Amadeus at the Folger Theatre

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I really like the 1984 film Amadeus, which was based on the screen play by Peter Shaffer. So I was excited to see the live version of the play in person at the Folger Theatre. Since the movie is based on the screen play, the live performance and the film are very similar. So if you like the movie, you should definitely see this show! (Well, you should see the show even if you've never seen the movie!)

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The set was beautiful. The walls were created by the strings of instruments, like harps surrounding the stage to create space for the characters. And the costumes were amazing! They were so detailed and extravagant.

Look at this coat! This is Mozart conducting, and it was like we were the audience not only for the play but also for his opera.

I thought the actors did a fantastic job. Ian Merrill Peakes as Salieri was phenomenal. For most of the play, he is giving monologues of his thoughts and feelings; he had so many lines to memorize! He really embraced everything about the character. And I liked Samuel Adams as Mozart, although he played the character exactly like Tom Hulce did in the film. I liked how Hulce did it, so I liked this too, but it would have been more interesting to see how Adams interpreted the character instead of mimicking how someone else did it.

Here are two of my favorite scenes from both the play and the movie (from the film):

You can see how this photo from the play aligns with the scene from the movie very well. Image found here.

It's a serious story with lots of funny parts, and I really enjoyed it. But I will say that the play is very long. The show itself is more than two hours long, and there is an intermission. As much as I liked the play, I couldn't help but fall asleep during the second act. That's one nice thing about the film: it cuts out a lot of the unnecessary dialogue. Some of the scenes in the play last far too long, and the characters could say what they needed to say by getting to the point faster. But perhaps you may have a longer attention span than I do, or you are more of a night-owl.

Either way, I highly recommend you buy tickets for this show. It really is a wonderful production! Buy your tickets here.

Click here if you would like to read the DC Theatre Scene's review of the show.