Listen to Jane Fonda and Moisés Kaufman on “Times Talks” discuss the play.
Courtesy of PlaybillRadio.com
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Click the poster or here to purchase tickets.
For More information please visit the Official 33 Variations Web Site
My First Broadway Play in 45 Years
A mother coming to terms with her daughter. A composer coming to terms with his genius. And, even though they’re separated by 200 years, these two people share an obsession that might, even just for a moment, make time stand still.
Two-time Oscar winner JANE FONDA heads a remarkable cast in the new play written and directed by MOISÉS KAUFMAN, author of The Laramie Project and director of I Am My Own Wife. Drama, memory and music combine to transport you from present-day New York to 19th-century Austria, in this extraordinary new American play about passion, parenthood and the moments of beauty that can transform a life.
Amy
We’ve got a 13-year old piano player we’re thinking about bringing to the show. Is it age-appropriate?
james
Hello. The answer is yes
Nadine
Hi Jane;
Saw the show the first night of previews. I thought that you were superb and that the show was wonderful theater.
Wm. Preskill
I read the NYT article today and am looking forward to seeing the play. You ask what is with the character’s obsession with Beethoven. I have noticed that people that are crazy about him relate to his magnificent obssesion. Beethoven is all about the intoxicating heroic nature of what was then the new idea of personal freedom, individual accomplishment, transcendent of Church, class,…sort of his attempt to will into reality or sculpt a vision of humanity that was potentially heroic in an era when 95% of people lived just slightly better than slaves. He took what he heard from Bach focused it on an almost mystical vision of people. Maybe his deafness allowed him to have such a focused obsessed vision. Maybe your character is similarly obsessed with something ephemeral. Cheers and good luck.
Sam
Jane I saw all your films, caught 33 Variations on Sunday Feb 22, it was great seeing you in such a fasinating role, an excellent performance & one of your best roles, do you plan on making this production into a film? That would be major event. Sam
Matthew DeCoster
I’m confused as to the last day of the show. On the blog, due do an interview, the date is reported as May 21st. Isn’t Jane’s final performance on May 24th?
Jason Baptiste - I'm the son of Phil Phillips -"SEA OF LOVE" original composer
Here’s a very special unique poem that I’ve written and composed now for you Ms. Jane Fonda dearly and along with an inserted letter followed below.
GLASS FLUTE
When you tear my whispers
While crossing the rosy winds
My eyes sparkled like colorful fruits
Then you spoke with an actor’s note
And questioned my movement orally
But did you know I melted in your cute
Tutor me pricelessly and share a memory with me
Lift me up high in an envisioned parachute
As I’ve requested residing in your golden glass flute
Wren-tagged (Written) and coon-posed (Composed) by Jason Baptiste* To: Mss. Jane Fonda on Sunday, August16, 2009 at 1030 hrs (Evolving Poetry, Inc 3000 Century)
Ms. Jane Fonda, I’ve always been a true fan of yours and what you dearly believe in about having perfect health! You are that golden pollen that fertilizes the earth miraculously as to energize and motivate those that are innocently hopeless. I’m probably going to get chewed out strongly by you later for printing all of this in your commentary spot. But it’s worth every bit if it’s by lovely beautiful magnificent wonderful you Jane. And about the flick you’ll to be acting in, I dig your ideas. I have a lot to say about it all wonderfully, but not here in your commentary today. I will add something about you possibly writing a book about “Aging” requested by Random House – The Third Act – ENTERING PRIME TIME, and Complete Workout & Stress Reduction Program and also Jane Fonda Collection: Complete Personal Trainer Series – Low Impact Aerobics and Stretch; Abs, Buns & Thighs; Total Body Sculpting. Yes, I am the perfect physically fit appropriate person gentleman to share my opinion favorably, because I actually have tried your physical workout ideas before and the results are indisputably excellent. Yes, I would be a perfect gentleman role model for what you are trying to convey to the public. I’ve tried it and often still use your brilliant ideas wondrously, Jane. And by the way you look marvelous and gorgeously beautiful evolving even age, HOW DO YOU DO IT GIRL?! Explain that please? Yes?! J Wait till I reveal and share with you about the time when I had hibernated in a unique grizzly bear cave for 66 days eating nothing but drinking honey from a bee hive inside the cave near the bat area and sipping mineral water dripping from the caves inner walls and then again the following year for 77 days and gotten accepted by the grizzly bears inside with no harm done to me whatsoever. Yea, it was quite an experience that I shall convey to the world one day if ever become discovered either by you or Oprah Winfrey, or possibly by some other source miraculously.
