Misery
On June 8, 1987, Stephen King published an American psychological horror thriller, 'Misery.' The story revolves around the dynamic between Paul Sheldon, a well-known writer of romance novels, and Annie Wilkes, a disturbed former nurse who considers herself Paul's biggest fan. After finishing his latest Misery novel, he left the Hotel Boulderado. He was rescued from a car crash and brought back to Wilkes's house so she could nurse him back to health after he broke his legs. Paul quickly realizes that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse from the star struck fan who is obsessed with the character of his book. Three years later, the film adaptation was brought to life on November 30, 1990, and became a box office success and a beloved classic. Nominated for Best Actor for his role in the 1990 film Misery, James Cann wasn't the first choice for the role of Paul Sheldon—he was the 12th choice. Several renowned actors, including William Hurt (twice), Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Richard Dreyfuss, Gene Hackman, and Robert Redford, all declined the opportunity to portray this character before James Cann eventually took on the role. And Kathy Bates, who was nominated for the 1991 Best Actress Award with a star-studded cast of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Joanne Woodward, and Anjelica Huston, wasn't the first choice to play Annie Wilkes—a role offered to Angelica Huston and Bette Midler. Screenwriter William Goldman recommended casting the relatively unknown Kathy Bates for the role, which was a wise decision. She went on to win an Oscar for her remarkable performance as Annie Wilkes at the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991.
American Blues Theater kicks off its 39th season with King's horror oeuvre psychological thriller MIsery at their new location on Lincoln Ave. With great anticipation, I was interested to see how ABT would bring King's characters to life from the book and the film to the stage to satisfy the thrill seekers. Directed by the award-winning and Artistic Affiliate giant thriller fan, Halena Kays was up to the challenge to conjure up some suspense to an already-known storyline. Two key players were essential to this story: creating suspense and bringing the characters to life. AB deliberately selected award-winning actors and Ensemble members Wandachristine (Annie Wilkes) and Steve Key (Paul Sheldon) for the task. The chemistry between Wandachristine, who channeled Bates while creatively making the character of Annie Wilkes her own, and Key, who was outstanding as Paul Sheldon, was hypnotizing. When Wandachristine's exceptional acting skills shine through, she embodies the role of Wilkes with a captivating, sinister presence reminiscent of iconic characters from The Shining, Psycho, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. Key's performance reveals the essential fear that brings happiness, knowing you've never encountered someone like Wilkes and hoping you never will. The intimate setting at American Blues made the production more intense and suspenseful. The premise stayed the same, with subtle changes from book and film to stage. However, King made some changes with the most intensified buildup of the hobbling scene, which never gets easy to watch. Annie cuts Paul's foot off with an axe in the book, and in the movie, she breaks both his ankles with a sledgehammer. AB adaptation sticks with the film adaptation.
The performances, which include Cisco Lopez as Buster, gradually grow on you, and the anticipation of the horror of an obsessed, psychotic fan is tingling. If you love scary, psychological thrillers, American Blues Theater's Misery is right up your alley. Hopefully, it will get extended to October 31 for a good Halloween treat.
⭐⭐⭐1/2
American Blues Theater
Misery
Based on the novel by Stephen King
Directed by Artistic Affiliate Halena Kays
Now - October 26. 2024
Thanks for visiting our website. For tickets, click above, and for additional reviews, click below.
