Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test

The Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test is our personal and highly opinionated Commuter's Guide to New York theater and cultural events, with an emphasis on Broadway and Off-Broadway theatrical productions. The test is simple: is an event worth the always expensive, time consuming, and too often horrendous struggle to commute to New York City from New Jersey, Long Island, Upstate New York or Connecticut? Only truly great or near-great performances and productions may meet this stiff challenge!

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Location: Princeton, New Jersey, United States

James Camner is an antiquarian dealer of autographs, manuscripts and printed music and books of Opera, Classical Music, Theater, Dance, and Film, as well as a published author of more than 10 books on the performing arts including "How to Enjoy Opera" (Simon and Schuster), "The Great Opera Stars in Historic Photographs" (Dover), "Stars of American Musical Theater in Historic Photographs" (Dover - with Stanley Appelbaum); was for over 20 years a reviewer for Fanfare Magazine and has written feature articles and reviews for Opera News.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Cymbeline by William Shakespeare. Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont. Starring John Cullum, Michael Cerveris, Martha Plimpton, Phylicia Rashad; directed by Mark Lamos. Led by the wondrous Martha Plimpton as Imogen, the stirring Michael Cerveris as her husband Posthumus, dynamic Phylicia Rashad as the evil Queen, this is a magnificent production of a rarely performed Shakespeare play. Very much from the same mould as the even greater "Winter's Tale," "Cymbeline" is a play using Shakespeare's themes of jealousy, disappearances, revival, redemption and forgiveness. First among a cast of equals is Martha Plimpton. This is a performance that should put her in the pantheon with the greatest actresses to play Shakespeare. Phylicia Rashad is right there with Plimpton giving a deliciously evil portrayal. Mention should be made of the grand old veteran John Cullum who is an ideal King. I can't praise the scenery, costumes and the direction highly enough. It's an ideal production, with nary any gimmickry, or anachronistic devices. This memorable production merits our highest mark for the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test. A+

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