NOTE: My father is Philip Baptiste a.k.a. “Phil Phillips”. My father is a golden unique musical living legend that is the original lyric composer and writer and music producer and performer of the golden legendary love ballad Rock & Roll 1950’s song title “Sea of Love”, like in the movie “SEA OF LOVE” with actors Al Pancino & Ellen Barklin, and in the movie “JUNO” by singer Cat Power, and also Robert Plant with his band the Honey Drippers, and many others, etc, and recently dad have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Music Hall Of Fame twice in two years back-to-back. You can view him at http://www.myspace.com/ThePhilPhillips
My baby brother is Rabbi Baptiste a.k.a. “Jazzy Razz” http://www.myspace.com/RabbiBaptiste he is an incredible actor in Hollywood that’s been in all sorts of flicks including the television hit show “Hannah Montana” and he’s been trying to land a main role as a leading actor, and then there is my other very multitalented brother that’s one of the worlds all time top professional amazing drum specialist Israel Baptiste and he’s at http://www.myspace.com/RietiseBaptiste I also have a baby sister who has a bachelor degree in acting, screen play writing, theatrical stage acting, and producing and directing movies, etc. We are a very talented and superbly well gifted family, Ms. Fonda. My siblings & I lost our musical break when we were very young on the day Elvis Presley died. Elvis had chatted with our dad Phil Phillips the night before his passing for dad to come over to visit him so he could assist in making my siblings and me musical super stars. But when dad was driving from Louisiana to Tenn. he heard from the radio in his vehicle Elvis just passed away. This has been a tragic memory in our family lives for decades now. I think to my knowledge back then 9 months later or so the Jackson 5’s gotten their immediate music stardom break blessedly. Amy Carter (President Carter’s daughter) has our 1976 Bicentennial 45 albums still probably that I sent to her back then when we were popular young musicians following in our father’s footsteps zestfully. We would like for Oprah to do a special show on our dad Phil Phillips before he passes away too. He’s retired and suffering with R. Arthritis. If you have any remedies for that, please share richly Ms. Jane Fonda.
Also I’ve written a beautiful priceless letter for Ms. Oprah Winfrey herein below, but haven’t been able to get it in her hands though. It would be a wonderful dream come true to our entire Baptiste family to blessedly find out that Oprah actually have received the letter and poem herein below by you Ms. Jane Fonda, and also if she actually contacts us somehow or another. Wow that would be so astonishingly and super miraculously wonderful!
Here’s the actual letter and unique poem I’ve written below for Ms. Oprah Winfrey:
You are a priceless genuine rosy superbly pollinated Golden Butterfly, Lady Oprah! As I’ve indisputably inherited many priceless golden titles such as “Golden”, and also “Miraculous Golden Poet”, and “The Poet Unique”, I still haven’t yet miraculously inherited perfect whispering and whistling golden unique words to describe your comforting golden essence. But, I’ve wren-tagged and coon-posed so many varieties of wonderful poems about your appropriate noble character and intellectual brilliancy, Oprah. The Earth had instantly upgraded its golden unique logic when you had appeared inside your mommy’s rosy floral oven! Here’s the closes I’ve gotten to identify your golden presence and humanitarian rosy essence poetically, Lady Oprah Winfrey.
GOLDEN POLLEN
If I could reach into your fragile heaven
And shed your sweet whispers from my humble tears
I would polish every weeping mind
To capture your graceful cheers
And if their wondrous minds wander far off
Beyond your sweet GOLDEN ancient meanings
I’d floss their roaming senses with bayou POLLEN-moss
And hide their innocence in your royal pity
Wren-tagged (written) and coon-posed (composed) by Jason Baptiste* a.k.a. “Golden”
Your honorable and most noble golden fan,
Jason “Golden” Baptiste
Respectfully sharing and sincere,
Jason Baptiste
I will forever be grateful to you dearly, Ms. Jane Fonda if you so do get this letter also into Ms. Oprah Winfrey’s hands. I’ve even written a poem for Oprah that has a humanitarian disguisable sentence printed visibly across the entire poem like a golden ribbon title “OWL – Oprah Winfrey Lady”. Yes, I can write miraculously, Jane. Thank you once again. I love you dearly always, no matter what.
