Another newbie checking in...Sarah (Dakota Celt) pointed me in the right direction.
Okay, so I finally found a few consecutive minutes this week to actually sit and watch 'Deceit.' What can I say beyond: WOW.
My first reaction upon opening the dvd was what a professional job had been done putting it all together. I mean, I was really impressed by that. It looked like it belonged on the Blockbuster shelf along with so many other major productions! I have dvds gathering dust on my shelf that are not nearly as impressive.
As far as the actual show, I was also pleasantly surprised. I thought the lighting, sound and makeup were all quite good. The staging was effective, and the music was chillingly appropriate, although if I let it run too long at the beginning, I'm convinced I could be led to murder, myself...
I must confess that I have always preferred Matt as Jack Deveraux, so this was a real departure for me, for sure. This character was positively creepy in comparison, but still Matt brought a charm to Michael that could not be denied. Having followed the reviews, columns, etc. since the play opened, I was pleasantly impressed that the faux accent I was expecting really did come across as a slight 'lilt' as Bruce Kimmel wanted it to be. Maybe that took some doing, but for this performance, it was right on. I also enjoyed on the commentary when Matt gave his spin on that--that the character was a bit ostentatious in nature. Made perfect sense.
I pretty much 'got' Tammy's performance on my own, but it was good to listen to the commentary and understand it that much more clearly. I would have been intrigued to have seen 'the other actor' in the role, for all we heard along the way (and for comparison purposes), but Bruce made the role his own, and the dynamics between the characters really worked.
The play itself was captivating! Thrillers are not my usual genre, but I admit to LOVING old Hitchcock films, and this hearkened back to the likes of those. I didn't find the twists and turns to be as much of a shock. Maybe I was expecting them a bit too much, having heard things along the way, but it was still a great story.
I enjoyed the fact that there was a nice mix of horror and humor, something I don't suppose is all that easy to achieve. One minute I was riveted watching Michael's cool and deliberate clean up, and then just minutes later, his quips had me laughing out loud.
I was pleased that I figured out who Anthony Cooper was, although I confess I didn't have the time to get the significance of that name until it was already being explained. I found that clever (love anagrams). I appreciated the snappy dialogue and the use of some rather impressive verbage along the way--something that always intrigues me.
I thought (predictably, for a Matt fan) that Matt stole the show. His showmanship is remarkable, but I thought that Tammy carried her part quite nicely and Bruce did a fine job, as well.
For any who have not yet watched it yet, I would definitely suggest to put it on the required summer viewing list! And for an East Coast Jersey girl who would never have had the chance to come SEE the play, having it available on dvd was a wonderful treat! Many thanks to Bruce and the crew for making this possible!
Di...of the New Jersey Dianes...