Photo by Brigitte Lacombe
This week's pick for #ShowOfTheWeek is not an all-singing, all-dancing affair and certainly not for those who shy away from controversial, hard-hitting dramas. It is, however, a 90-minute acting master class from two of the finest actors of stage and screen that the United States has to offer. Concluding its limited engagement on the 11th June, our #ShowOfTheWeek is Blackbird at Broadway's Belasco Theatre.
Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams have both rightfully received Tony nominations for their portrayals of Ray and Una, respectively, and the production has also been given the nod for "Best Revival of a Play" in a hotly contested category which also includes the Roundabout Theatre Company's productions of Noises Off and Long Day's Journey Into Night, as well as Ivo van Hove's interpretations of Arthur Miller classics A View from the Bridge and The Crucible.
As I stood to join the standing ovation at the curtain call of the performance I attended at the Belasco Theatre, both Daniels and Williams looked emotionally drained and exhausted and I asked myself how these two performers keep going with such a devastating piece eight shows a week. The tale they tell over the course of the play sees the unraveling of two damaged individuals that share a deep connection that defies acceptable society norms. The portrayed encounter takes place in the offices where Ray works, when a now 27-year-old Una, confronts middle-aged Ray 15 years after a traumatic sexual affair. You do the math...
Williams should be commended for her skill as an actor as her well-rounded character evolves from confident, direct and aggressive to unstable, desperate and lost. Daniels should be given a medal for even taking on the role of Ray in the first place. He originally starred off-Broadway in a Manhattan Theatre Club production of Blackbird at New York City Center in 2007 and now returns to the role, himself nine years older. At times, you forget the harrowing fact that Una was just 12 years old when the affair was in full flow and you begin to ask yourself some uncomfortable questions - Is it ever OK to love a minor? Should the sole blame always land with the elder party? Regardless of your answers, the mere fact that we are posing these questions to ourselves is a testament to Daniels' shattering performance.
Click HERE to read our interview with Jeff Daniels.
Both these actors do not NEED to take on such roles and work so exhaustingly hard on the Broadway stage. They CHOOSE to do so and for that, I tip my hat in respect and appreciation. This is the most hard-hitting production of the season, and if that is your cup of tea, this is your last chance to see it.
Click here for tickets to Blackbird for performances through to 11 June 2016 at Broadway's Belasco Theatre.
Jeff Daniels & Michelle Williams in Blackbird More production photosOriginally published on