As I said in the thread about the London production, Scherzinger gave the best vocal performance I've ever experienced in a major production (Broadway or West End). What she was able to do with her voice still shocks me and I cannot wait to see it on October 10. I didn't get to see Tom Francis but his understudy, Gregor Milne, was fantastic. Unlike others in the thread, I think Sunset is actually a pretty mediocre adaptation of a daring film. This production pulls the story right back
ElephantLoveMedley said: "I never knew how badly I want to see Emma Stone as Bobbie but now I can’t get that casting out of my head."
Saaaaaaame. I think a female Bobbi works best with an actress who has an edge to her. The tension between 'this woman is a lone wolf' and 'this woman is alone and wonders what she's missing' makes for a compelling version of company. Whatever her vocal limitations were (and they didn't bother me at all), I
I also love the detail of the silver slippers being house in a case where the interior looks to be made out of rubies. I don't even really like Wicked and I'm insanely excited for this film.
I've been thinking about this question since it was posted hoping to be more original than joining the Unusual Way bandwagon...but I cannot. It's simply perfection. Especially as sung by the late, great Rebecca Luker who looks stunning as a brunette.
Isn't Gooch supposed to be...fertile at this point in the story?
I think the musical is seriously flawed and the Southern stuff may be unfixable, but I've always thought Megan Mullaley would be the ideal Mame. Funny, madcap but with a real warmth. She has 'fun auntie' energy in spades. Probably not a big enough star, but she'd be great.
There were far more than 6 productions. If you're looking at the Olympia Theatre wiki page, it lists 6 of the Roundabout productions when it became the Criterion...but there were definitely more than what's listed. I'm not sure if every production listed as Stage Right on the Criterion Center page was actually on Broadway, but the Olympia page is definitely missing Little Me and She Loves Me and...my guess is that most of those shows listed were Broadway productions.
Loved this revival. I saw it both at the Criterion Center and at the Gershwin so got to see both Linda Emond and Carolee Carmello. Both were terrific in different ways. Linda Emond is a deeply wonderful actress with a lovely voice for the role and she held the audience in rapt attention. Carolee has a resplendent voice and was able to fill the cavernous Gershwin with her interpretation of Abigail. I think they were each the right person to play opposite their John Addams - Brent Spiner and Mi
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Those are money raves.
Cole is brilliant in this but I’dlove to see anactor try this role too."
This is an odd sentence.
I've worked with Cole as an actor and they are really quite something. The first thing we did together, I only knew them from Jeffrey and Cole Casserole, so I didn't quite know what to expect. During that rehearsal process, they became my rock and they exuded professionalism, dili
I say this with a great deal of love and affection.
Everything you are saying has been said about every civil rights movement. Every last one. If only the activists would pipe down, the majority will definitely allow those poor, meek women to vote...or those good and kindly negros to exist...or those respectable gays and lesbians who conform to gender norms to be out...or the not-too-slutty gays who may contact AIDS to live.
TheatreFan4 said: "binau said: "This is one of the few social issues where I actually feel the public discourse and attitudes are becoming more negative than positive over time. For the safety, wellbeing and sanity of trans people I think trans activists (who are not the same thing as trans people, or at least the trans people I know who just want to live their lives) might need to start re-thinking their approach. It seems to be making things worse, not better."
Truer words, Kad. Even adorable, doughy Rich Sommer as the (vaguely?) queer-coded friend couldn't do a thing to help that axis of evil. I give you a Bang & Olufsen phone and you try to get me fired with your cute games and I will burn you as a witch.
It always kills me that the person who starts the rudeness gets all bent out of shape when they get rudeness back.
At any rate, TotallyEffed, it really is a stellar production and Levy sings the role so effortlessly that is really allows you to focus in on the character's arc rather than the actor's technique. I hope we do get to see it here soon!
Bennet says one thing, Sondheim another. Choose whomever you trust."
I need to go dig through my books to see what I (and you, joevitus) are thinking of. I wonder if it's in Everything Was Possible. I would (probably) trust Ted Chapin to be the ref on this."
You can find both views expressed in Sondheim and Co. Sondheim said he preferred Uptown/Downtown but Michael Bennet insisted on a new song for that spot to start fresh (and asked for a new song to replace "Bring on the Girls," leading to "Beautiful Girls," for the same reason). Bennet said he preferred Uptown/Downton and never knew why Sondheim replaced it, and that the song switchrendered the choreography meaningless. I guess Bennett repeated that comment elsewhere, or other biographers picked it up from Sondheim and Co. Sondheim, for his part, repeated the story on both the liner notes for the Paper Mill Playhouse cast recording of Follies and in his collection of lyrics Finishing the Hat that Bennett insisted on the song change to start fresh."
Bless you for this. I lost my copy of Sondheim & Co...decades ago at this point. I'm putting my husband, the book nerd, on the case.
Bennet says one thing, Sondheim another. Choose whomever you trust."
I need to go dig through my books to see what I (and you, joevitus) are thinking of. I wonder if it's in Everything Was Possible. I would (probably) trust Ted Chapin to be the ref on this.
wiggum2 said: "I thought Michael Bennett wanted Uptown/downtown, something about the lyrics gave his choreography something to land on... I don't have the Sondheim book with me to find the exact quote
I love all 3 songs BTW... one of my favorite "bad" lyric of Sondheimis from Uptown/Downtown
But with a Schlitz in her mitts down in Fitzroy's Bar She thinks of the Ritz. Oh, it's so schizo"
Owen22 said: "Ishe goes for generic 50's movie star accent, where Taylor had a speaking voice as distinctive as the men in the play."
I strongly agree with you. She's not enough of a name nor was it such an essential performance to justify her coming over with the show. If you're not going to get someone who can do a vocal impression, then get a real star with star wattage to help sell the Elizabeth Taylor of it all.
In a blue sky world, an Anne Hathaway or Emily Blunt would work and move some tix. They're a decade too old but 1964 32 is close to 2024 42, if you know what I mean.
I think that the performances of Johnny Flynn and (especially) Mark Gatiss are essential to this play. Middleton made far less of an impression (on me) and I think this was an opportunity to cast an American name. Maybe's it's cause her wigs looked like they were made of petroleum products. I couldn't get over how bad her wigs were. Which...is not what one should be taking away from the role of Elizabeth Taylor.
Although I enjoyed the play very much, I did have some d
TotallyEffed said: "Benanti would be a good Phyllis but could she dance it and do it justice? That’s the one hang up I had about Jan Maxwell who was fantastic in a disappointing production."
This is going to be utter heresy (especially for someone who curates, writes and hosts a monthly Sondheim show), but I hate 'Lucy and Jessie' with a passion that burns with the fire of 10,000 suns. I prefer Ah, But Underneath but still think the absolute best song e
