James Earl Jones in The Best Man, Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, New York
Now I love film, but I also love theatre. I started doing community theatre in 1997 as a page turner for the pianist in a little play called "Little Shop of Horrors." I still love the theatre even though I do puppet shows out of my house now for my twin daughters, Sophie and Audrey (who are two and they think I'm awesome). What I didn't know back in 1997 was that I would be living in the same town James Earl Jones calls home-I think that's awesome! Recently, in The Week mmagazine (I always thumb to the "Review of reviews: Stage" first and then maybe national news, blah, blah, blah) our local stage and film veteran actor, local Pawling resident James Earl Jones, was hailed for his performance in The Best Man.
What caught my eye was Angela Lansbury and Mr. Jones's stellar review. Charles Irshwood in The New York Times says that Lansbury, playing a steely party operative, "makes every moment of her stage time count"-as does James Earl Jones. Even though Jones is an odd choice to play an ex-president in the pre-civil rights era, the actor "digs into his role with a relish you can surely sense from the back row."
This makes me want to make the hour and 20 minute hike to Broadway right now. Never mind, stalking him in Pawling at the local Quickmart, I guess I'll have to settle for seeing him act on the great big stage they call Broadway row. Mr. Jones we're proud of you. Your having a good year.
