The Stage Written in 1979 for the vast Olivier stage, Peter Shaffers account of Antonio Salieris relationship

with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (plus God as an unseen third-party) was later filmed with a cast of thousands. But John Doyles revival in the crumbling intimacy of Wiltons reveals that it gains focus when played as a chamber piece. The text used is Shaffers Broadway revision, cutting Mozarts coprophiliac dialogue slightly and tightening up the closing scenes. But the author failed to remove the repetitious references to Salieris musical mediocrity, which results in an overblown second act. Doyles own design, lit by Ace McCarron, is a trump card, an ebony thrust stage backed with a dozen rococo mirrors and furnished with antique gilt chairs to represent the imperial court. Sixteen members of the 17-strong ensemble are actor musicians, giving us refreshing live performances of Mozarts music, both instrumental and vocal, including flautist Sam Kenyon as the benign Austrian emperor. Where Scofield at the National played Salieri as a sinister expatriate Italian, Matthew Kelly is a massive, dominating figure of smouldering anger, venting his spleen on a welching deity who has poured the gift of genius on his rival Mozart. But the performance is dramatically more effective when giving a sly edge to his ironic asides. Jonathan Broadbent, who has just filmed The Magic Flute with Kenneth Branagh, is inspired casting as Mozart, perhaps the most convincing young actor to have portrayed Shaffers vision of a flawed musical prodigy - baton in hand when not composing or dashing off a keyboard improvisation of a Salieri march - and enjoying a warm boisterous relationship with Jess Murphy as his wife Constanze. Despite some talk of a West End transfer, it would be wise to catch Doyles version in this beautifully atmospheric setting. By John Thaxter Talkinbroadway.com In spite of the fact Peter Shaffer's AMADEUS has played this city before, I can't quite accept calling this current version, which opened last night at the Music Box theatre, a revival. The author has discussed rewriting it in several recent interviews, and his efforts have resulted in an extraordinarily focused and lucid play which - even though it shares possibly 90% of its dialogue with its predecessor - is far superior to the original which opened on Broadway 20 years ago. The clarity of intent and refined power of the wordplay now to be seen eight shows a week rivals anything Shaffer has produced in his career, and argues forcibly that this by all rights should be viewed as an entirely new creation. This new AMADEUS is darker and more dangerous than the original production - and the movie for that matter - effortlessly transcending its 18th century setting to taunt its modern audience with eternal moral truths and the terrifying and shattering results of accepting and facing them. The plot hasn't changed from the original. When Antonio Salieri encounters the young Mozart and is brutally confronted with the limitations of his own talent, and believing God has abandoned and is mocking him, Salieri seeks revenge on God by destroying Mozart. What has changed is the intensity of the profound sadness we feel as Salieri succeeds to his empty and damning triumph.

David Suchet, as Salieri, commands the stage for the full two and a half hours of the play, and leaves us only wanting more. The sheer energy and range of his performance is dazzling, the ultimate effect emotionally shattering. We laugh as he eagerly confesses the ironies of his life, sympathize and understand as he makes then breaks his deal with God, glory in and shudder at every little detail of his machinations, but we do not pity him. Pity requires distance and we have none, having by evening's end completely identified with his all too human and fallible portrayal. If David Suchet's performance can be termed an elegant and masterful dance with fate, which it is, then Michael Sheen's Mozart provides the necessary contrast, combining social gaucheries, raw nerves, genuine innocence, and a wilful credulity in a performance as astonishing and incendiary as fireworks. Michael Sheen is an actor who confidently plays with human emotions, especially fear, as a cat plays with a mouse, producing audible gasps from the audience. He's still too young for us to know for sure, but I suspect, in Mr. Sheen, the theatre might have a worthy successor to Olivier. Sir Peter Hall's direction is as trustworthy and insightful as it ever was. The production design of William Dudley is simple, appropriate and effective, and shown to advantage by Paule Constable's artful lighting. The sound design by Matt McKenzie is adequate. People will be discussing this production and these performances for a long time to come. It will be recognized and honored come Spring's awards. And, rightly so. Thomas Burke (Dec 1999) EdgeChicago.com There is only so much power in revenge; the mere concept can be enervating, in fact. This sense of literal exhaustion enforced by a sense of constant rage might well have been the intent of Peter Shaffer in his award-winning play Amadeus, the story of Viennese court composer Antonio Salieri and his obsessive hatred of both God and his "instrument" Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "Amadeus" is the confession of Salieris jealousy of Mozart, and ultimately of his revenge against God, who took Salieris childhood vow of a life of devotion to the deity in return for the gift of music and made mock of it in the person of this thing (he refers to his nemesis as "the Creature") called Mozart. What is acutely apparent is Salieris own avariciousness when it comes to "sharing the music of God," which is an oxymoron in itself. He also imparts to us the torment of recognizing his own mediocrity as a composer and the sense of betrayal at finding the genius that eluded him berthed in this rude, disgusting and impious child-man. Salieris own self-hatred and egomaniacal sense of betrayal by a capricious and ungrateful God looms large in this story, as does his obsession with self that leads, predictably, to his own spiritual and professional demise. The play begins with Salieri, portrayed with adept precision by Robert Sella, explaining to the audience that he will finally get to tell the "truth" about his relationship with Mozart and the events that led to the death of his enemy. As he relates his history, he plays out an old tale of revenge and its nearly always banal, if deadly, consequences. His story, which includes humor and candor in an almost repetitious fashion, turns ou an unexpected result: the only "masterpiece" Salieri ends up able to create is the destruction of Gods. His gift, thus, IS his hate of self, and his only identity is the life and music of another. Sella, together with the rest of the astoundingly talented cast clearly impart what seems to be the