Floral heavens and priceless golden wishes,
Joan Brown
Your character had ALS. My daughter was only 29 last year, when she DIED of ALS. Her daughter was 10 months old. Everyone is not old. MANY MANY more people are getting ALS, at a younger age. My daughter had a life and a future, with 3 degrees to her hame.
Now we struggle to raise funds to train caregivers, IN her hame, with the Keri B. Still Conference on ALS. I hpe playing this part, makes people a little more aware of Lou Gehrig’s and Keri Brown Still’s Disesase.
frederique dhenein
what a shame really, this theater piece, could not have been replay in Paris!!! it would have been great!!!anyway if somebody got the idea? or does he exist a film shot of it!! I know I exagerate..but i bit my nails, not to have seen it, and a perfect character for you.. life is so bitter!!! and I read about this beethoven variation a french book, feeling like hearing it,just concidential,oh it would much easier to write in french,and you must speak and read it fluently? may be i like suffering? in reality , a way not to forget english for me, sorry, if it’s awkward? Anyway, I would have dream to see this play!!! very late, everybody sleeping in my home, must close the computer… but I conclude by saying…if there was any possibility to see it in France?? or turning it into a movie, not the same as a theather play, or why not? getting all the emotional force of it, even in a movie??? Frederique Dhenein
David
jane,
i don;t know where else to put this, so i will post it here. (maybe you want to add a guest book feature to your blog)
i have been a fan all my life and last night i watched cat ballou again. just great. still makes me laugh and smile. this morning i wanted to see what you were up to and i stumbled upon your blog. great stuff, so glad to see you are still living your dream and trying to help others in the process.
i loved you when you acted, and i really loved you when you acted up. you are what i consider to be a true patriot and an american hero. even when they vilified you and tried to tear you down, you stood up.
the highest regards,
david
Corneliu Filip
Dear Jane Fonda,
I would like to give you an example of formative and noble, life-time routine:
I saw you first in “They shoot horses, don’t they?” when I was about 12 years old, in 1977. The impact was definitive. The coming years I searched for this movie, but my efforts turned out useless, since at that time I was living in Romania. I have to admit that I had even lost from memory the real theme of the film. I could only remember the strong emotions I had experienced that night, when I was 12, but at that age I could not relate them to any existential given idea (except for the one of resignation, maybe). Watching you in that movie was one of those essential events in life that mark one’s becoming as who they are.
For the second time I got finally to watch it 13 years later, on the 4th of July 1990 (the first American National Day after the Romanian Revolution). I can still remember that a good Romanian film analyst (Delia Budeanu) made an exquisite chronicle of the movie. On that night of July the 4th 1990 I was dizzy with emotions, I was HAPPY, my dream had come true!
In 1998, 8 years later, after having experienced myself the idea of decent withdrawing, and that of sparing the sufference whenever it turns moral, I got to see the film again. It was in Bucharest, at a cult movie club. That time with a different, more involved mind. It was the confirmation that the little boy inside me (luckily) was still around.
By the way, Michael Sarrazin’s performence was deeply impressive, too. Not to mention Gig Young and the director Sydney Pollak.
I moved to Holland 9 years ago, and one of the first things I did was to order “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” in USA (couldn’t find the video in Amsterdam). Now I had the movie at home, it became reachable for good!
I still watch it now and then, and I guess I will keep on doing this all my life. It helps me not to forget my identity, the roots of the emotional human being that I am, and it reminds me that I have to stay aware, so that horses/people should get less afflicted with pain of any kind.
I think that your acting so completely in that movie (in Julia, Klute, Coming Home, Bare Foot in the Park and many others, too) comes from something deeper than the ability of performing naturally and appropriately. (My personal opinion is that “being natural” is part of the American social culture). Acting naturally (in a film) is not enough to be a good actor. I’ve seen many actors who act properly and credibly (they get even awarded), but cannot reveal and develop convincingly their part, they simply cannot persuade the audience of the truth they are supposed to transmit. The genuine professionalism takes something more, which is called “sense of drama”. It doesn’t matter if you inherited it, or educated on the way (most probable both). No doubt, you do own IT.
Thank you for this life-time moral practice, Jane Fonda. This, among other events, has turned my life into something I am proud of.
And yes, They still do, Gloria.
