OMG – STEINBECK- STEINBECK-STEINBECK ! What a giant !! What a monumental brilliance. What a blinding beacon of American culture and awareness and what an incredible demonstration of the power of great writing. 
I literally get goosebumps just seeing his title “The Grapes of Wrath”.
Nobel Prize winner, writer of “East of Eden”, “Tortilla Flats”, “Winter of our discontent”, “Bombs Away”, and that hidden treasure – “The Moon is down” and so much more. How does such a creative force like that even come to exist? What a mind !!!
Went to see “Of Mice and Men” on Broadway starring James Franco and Chris O’Dowd and was totally mezmerized from start to finish and even after leaving tne theatre (which I’ll explain shortly).
James Franco, admittedly the headliner and main draw in the cast was great in the part of George and all eyes were looking to see what he was going to do with the role and if he was up to the task , which he was, but it was Chris O’Dowd that stole the limelight in the role of Lennie. He played that part to perfection !!! John Malcovich step aside. If Chris O’Dowd doesn’t walk away with the Tony for his performance I’ll be shocked. It was really just that penetrating, and what a great career move for him. O’Dowd just stepped up into a whole new league.
There’s just way too much to talk about here on facebook and the profound emotional places the play took me to too deep for me to try to attempt to articulate them, and i don’t even know how to talk about Steinbeck adequately, except to say that his plot points, either leading to conflict or resolve, are so gripping that my mouth drops open witnessing them and I have to attempt to vainly stiffle an empathetic moan, unsuccessfully tryng to keep my reactions to the script private.
As far as production value, I loved the staging and these magnificent sets flying down from the rafters left me dazzled like a 12 year old walking into the World’s Fair for the first time. Just like I still get everytime I fly in a plane and park my face in the window to witness the earth from up on high, I am such a kid when I am in the theatre and I’m always mesmerized by the magic of the Broadway Stage and the things they can do. The main set imperceivably takes you from sunrise to sunset into the darkness of night without you being conscious of the transition but totally believing you are there. The Longacre Theatre is gorgeous and one of my favorites. What monuments to the arts these performance palaces be 
Though they announce “No picture taking during the performance”, as usual, I’ve gone around and taken pictures of the inside of the theatre during the intermission to share its beauty with you. At this point I think I’ve memorized and can identify every inch and architectural detail of every theatre on the Great White Way. Each a unique and sparkling jewel unto itself I’ve also included some pictures of the street outside of the theatre after the show was over because I’ve never seen anything like the crowds of people lined up and waiting to catch a climpse of James Franco after the show. It was crazy. Wait till you see the final pictures in the gallery. There must have been over a thousand people lined up and coralled inside police barricades waiting to catch a glimpse. You’d have thought it was New Years Eve or the premier of Gone With The Wind and Clark Gable was about to arrive. Eli and I were amazed and stupefied that people respond to celebrity this way. But who am I trying to kid. If it was Steinbeck making an exit out that stage door I would have been the first in line
