Profile for Leadingplayer

Is it a madhouse?

Is it true Victor Garber and Sarah Rice were fired?

John Cullum and his wife discuss Madeline and 20th Century here in their youtube show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyVwPfWl2PE

One more thing. I saw the final show. When Chenowith entered she got a huge ovation that went on forever. She stood so stoically in character threw it all. Maybe one or two little gasps of emotion about to break thru but otherwise she just stood center stage and waited it out. Very impressive.

Not to say she is lying but I guess I am. Is she embellishing this story? It says she was cast as the lead Pearl but when Greg Burge left they still wanted an interracial couple in the lead so she was moved down to a supporting role. First it seems odd that Gregg Burge who was small and slight of build would be cast as the macho Greaseball. And if they wanted it to be interracial why didn't they hire another black men to replace Burge? Plus McCardle taking a smaller role seems odd. Wouldn't s...

Chenowith and Andy Karl were great. Having heard so much about the original sets I wish they had done more with the revivals. It was kind of a cheap Roundabout version which is often the case with them. Mary Louise Wilson was terrible. Just from the album you could tell Imogene Coca was a showstopper. Wilson barely put in any effort. So many women could have really done something with that role. Don't know how she was cast.

Chita Rivera had been in a car accident that made it questionable if she'd ever walk/dance again. I always felt like she took Betty's slot out of a sympathy vote.

Was this a big shock? The whole cast practically got nominated except for her. (and she was Drood.) Did this have anything to do with her early exit from the show? Didn't Patti Cohenour quit for in some argument?

I've heard from someone associated with the show that they were considering not resigning her contract because of poor attendance. She quit before she got fired.

I would guess that Weber probably auditioned all the Broadway Evitas for Grizabella. I mean Paige played both parts in London so the demands are similar. He doesn't mention who he considered in his autobiography. He just says the hired Betty based on an incredible audition and then throughout previews she sang the song a thousand different ways and he was pulling his hair out and saying just do it like at the audition. He says Buckley as an actor who obsesses over every minor detail. I think ...

Margret has to be menacing since she has beaten Carrie into such a shell of a person that she's too depressed to get angry and stand up for herself. In the original film Spacek is so meek but every time her anger starts to flare up objects move. I believe it was the New York Times that said of the revival that it doesn't work because Carrie's anger is apparent in the first scene. The film works so well in that Carrie figures out her power but still only uses them when traumatized. Margaret al...

Is it something you could post here?

If they had only been able to hold it to the Spring of 1989 I wonder what would have happened. That was a terrible year for musicals. Buckley probably would have won the Tony and the show nominated. It might have had a future. The Off-Broadway one seemed so strange and the publicity was always all about how Margret is a victim too. (the film remake with Julianne Moore went that way too.) I think they were afraid making Margret all out evil would be considered mysogynistic by today's standards...

I saw Peters who in addition to singing well was very cute and funny. Betty seems like she would be too sophisticated for the role. Andrew Lloyd Weber said something about her in his bio. Something like he loves Betty but she was miscast in the role. Isn't there some story as to why she left Drood early (only 6 months) to do this. She owed the Shuberts or something like that? Anyone know what I'm talking about?

I've always been curious about her. All the other regular Evitas are on youtube (Patti, Loni Ackerman, Florence Lacey) and there is audio of alternate Teri Klausner and video of Valerie Perri (alternate.) I've never been able to find Altay anywhere. I always heard she wasn't very good but this audio indicates otherwise. She's quite strong vocally and diction wise (sorry Patti.) It just showed up on youtube the other day. Now Nancy Opel remains the only one I haven't found. (She was an alterna...

Someone mentioned above that both the plays that were supposed to change the theater are dying down in that hype. What is the other play that has been getting that kind of promotion?

Buckley has always had attendance problems. Even in CATS she was frequently absent.

Is Buckley not doing the next week of shows in Denver? Why? Her social media shows her driving home to Texas.

The word was that Danner just didn't connect in the role and they were unhappy with how she was playing it. It seems like she'd have been a natural for it but for some reason it didn't work.

Will at least I know Ms. Rigg will be there when I attend. She is the principal I'm most interested in seeing.