People Are Talking About…”The Habit of Art”
Posted: 5/9/10 -- 8:43 pm
by Sara Billmann
UMS, in partnership with the Michigan Theater, brought three “live broadcasts” (well, delayed broadcasts) to Ann Arbor by the National Theatre of London, culminating with Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art.
Let us know what you think — about the production, about how live theater translates to the movie screen, about the pre-curtain discussion or intermission interviews.
Sara Billmann has served as UMS's Director of Marketing & Communications since 1996. A former UMS intern, she celebrates her 20th UMS season this year.
about 4 days ago 
about 7 days ago 
Loved it! I hope that you carry more National Theatre performances.
Abigail Hohner
Ami and I LOVED it. The play was terrific, the gathering of a wide variety of Ann Arborites a lot of fun. We hope you'll bring next year's National Theater in HD to us as well. Prue Rosenthal
Prue Rosenthal
This was great! I agree with the 3 respondents thus far. I wonder whether "encore" performances are possible for prior National Theatre transmissions not yet shown in Ann Arbor.
Bernie Agranoff
Thanks for your comment, Bernie. Unfortunately, the National Theatre isn't offering "encore" performances that way the Met Opera does — at least not yet! We'll certainly let you know if that changes — we're all disappointed that we missed last season's "Phedre" with Helen Mirren!
Sara Billmann, UMS
Sara Billmann, UMS
It was a great evening. There is something special about London theater, particularly the non-musical presentations. I think UMS presenting these productions adds much to Ann Arbor and serves as a yardstick for local theater groups. Will we be showing the 5th. one in the series (London Assurance)?
David Herzig
Thanks for your message, David. We're still exploring whether we will be able to show the fifth one in the series (London Assurance), but it doesn't look promising. There's a very limited window of dates in July for the delayed transmissions, and with Summer Festival and Art Fair (not to mention the 4th of July holiday weekend), we're not sure we'll be able to make it happen. If it does, we'll be sure to post it on the UMS Lobby, so stay tuned.
Sara Billmann, UMS
Sara Billmann, UMS
We departed London the day Habit of Art opened. We actually considered delaying our trip home. To have been able to see this original cast performance across the pond is a thrill I never anticipated. Thanks to UMS and the National Theatre. Simon Russell Beale is one of the strongest UK stage actors and I hope we will be fortunate enough to London Assurance this summer. Isn't it great to be living in these times!?
Gail Reed
Thanks for bringing this to us – please keep on with these productions. They are a wonderful opportunity. Did I see that War Horse may be coming next year?
So far as the actual play last night was concerned, I have to admit to having been a little disappointed. Perhaps my expectations were just too high: Britten, Auden and Bennett have been three of my favorite people for about fifty years and, while the humor was great (how could it not be, with Bennett the playwright?) I am still having difficulty integrating last night's Britten and Auden with my friends of all these years (and No, I wasn't shocked; just unconvinced)! That's all right. Theater is supposed to shake us up. It was certainly an experience I would hate to have missed.
Angela Williams
My husband and I loved the whole evening – such fun to find ourselves laughing along with the London audience – and that added another layer of reality to the multiple fascinating layers in the play. The play was so packed with ideas about the challenges of being a creative person and how that manifests in poets, musicians, actors, playwrights,directors, and on and on. (Though we thought, as did the actor playing Auden, that the ending was a bit weak and didactic.) We had a wonderful time "unpacking" the ideas all the way home. ( A longish drive for us.) Please bring us more. I will always prefer live theatre where the camera isn't directing my eyes. But what an incredible opportunity to see a play and a cast of this caliber when it would otherwise have been impossible for us. Thanks so much.
Cam Mannino
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