in previews at the Richard Rodgers Theatre and is still being refined before it is shown to critics over the weekend and early next week.
Maggie the Cat is an amazing role, and I remember seeing Elizabeth Taylor in the film when I was young and never understanding why Paul Newman, as the drunken Brick, didn’t desire her. Of course, I now know the answer, and as the play’s director Rob Ashford has said, “There are no happy endings for those two.” However, Scarlett and Benjamin Walker both look great, and you can see why Maggie desperately clings to the hope that Brick might stay sober for just one night so they can hook up. The heartbreak is that Scarlett’s Maggie knows, deep down, the truth of their situation.
It is worth mentioning that Walker is Meryl’s son-in-law as he is married to her daughter, Mamie Gummer. On Tuesday night, she was also present in the stalls along with Dad Don Gummer and other family members and friends to watch the play Peter and Alice. The play depicts the meeting of Alice Liddell Hargreaves, who inspired Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Llewelyn Davies, who was the foundation for J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, at the opening of a Lewis Carroll exhibition in London in 1932. Director Michael Grandage expressed his delight about Judy’s excitement to be part of the play and meeting the rest of the cast. The Michael Grandage Company’s second offering, Peter and Alice, is produced by Grandage in partnership with James Bierman. The first offering, Privates On Parade featuring Simon Russell Beale, has received five-star reviews and is still on at Noel Coward. Grandage explained that Llewelyn Davies arranged the 1932 event and knew that he would meet the 80-year-old woman who was partly responsible for one of the most popular literary characters. He imagined what they would have talked about during their waiting period and came up with a conversation where they explored the parts of their childhood that remained with them as they grew up. Grandage has cast Olly Alexander as Peter Pan and Ruby Bentall as Alice in Wonderland. Nicholas Farrell will portray Carroll, and Derek Riddell will portray Barrie. Stefano Braschi will play various roles. Grandage said that the play is about how the real Peter and Alice dealt with public adoration since neither of them asked to become Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. Meanwhile, Sam Mendes is in talks with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson regarding directing Bond 24. The Oscar-winning filmmaker directed the hit Skyfall and had been hesitant about making another Bond film. Broccoli and Wilson have offered to set a start date for Bond 24 in 2014 instead of later this year, as intended.
Sam Mendes, known for directing the successful film Skyfall featuring Daniel Craig, is reportedly considering directing a project in 2014. This year, he will be focused on directing the musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which is currently in pre-production. The cast for the musical includes Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka, Nigel Planer and Myra Sands as Grandpa Joe and Grandma Georgina, Jack Shalloo and Alex Clatworthy as Charlie’s parents, Paul J. Medford as Mr. Beauregarde and Jaspa Ivir as Mrs. Gloop. Mendes and choreographer Peter Darling have assembled a talented cast of dancers to play the Oompa Loompas. Previews for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory begin on May 18th at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with opening night on June 25th. The decision to postpone Bond 24 until next year gives the producers more time to find high-quality actors to star alongside Daniel Craig and Ralph Fiennes.