PBS to Air Ian McKellen's Acclaimed 'King Lear' Performance

Shakespeare lovers and theatre-goers will be presented with a unique opportunity at the end of March. On March 25^th, PBS will air the Royal Shakespeare Company's performance of King Lear, featuring Ian McKellen, courtesy of the Great Performances series.

McKellen, famous for his stage performances as well as his film roles, played the role of King Lear for a limited time in 2007 to sold-out audiences. The Los Angeles Times reported that in October 2007, it was next to impossible to get a ticket to the show. Scalpers were demanding up to $1,500 a ticket. However, after the tour was over, the cast did one last performance in front of the cameras in a British studio. The result is what will be broadcast on March 25^th.

What has people talking is the fact that because of censoring issues, the play will be somewhat different than the one people saw on tour. PBS made the decision to cut a scene that originally featured a nude McKellen to avoid offending audiences. Instead, the nudity will be only suggested. However, the rampant violence of the play shall remain in its full glory.

Surprisingly, 69-year-old McKellen is unfazed by the decision. According to the Associated Press, he told the Television Critics Association, "If it's a distraction of that sort, it's not worth the candle," he then added: "Every night, when I'd take my clothes off, you know what I used to do? Pull in my stomach. That's pathetic. I was playing an old man. I should have let it all hang out, and I couldn't do that. "

McKellen is no stranger to Shakespeare or the stage. In August 1974, a 35-year-old Ian McKellen made his Royal Shakespeare Company debut at the Edinburgh Festival. He had been on the stage ever since his youth and his love affair with theatre was only growing. In 1976 alone, he played title characters in three Shakespeare plays: Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, King Leontes in The Winter's Tale and Macbeth in Macbeth.

Despite his popularity and fame with the release of the X-Men and Lord of the Rings franchises, McKellen always returned to the theater. From January 2001 - April 2006, McKellen performed on stage, even as X-Men and Lord of the Rings reached their peak.

In March 2009, McKellen will go on the U.K. tour for Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot alongside fellow Shakespearean actor, Patrick Stewart.

No 'King Lear' Nude Scene for McKellen on PBS, Associated Press

Mike Boehm, Ian McKellen's High-Priced 'Lear' to Be a Freebie on TV, Los Angeles Times

Sir Ian McKellen Official Website