Star sees relevance in Chicago-bound 'Merchant'
Academy Award-winner F. Murray Abraham is enjoying, but also a little suspect of, all the critical and audience raves that have greeted his portrayal of Shylock in Theatre for a New Audience's production of Shakespeare's “Merchant of Venice.”
The acclaimed off-Broadway production has just closed and is now touring, opening first for a two-week run at Chicago's Bank of America Theatre starting Tuesday.
“It's extraordinary how the power of one newspaper makes such a difference in the life of any theatrical venture in New York,” Abraham said.
Ever since Charles Isherwood's rave review for “The Merchant of Venice” ran in The New York Times on March 5, people clamored even more for tickets at the box office.
“It becomes a better show somehow because someone says it is?” questions Abraham. “It's a little disappointing because it's a wonderful show without the reviews.”
Abraham's Shylock comes hot off the heels of another Academy Award-winning actor's take on the same role in New York. Al Pacino headlined a hit four-month Broadway run of “Merchant of Venice” following a 2010 summer run in Central Park.
“That (production) of Al's, who's a friend of mine, is historic,” Abraham said. “I think it's the first time ever Shakespeare's made a million dollars a week on Broadway.”
Though there's no question that Pacino's star power helped with audience turnout, Abraham is quick to point out that Shakespeare's unflinching comic drama is also an attraction in itself.
Originally classified as a comedy, “The Merchant of Venice” has now assumed the scholarly mantle of a “problem play.” That's in large part because of its depiction of anti-Semitism toward the moneylender Shylock, who famously demands a pound of flesh as payment from one of his debtors.
“There's quite a bit of nastiness in this and I don't think anybody comes off well in this play, which of course makes it much more human,” said Abraham, who is keen to point out that “The Merchant of Venice” not only depicts blatant anti-Semitism, but also racism, sexism, ageism and homophobia.
“But we also have a lot of funny moments in this tough play,” added Abraham.
Whereas the Al Pacino production was costumed very traditionally, this revival by Director Darko Tresnjak is updated to the near future, giving a modern relevance to Shakespeare's text.
“It examines very closely the idea of justice and how every society is so warped in favor of whoever is the upper class,” Abraham said, drawing parallels to Wall Street bankers who have not been punished for helping to bring about the current world economic crisis. “Shylock is right, but what he wants is definitely immoral and wrong. But his idea and insistence on justice — everybody understands what that feels like.”
Though Abraham is most famous for his Academy Award-winning Best Actor performance as Antonio Salieri in the 1984 film version of “Amadeus,” he's very proud of his subsequent theater work, which includes Broadway appearances in Tony Kushner's “Angels in America” and the musical “Triumph of Love.”
“There are some plays that when you wake up, it's in the forefront of your mind and you can't wait to get on the stage,” Abraham said about certain roles like Roy Cohn in “Angels in America” and Shylock. “But you do have to do theater if you're a serious actor. I don't think you can really be called great until you test yourself against the great roles. You just can't. You have to do the classics.”
'The Merchant of Venice'
Location: Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com
Showtimes: March 15 through March 27. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and March 20 (8 p.m. on March 15); 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday (and on March 23)
Tickets: &36;22.50-&36;72.50
Parking: Paid lots nearby