Loving the West End

So life in London is pretty expensive. Although apparently the exchange rate for the pound is dropping rapidly, which can only mean good things for my bank account. But I decided that while I am here in London, the one thing that I will splurge on is seeing plays and musicals. The theatre scene here in London is absolutely amazing! I've been to so many great shows already (Nation, Legally Blonde) and am really looking forward to taking my Intro to London Theatre class during the second half of the semester.
One of the best parts about London theatre is that so many famous actors are in plays here--Kiera Knightley and Ian MacKellan, to name a few. The other night, Dan and Megan and I impulsively bought tickets to see Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, starring none other than the famous James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad (the mom from The Cosby Show), and Sanaa Lathan (the girl from that movie "Love and Basketball"--Julie, you know what I'm talking about ;). I didn't know anything about the play (besides the fact that Dan is obsessed with it, haha), but when Dan found tickets for 12 pounds and I saw who was in it, I couldn't say no.
The night got off to a great start when our 12-pound tickets in the second to last row of the highest balcony got upgraded to the tenth row in the beautiful Novello Theatre. The West End (London's version of Broadway) production of this show is a little different, because it is an all-black cast, which is not how Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is usually staged. Big Daddy, the main character, is supposed to be a powerful plantation owner in the early 20th century, so it seemed a little historically inaccurate, but it is a ground breaking show.
The show tells the story of a powerful Southern family whose partriarch is dying of cancer, which is Big Daddy, James Earl Jones' character. The problem is that he doesn't know he is dying of cancer and there is all sorts of other family dysfunction going on as his sons and daughters-in-law scheme to get his money once he is gone. The show takes place on one set, in the same room, so there is a lot of dialogue. But the actors were all so amazing; I couldn't believe I actually got to see them in person! Jones and Rashad were so impressive--I expected to hear Darth Vader's voice and see Mrs. Cosby on the stage, but they completely transformed into these characters. Big Daddy is pretty cruel to Rashad's character, Big Momma, but once he realizes he is dying, he shapes up a bit. My favorite part was close to the very end, when he stopped being all gruff and cranky and let her hold his hand. But that was as close to a Disney-esque happy ending that the show got. Williams leaves the question of the inheritance open-ended and then there was Big Daddy's son Brick, who may or may not be gay (I think yes, Dan disagrees, haha). None of the loose ends were tied up, but Williams obviously did that for a reason. It reminded me of that Tolstoy quote about unhappy families each being unhappy in their own way. The family in this show was definitely dysfunctional, but isn't everyone dysfunctional sometimes? And not everything has a clear and simple resolution.
So despite the lack of a happy ending (which I am slowly learning doesn't have to be a bad thing), it was still a good show. And I also still don't think it has sunk in that I saw such famous and accomplished actors on stage, in person. Definitely a night to remember.