Pygmalion has had a few press releases in recent days. Playbill and Theatremania have announced the whole cast now so I feel more comfortable posting on here. Rehearsals start soon and I'm very eager to get in there are start slinging vowels with the best of them.

Consequently, in an odd twist of luck, I've been hired to help Kevin Kline work through the monsterous text of Cyrano De Bergerac. The script is still being edited and I've been given the task of assisting him with lines. We started last Sunday. He's very kind and has very interesting stories. From what I understand, the show was done recently in Ashland, Oregon in it's entirety (which is 5 acts and 175 pages) and this is not what the Broadway producers are intending. They are doing their best to cut it down to 2, maybe 2 and 1/2 hours. After reviewing the text, I think this is an excellent decision. Do we really need lines like

Our little alchemy,
Distilling civilized exquisitries -
Might it not, in its crass self-regard,
Volatize true feeling to the wind,
And, dripping wordlets, miss the one true word?

I feel like it's Leonce and Lena all over again.

- posted by Jono @ 9:34 AM