The Glass Menagerie

Saturday, October 12 (matinee - 2pm).

If you've spoken to me personally since I saw this show, you know how I feel about it. This production was the best play I have ever seen in my life outside of a few things I saw in London. It was absolutely mind blowingly (not a word, yes I am aware) amazing. I've read the play a few times before, but never really had a good grasp on it until seeing the action play out onstage.

First of all, I predict this season will be pretty epic for male leads in revivals of plays, and the Tony category will be stacked in June -- think Mark Rylance, Ian McClellan, Patrick Stewart, Daniel Craig. But if Zachary Quinto doesn't at least get nominated for his portrayal of Tom, my faith in theater will be lost. Actually though, this is a career defining for him. He was unbelievable. Stunning. Brilliant. Fabulous. A joy to watch. And it wasn't just how he spoke or how he moved, it was everything. The entire package. Every minute he wasn't onstage I found myself wishing he was. I was enthralled by how he moved, not just the choreographed movement, but just how he walked around. It was fluid and remarkable.

Celia Keenan-Bolger's first entrance and last exit was stunning and surprising. There was a collective gasp from the audience when she appeared. As always, she was perfect. I often marvel at how she plays young characters so well. Laura is an extremely sympathetic character and Celia's Laura was so easy to relate to it felt like I had known her my entire life. Cherry Jones was wonderful as well and it was clear the audience enjoyed her immensely. We laughed when she appeared in an extravagant dress, and the true beauty of her relationship with her children brought the audience to sniffles.

The Gentleman Caller was portrayed to perfection by Brian J. Smith. I had actually completely forgotten what ends up happening with his character so by the end of his big moment with Laura I was dying a little inside. He was a joy to watch, and he played the part with a hint of melancholy that could be felt from the last row of the mezzanine (where I was sitting).

The lighting and sound design were characters in their own right. I was mesmerized by the lights. And the set was... stunning. It was so simply yet so complicated. Everything worked together perfectly to create an absolutely magical performance.

This production is one of those shows that I will remember experiencing for the rest of my life. Go see it ASAP. They just extended until February 23. No excuses.