This is a recording of a performance of Romeo and Juliet on Broadway, and so must be approached with the mindset of someone attending the theatre, rather than the realism-obsessed eyes of the movie-goer. This is not an adaptation of Shakespeare's play; it is a performance of Shakespeare's play.
And what a delightful performance! The actors deliver their lines carefully but with an easy casual grace which brings the meaning out. The balcony scene in particular sparkles; both Bloom and Rashad, but especially Rashad, perform it with giddy excitement and exuberance.
The musical accompaniment, featuring a cello, is effective and inventive. The direction keeps the pace of the play moving at a breakneck speed, as it should. Cuts have been made, especially at the end, to keep the show close to the "two hours' traffic of our stage", and the audience is given no chance to get bored.
The only real downside for me was the performance of Brent Carver as Friar Lawrence. I could not help myself from yawning every time he spoke; he rattled off his lines, and frequently left no impression of their meaning.
And what a delightful performance! The actors deliver their lines carefully but with an easy casual grace which brings the meaning out. The balcony scene in particular sparkles; both Bloom and Rashad, but especially Rashad, perform it with giddy excitement and exuberance.
The musical accompaniment, featuring a cello, is effective and inventive. The direction keeps the pace of the play moving at a breakneck speed, as it should. Cuts have been made, especially at the end, to keep the show close to the "two hours' traffic of our stage", and the audience is given no chance to get bored.
The only real downside for me was the performance of Brent Carver as Friar Lawrence. I could not help myself from yawning every time he spoke; he rattled off his lines, and frequently left no impression of their meaning.