After Michael T. Weiss' wired turn in "Burn This" last year at the Huntington, I had high hopes for the company's production of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," but last night's opening - at least the part we stayed for - was decidedly underwhelming. When he's not handling one of the actresses, it's a static, exposition-laden production. Weiss and Tasha Lawrence scheme engagingly as Valmont and La Marquise de Merteuil, but there's no momentum. Maybe because we all know who's going to do what to whom. Even La Marquise's big speech early on about how she became her own bad self in 1700s France falls flat. (Bonus points to Louisa Kraus, left, with Weiss, for her hilariously giddy nude scene when young Cecile decides she likes it, she really really likes it.) Weiss' performance as Pale in "Burn This" was so exciting because he seemed truly dangerous, like he could overturn the other characters' little yuppie world at any moment. And there was a genuine pull between him and co-star Anna Torsiglieri. Real stakes, in other words. But in "Les Liaisons" I sat tapping my foot, waiting for the next shoe, or hoop skirt, to drop. After the long first act, we decided we'd had enough.

Posted at 09:02 AM in Theater | Permalink | Comments (0)