Cyrano de Bergerac
Okay, it's a long show -- over three hours -- but Darko Tresnjak's staging and Patrick Page's commanding performance make the time fly. Everyone probably knows about his nose and how Cyrano became the 17th century equivalent of a "Renaissance Man," skilled and courageous in all things save his heart's desire. One of the fascinating aspects of Page's performance: where most Cyranos accentuate the positive - the panache, the swashbuckling, the Disney of it all -- Page faces the rift in the man head on. He admirably walks his own path but pays for being an absolute outsider (in a strange way, the hyperverbal, romantic Cyrano resembles Shakespeare's Coriolanus, who also excels at war and walls himself from intimacy). And the witty Roxane (a terrific Dana Green) pays as well. The Old Globe production unfolds like a pageant. Anna R. Oliver's splendid period outfits dazzle the eye, and Christopher R. Walker's sound merits special mention. When Page whispers, every word is clear. (Note: Cyrano runs in repertory at the Festival Stage.)
Critic's Pick
When
Ongoing until Sunday, September 27, 2009
Hours
| Sundays, 8pm |
| Tuesdays, 8pm |
| Wednesdays, 8pm |
| Thursdays, 8pm |
| Fridays, 8pm |
| Saturdays, 8pm |