message intended by Shaffer: obsession, revenge, hate take far more energy from you than they give. In that sense, this production is notably successful, and I dont mean this in a tongue-incheek kind of way. If you see the show, this will become evident. Director Gary Griffin has done a brilliant job of seeming to leave the primary "direction" of the story to his Salieri. It works. However pitiful, the life dissected in "Amadeus" is not that of the brilliant Mozart, but of the colossal failure Salieri, and should be "directed" by the actor revealing this sad truth as a flashback on his adult life. Sella maneuvers his story and his "muses" with grace, aptitude and the dark brilliance that only the vengeful can engender. He is good. Quite good. At being bad, that is. Robbie Collier Sublett conveys both the lovable and wounded duality of Mozart. He is a child trapped in the body of a sage; a genius beyond his level of maturity or comprehension. Only Salieri sees this brilliance to its full extent, and in his hatred of it, takes advantage of Mozarts yearning for paternal approval to "kill" the sage within the child in the way that domineering fathers have of destroying imperfect sons who have disappointed them. Sublett is convincing in his portrayal of Mozarts trust in his good "friend," Salieri, as well as in his adoration for his wife, Constanze (played with utter adorableness and appropriate girth by Elizabeth Ledo), despite a predilection for dallying with the lowlife courtesans of Viennese court society. The rest of the cast, with highlighted performances by Roger Mueller as Count Von Strack and John Reeger as Baron Van Swieten, were exquisite in doing what seemed intended by Shaffers script: being petty, mean and small. Brilliantly, they became more lifeless as the expansiveness of Salieris demons evolved. Costumes by Virgil Johnson were sublime and fun. Melissa Veal finely married Johnsons success with pink wigs and the loss of that color upon Mozarts demise. By Blyth Landry Intrepidtravelogue .com Peter Shaffers Amadeus, one of the longest running dramas to ever grace the Broadway stage, is back. But is it better than ever? The play, as you may recall, is the story of the jealousy Antonio Salieri, the most renowned composer of his age, felt toward that young upstart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose true genius only Salieri (in Shaffers vision) could appreciate. In the end, Salieri became so obsessed with Mozarts superior artistry that on his death bed he babbled incoherently that he had murdered Mozart more than thirty years earlier. He was mad, of course. Or was he? This is the historical mystery that Shaffer presumes to unravel in his imaginative retelling of the tale. Along the way he engages in a fascinating meditation on the urge to excellence and fame that many of us feel and the mediocrity to which most people present company excepted, of course are condemned. The current production of Amadeus, under the assured direction of Peter Hall, isnt just another revival, however. Shaffer has reworked the script, subtly but tellingly, to produce a new Amadeus for the millennium. This Amadeus is a more neatly balanced piece of work. In the original, if memory serves, Salieri was more a villain and Mozart more a twit. The villainy and the twittery are still there, of

course, but now with more shading. All in all, the changes make for a a more fully satisfying evening. Amadeus is still talky, though its nearly three hours with intermission and despite Shaffers clever dialog and his ability to make abstract ideas take form in your minds eye, the play remains more an intellectual than emotional experience. This is largely due to Shaffers device of casting the entire play as a reverie that occurs in the hours before Salieris death with Salieri narrating the action directly to the audience. On the one hand, this is a convenient (some might say lazy) device that solves all sorts of problems for the playwright. Unfortunately, it also makes it difficult for the audience to enter fully into the emotional lives of the characters on stage since we are constantly being reminded that this is, after all, just a play, the people in it merely phantoms. Of course, an accomplished playwright can make us overlook these faults and Shaffer succeeds to a great extent. Too bad so many lesser playwrights have cheapened this structural device to the point where it looks a bit shopworn even in the most accomplished of hands. Whatever the faults of the script may or may not be, theres no denying the fact that Shaffer has written two incredibly flashy roles for actors and David Suchet as Salieri and Michael Sheen as Mozart make the most of the opportunities. For those who know him only as the prissy Hercule Poirot of the PBS television series Suchets Salieri will be a revelation. He is sleek, graceful and, in spite of his characters protestations to the contrary, rather sexy. His vocal technique is quite simply dazzling as he slides from decrepit old age to the vigor of his younger days. This is a supremely assured performance that serves its intellectual demands well while adding as much emotion as the part allows. The showier, but more problematic, part is Mozart and here newcomer Michael Sheen shines. He makes us understand why the hyperkinetically coarse young Mozart was such a turnoff to ever-so-sophisticated Viennese society but he also shows us a basic childlike goodness beneath and the artists commitment to the truth that lies in beauty. As he ages and his fortunes and health crumble, Sheen undergoes a marvelous transformation, creating a truly tragic Mozart. If Shaffers narrative devices didnt constantly get in the way, it might reduce us to tears. At the moment, Amadeus is the classiest show on Broadway, which may be to relegate it to a somewhat underpopulated ghetto. Those who dont get upset by plays that make them think and those who appreciate great acting will find much to please them here. Both of the lead performances are good bets for Tony nominations, but my moneys on Sheen. Theres an excellent chance hell become one of Englands finest actors. This is your chance to say, I saw him when. But what of the mystery? Did Salieri really murder Mozart? I dont want to give too much away so all Ill say is, Keep your eyes on the cook! By Kelly Monaghan