Home
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Celebrating diversity in our food supply
Making a strong case for communal approach to health
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Jane Fonda returns to Broadway after four decades
Source: Agencies |
March 10, 2009, Tuesday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
OSCAR-WINNING actress Jane Fonda opened on Broadway for the first time in 46 years yesterday, starring as a terminally ill academic researching the late work of Beethoven in the play "33 Variations."
An opening night audience at the Eugene O'Neill theater including Renee Zellweger, Dolly Parton, Geoffrey Rush and Rosie O'Donnell turned out to see the play, which was written and directed by Moises Kaufman.
"33 Variations," which co-stars Samantha Mathis and Colin Hanks, tells the story of Beethoven's fascination with a trivial waltz and modern-day musicologist Fonda's determination to ferret out the root of his obsession.
Fonda's troubled relationship with her daughter, played by Mathis, rounds out the plot as the two struggle with Fonda's battle against ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease.
The 71-year old actress, also known for her political activism, made her Broadway debut in the 1960 play "There Was a Little Girl" for which she earned a Tony Award nomination for best featured actress. Her last appearance on Broadway was in the 1963 drama "Strange Interlude."
Fonda, who won Academy Awards for her performances in "Klute" and "Coming Home," was rewarded on Monday with an enthusiastic standing ovation.
Many attending the performance commented that Fonda had given a solid, naturalistic performance, if somewhat lacking in projection at times, especially as compared to more seasoned theater actors.
"She definitely is playing to the audience, not to a camera," said one woman during the play's intermission.
The New York Times lauded Fonda's "elegantly restrained" performance for its "layered crispness," finding far more to like in her acting than in the play itself, which it called "soggy" and "clunky."
An opening night audience at the Eugene O'Neill theater including Renee Zellweger, Dolly Parton, Geoffrey Rush and Rosie O'Donnell turned out to see the play, which was written and directed by Moises Kaufman.
"33 Variations," which co-stars Samantha Mathis and Colin Hanks, tells the story of Beethoven's fascination with a trivial waltz and modern-day musicologist Fonda's determination to ferret out the root of his obsession.
Fonda's troubled relationship with her daughter, played by Mathis, rounds out the plot as the two struggle with Fonda's battle against ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease.
The 71-year old actress, also known for her political activism, made her Broadway debut in the 1960 play "There Was a Little Girl" for which she earned a Tony Award nomination for best featured actress. Her last appearance on Broadway was in the 1963 drama "Strange Interlude."
Fonda, who won Academy Awards for her performances in "Klute" and "Coming Home," was rewarded on Monday with an enthusiastic standing ovation.
Many attending the performance commented that Fonda had given a solid, naturalistic performance, if somewhat lacking in projection at times, especially as compared to more seasoned theater actors.
"She definitely is playing to the audience, not to a camera," said one woman during the play's intermission.
The New York Times lauded Fonda's "elegantly restrained" performance for its "layered crispness," finding far more to like in her acting than in the play itself, which it called "soggy" and "clunky."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