Corneliu Filip
Jane
Dear Corneliu, What a nice letter re my work. It makes me very happy. Thank you. xx
Corneliu Filip
Dear Jane,
I believe that yesterday, while reading your answer to my message, I experienced an emotion from the surrealistic register. So I had to read it again for couple of times, to realize that it was real. I smoked a cigarette, I looked through the window, then read it again. While reading your answer, my eyes fell on what I had myself written to you. And suddenly I understood that the part with “my life is something I am proud of” sounded pompous and somehow arrogant, and especially that it was an exaggeration. The fact is that I am only proud of the good part of my life (what a truism, you will say). Since life, beside a bright side, has a certain part which, if possible, I would conceive differently. We all do, don’t we?
I felt that while reading your message, within half an hour I surveyed the not yet developed film of my affective memory, spread over more than 30 years, guided by a conscience which suddenly was revealing itself true. An aesthetic and ethical authority, which was telling me that it hadn’t been an illusion. And then I had to see Gloria from “They Shoot Horses…” and then Nora from “A Doll’s House”. Then I watched again your interview with David Letterman. The yesterday evening was a genuine aesthetic experience, that rarely happens in life. If I didn’t work in psychiatry (I am a resident physician in psychiatry), I could suspect that what I lived yesterday was an art-induced paranoid trance:-). It was actually an essential trip through my memory.
Thus I could recall the 12 y.o. Corneliu and the invitation I received then to the corridors of a world that later, throughout my life, helped me going on. The metaphor of the poetry (including the film poetry), the perspective of the parallel artistic universe has helped me through the years. You, Diane Keaton, Alan Pakula, Dustin Hofman, Sydney Pollak, Meryl Streep made me believe that the “reality” of the dream, the artistically sublimated reality was the one that actually mattered. That man is finally responsible for his domain of peace, but also for his defeat when not vigilant.
Today I’ve got an email from your official website and I’ ve heard that you’d just started working in Paris for a new movie. I am happy for you. I am sorry I missed “33 Variations” last year on Broadway. Really sorry.
I also know that the moral/political commitment has passed in your case beyond the screen. That you were and still are engaged in severe issues regarding the fate of this solitary figure which is the man. That the theme of tolerance, of compassion, of peace means to you more than aesthetic ideas, that your attempt of working out these issues has transcended beyond the stage. If the world today, regarding some respects is a better place, well I guess that is due to you, too, Jane Fonda.
I was watching last night “A Doll’s House” and I was thinking that Ibsen would contently and proudly smile to see Nora played by you. To understand that his (then) contradictory vision regarding the evolution of the human kind, his attempt to undermine the prejudice are no longer subjected to mockery or despise. That the modern dramatic arts, beyond their intrinsic, artistic function, have meanwhile also accomplished their social and moral position and that a controversial character such as Nora’s deserves a (neo)realistic approach, like you’ve done. That Nora Helmer does exist. (I like the Claire Bloom’s performance as well, though her manner touches rather the romantic register.)
In 2007, when I heard that a Romanian director had won the Palme D’Or at Cannes, I immediately went searching on internet the Cannes Awards Gala. When I saw that it was you who handed the Romanian his prize, I think I reached a kind of catatonic condition. I was watching alternately you and him on the stage and I could not believe it, and I went deeply emotional. I have to admit that I also felt envious that he was standing beside you, that you were talking to him, that he had received his honors and his place among the stars from your hands, as if, somehow, you had invited him there.
I have just read all these words that I wrote here, and I’m afraid that they could sound pompous or cliche when you read them, that you might have heard them many times before. That’s why I am considering something which I hope you won’t find intruding. If so, I apologize. It’s about a piece of classic music that I found on internet some time ago, which I love and also sent to my friends (I only have 3). The music, though sentimental to a certain extent, has definitely magnitude.
But besides the music itself, the image of this video (The Swingle Singers) turns out very important, since it adds a consonant weight to the message of the sound, without turning it redundant. It’s not only the fact that they are black and white images, which I’ve always felt more faithful to the reality and more radiant. But the singers stand motionless while singing, among the shadows they’ve created themselves, in some kind of solemn solidarity with their shadows and voices, as if they were the humble, happy missionaries of some order that would spread the Idea of Faith. You, probably, shall understand them the best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpG648SVPrM&feature=PlayList&p=0F2119ADC636A8ED&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=23
With friendship,
Corneliu Filip