A Christmas Memory: Day Eighteen - Brian Bedford's The Importance of Being Earnest

Well, my dears! Just last night I made a grand, brand new Christmas memory! And it is one I will ALWAYS remember

I have seen a lot of plays in my life. Be they plain old fashioned plays or be they musicals, I go to the theater a LOT. The musicals I have seen more productions of than any other are GYPSY, CABARET and FORUM. The plays I have seen more productions of than any other are THE MOUSETRAP, BEYOND THERAPY and NOISES OFF.

And THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST.

I think it is the greatest play ever written. It is a perfect piece of theater. I have other favourites. THE LION IN WINTER. BURN THIS. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. But Earnest is like food. I can always eat. I can always see THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST.

I can't even remember all the times I have seen this show. They sort of all meld into one glorious experience for me. I remember parts of them. I remember that I found something to like in all of them, even the worst production. You see, even when it is a bad production, you can close your eyes and hear that glorious language. I remember seeing Jeanne Cairns as Lady Bracknell once and as Miss Prism another time. I remember the joy of seeing Lynn Redgrave as Lady Bracknell and Miriam Margolyes as her Miss Prism. I remember Terry McCracken as Lady Bracknell and I remember Stephanie Dunnam as Gendolyn Fairfax (to this day, hers is the best delivery of "detestable girl but I require tea!" I have ever seen). I have seen both film versions with Dames Evans and Dench. I have seen the play on stages large and small. ( I hear that Dames Maggie and Diana have played Bracknell but, alas, I did not see them. ) I have seen Lady Bracknell played by a man before (the wonderful Edward Hibbert whose "a handbag?" was delicious, unique and totally his own) and I tell you this, honestly:

I was not behind Brian Bedford playing this part.

The moment I read about this, it angered me. I thought about the women who complain about there being no decent parts for women and how it was wrong for a man to take this, one of the great parts for women. I thought it would be campy and ridiculous. I thought "well that's ok for regional theater; but not on Broadway." I had my nose so high up in the air about it that I could smell airplane exhaust. I was NOT behind it.

I was WRONG.

I. WAS. WRONG. So, so, so very wrong.

This is the greatest production of this play I have ever seen. It was, in many ways, like I was seeing it for the very first time. Every single actor is perfectly cast and perfectly directed. Each of them managed to surprise me with (at least) part of their performance. They showed me things in these characters that I had never seen before. They introduced me to the characters; in fact, I don't think I have EVER seen Algernon Moncrief before! This man, this Santino Fontana (who I have really enjoyed in other Broadway shows) is the BEST ... maybe the ONLY Algernon I have ever truly seen. And, truthfully, it was probably the best Jack I have ever seen, either. I mean, he was actually the right age! And he was GOOD! And the ladies were sublime (the fight scene! ohmygosh!) It was as though these actors had tapped into something undiscovered in these roles. It was as though Oscar Wilde had come back to life and was telling them all of his intent when creating them. Even the minor characters brought something new to the table! And I just want to say: Brian Bedford and Dana Ivey on the same stage. Dane Ivey and Paxton Whitehead on the same stage. Oh my Lord in heaven.

As a matter of fact, ther were moments when I felt like I was watching the very first production of the play. I felt, at times, that if I turned around and looked behind me, I would see Mr Wilde watching the show from the back of the house.

We were sitting in the very last row of the theater, in what people call The Nosebleeds. We were perfectly happy. From there I could see all the picture - the beautiful American Airlines Theater, the proscenium arch, the entire (gorgeous!) set AND the actor's faces! And (and this is a big and) I heard every word. I am hard of hearing. I missed a lot of RACE and found myself wondering if they teach actors to project anymore (we were in the sixth row). I did not miss one dangblame word of this play last night. It was directed to perfection, as a proscenium arch play should be. It was directed to perfection, as an Oscar Wilde play should be. The costumes took my breath away. The set was like a painting at times, like a music box at times and like a Boris Aronson set at others.

And Brian Bedford. Sigh of sighs, Brian Bedford. He was perfection. One of our friends who went with us, when told that was a man playing Lady Bracknell, got a confused look on her face and asked for clarification. She had no idea. It isn't played campy at all. He plays it completely straight and it works - every minute of it. In fact, I forgot it was Brian Bedford. I thought it was some old grand dame of the theater. Then I remembered. It is a grand dude of the theater!

Oh my heavens. I could ramble on and on about this but I won't. I think I already have.

I will pay this show my highest compliment.

I would pay to see it again.

And again.

And again.