September 26, 2008

'Naked Harry Potter' gets raves in 'Equus' on Broadway

The revival of the unsettling psycho-drama “Equus” opened on Broadway last night and almost every theater critic from here to London weighed in with a review of play, probably for no other reason than it features a naked Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe.

Mostly, the critics rave about Radcliffe’s performance and that of Tony winner Richard Griffiths, but the play itself, written by Peter Shaffer and first staged on Broadway in 1973, suffers a few knocks.

“Equus” plays the Broadhurst Theatre at 235 W. 44th St., (map, through February 8. Regular tickets are priced from $61.50 to $116.50, with variances for matinees, and Friday and Saturday nights. On-stage (side-view) seating is priced at $76.50 and $116.50. Premium seats are $251.50 and $301.50.

A sample of the reviews:

Associated Press - “Let’s get to the reason you folks bought tickets: Daniel Radcliffe in the nude. And yes, he can act on stage — quite well, it turns out.”

Variety - “But in his impressive debut in a major stage role, as the disturbed adolescent in “Equus,” Daniel Radcliffe significantly helps overcome the fact that Peter Shaffer’s 1975 Tony winner doesn’t entirely hold up. The play is an astute career move for the “Harry Potter” frontman as he confidently navigates the transition from child stardom to adult roles — and Radcliffe’s performance provides “Equus” with a raw emotional nerve center that renders secondary any concerns about its wonky and over-explanatory psychology. “

New York Times - “There’s no question that “Equus” has dated, particularly in its presentation of psychiatric investigations (something Mr. Shaffer humbly admits in a program note). But taking it too seriously may not be the best way to serve it in revival. This version had no crackling artificial fire to match the annoying smoke that kept rising through the stage floor. And as much as I admired the sensitivity and intelligence of Mr. Griffiths’s and Mr. Radcliffe’s performances, this revival might have been better off if everyone had just gone for the Gothic.”

Post - “His acting, beautifully understated and withdrawn, has just the right manner for this horribly mixed-up adolescent, at the prey of a wayward religiosity and a twisted sexuality cemented together with suburban hypocrisy.”

Newsday - “Well, he’s the real thing. He may be Harry Potter to the rest of the world. But for almost three hours on Broadway last night, Daniel Radcliffe, 19, quietly transfigured himself from adorable boy wizard to horrifically unstable teen stable boy - and, in the process, bravely established himself as a smart, intense, wildly serious stage talent.”

amNewYork - “Ever since it was first announced that 19-year-old ” Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe would play Alan Strang, the mild-mannered but tormented stable boy of Peter Shaffer’s intensely psychological, wildly theatrical drama “Equus,” a multitude of stupid jokes have been thrown around with regard to the play’s ten-minute, full-frontal nude scene. Our favorite had to be the one about “Harry Potter’s magic wand.” Now that we’ve gotten that out of our system, let’s cut to the chase. Does Mr. Radcliffe have what it takes to play Broadway? Absolutely.”

Hollywood Reporter - “For most theatergoers, the immediate subject of interest for this production — which has been imported here after a hit London run — will be how Daniel Radcliffe fares in his theatrical debut. The answer is, well enough. Playing Alan Strang, the tormented 17-year-old who commits the horrific crime of blinding six horses, the young actor displays a confident physical presence — all too necessary, considering the length of his Act 2 nude scene — and intensity. But he doesn’t quite manage to fully plumb the disturbed depths of the character, as Peter Firth did so brilliantly in the original production and 1977 film version.”

Daily News - “Yes, he’s terrific and gives a passionate performance as Alan Strang, the 17-year-old stable hand who worships - and blinds - six horses. Yes, he’s nude in a scene, but not gratuitously. And yes, he’s (at least partially) in good company in the revival of Peter Shaffer’s play, which intrigues but shows its age. “

Wall Street Journal - “Though Mr. Radcliffe has no previous stage experience, he more than holds his own opposite Richard Griffiths, the real star of “Equus,” who is known to “Harry Potter” buffs as Uncle Vernon and to theatergoers as the tortured schoolmaster of “The History Boys.”“

Bloomberg - “This said, we get a production that is a sight for sore eyes and susceptible ears. Radcliffe’s Alan is compelling proof that there is life after wizardry: he quells and quakes, adores horses and provokes humans with equal proficiency and looks great disrobed. Ditto for Anna Camp, fine actress and pert looker, who plays Jill, the girl who tries to seduce Alan, with disastrous results.”

Boston Globe - “Yes, as you’ve probably heard, in “Equus” you can see a movie star naked. But you can also see something far more interesting: the bared psyche of a genuine actor.”

NY1 - “t’s hard to match the exhilaration that greeted the original production. But this powerful revival still manages to stir a level of passion that only live theater can evoke.”

Sun - “Unlike those other “wise fool” entries, however, “Equus” focused less on the fool’s wisdom and more on the wise man’s folly. Mr. Shaffer’s oddly compelling ode to atavism, directed here a bit too flashily by Thea Sharrock, features as its narrator not the damaged Alan Strang (Daniel Radcliffe, better known as Harry Potter) but rather Martin Dysart (Richard Griffiths), the psychiatrist to whose care he has been entrusted. The 17-year-old who works part-time at a stable in southern England has savagely blinded six horses; Dysart has been asked to find out why.”

Hartford Courant - “But the nudity is not the only reason for calling Radcliffe’s acting courageous. He must be admired for tackling this difficult role and for transforming himself into a sullen, troubled, angry stable boy who blinds the horses”

USA Today - “But the most sensually evocative moments involve the horses, played by a group of fittingly studly men led by Lorenzo Pisoni as Alan’s favorite, Nugget. Sporting leather-and-aluminum helmets, mimicking equine elegance via Fin Walker’s robust choreography, they are hypnotic, haunting figures, more beautiful and ominous than any phrase in the script.”

September 26, 2008 7:46 AM in Broadway, Midtown

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