Profile for MaxHolmes

Two words; "star quality."Liza had it in droves.Lorna had none. === And what does "star quality" mean? That names a phenomenon without defining it. Mystery of the Ages... I've seen Liza on stage eight or nine times over the last 31 years. I can't imagine showing up for Lorna that often. So I agree, there is an enormous "You Gotta Watch Her" factor with Liza, whereas with Lorna -- well, there's just NOT. Liza is perhaps the ultimate of the "She's a Star because she's a Star" breed. What else c...

Gee, why can't The Sisters stop all this feuding and work TOGETHER? Mama Judy once said she wanted to do a musical version of "Baby Jane" -- now tell me, what other role could Liza, at this freak-show stage of her career, play more convincingly than Baby Jane Hudson? Lorna could play Blanche. Yeah, I know, it's a tedious role, but throw her a big solo as she drags her ass down the stairs -- let her show that, yes, she has -- and has always had -- a better voice than Liza.Do we all know the st...

Not many musicals, actuallyAnything Goes -- Sir Evelyn [three times, never again, rather die]Oliver -- FaginMusic Man -- Mayor Shin [still bitter]110 in the Shade -- Noah [had two days notice -- actor got measles]I Do! I Do! -- guessAnnie -- Daddy Warbucks [hated it hated it hated it]offered "Merlin" in "Camelot" -- declined role. Director said "there are no small roles, only small actors." I told her, "fine -- go get a small actor."But non-musicals -- jeez. Lion in Winter -- Henry IIPlay it ...

How could we forget? There was a little-loved flop about 30 years ago called "Farewell 174th Street" [or was it "Goodbye, 174th Street"? How could I forget?) ANYWAY-- there's a fabulous song called "The Butlers Song" -- but is usually referred to by the first line: "He's Screwing Dolores DelRio."

I broke up with a boyfriend because he wouldn't let me leave at the intermission of Phantom of the Opera.

I was in Chicago at the closing night of the last stop on the "West Side Waltz" tour -- which we all pretty much knew would be Hepburns last night on a stage -- and when I got back to the hotel and turned on the TV, there was this big woman I'd never heard of singing "And I am Telling You, I'm not Going." I was there the last time Hepburn stood on a stage and I couldn't tell you a thing about it. All I can remember was Jennifer Holliday on the Tonys...

If it's done well, Sir Evelyn and Reno's duet "Let's Misbehave" in "Anything Goes."

Theaterboy said "Mine is of a young Michael Crawford, before everyone started hating him" and that's just not true. That's Crawford in "Hello Dolly" and EVERYBODY hated him. "Hello, Dolly" was when everybody hated him the first time. Then they loved him and now they hate him again.

Several hundred years ago, on the opening night of carol Channing's semi-revival of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" called "Lorelie" she entered a big fancy hotel and was to toss her suitecase offstage through a big art-deco doorway. The suitecase missed the doorway, hit that wall and the whole flat shimmied, shook and fell over. Much much babble from the audience and Channing, standing center stage and sounding like a clarion call, said "You'd think such an expensive hotel would have stronger wal...

When I saw "Les Miserables" there was a scene -- "I Dreamed a Dream"? -- in which the actress was to rise from the I'm-dying cot in her ratty I'm-dying gown and move downstage. The gown caught on the corner of the bed and there she was, dragging the bed toward the downstage light. I told a friend about it and he said, "That happened the night I saw it, too. My God, maybe it's in the script."

Okay, this is the opposite of the thread, but Streep {yes, she is an excellent singer] reminded me -- did folks know that Robert Downey has an incredible voice! He plays Billy Flynn in my fantsy Chicago with Cyndi Lauper and Megan Mulally. And, damn it, Liza as Mama Morton. Just because the old girl earned it.

There's no shortage of Stars and semi-stars they could bring in after Bernadette leaves. I am least of all Lupone fans, but let's face it, she'd be brilliant as Rose. I wonder about Lanie Kazan. Yes, Megan Mulally could do it. Cyndi Lauper is a better actress than some are giving her credit for. I acn see her mama Rose having some real similarities to lansbury, who in many ways was the most surprisingly New Yorkish of Roses. BUT -- what if Cyndi had done Roxy instead of that big sloppy blonde...

"No passion... no poetry"Well. I like your avatar.

I'm thinking of shows that made me just look about me trying to catch the eye of someone --ANYONE -- who was as appalled as I. Where I was just dizzy with bewilderment that people were even looking at the stage...Phantom of the Opera.Rent.Cats.All three were perplexing monstrosities.

Well, it's not the wrong gender, but it's the wrong race: Coalhouse Walker in Ragtime. and for gender, yes, of course Mama Rose, because it really is the greatest musical role. Nothing is in second or third place.

This is not a failure in the traditional sense, because it was and is a brilliant show, but "Follies" still feels like something of an underachiever. If the genius of its finest moments were consistantly matched in all elements of the show I think it could be the greatest musical of all time. I realize I'm biased because it was the first show I ever fell in love with, but...

I saw the San Francisco production years ago -- both parts in a saturday marathon. I think including dinner break it ran about seven and a half hours. At the end I wanted another seven and a half. It really can't be compared to any theater piece I've ever seen. It is an amazing thing all its own. And while I was watching it I kept thinking "Please, God, let Pacino play Cohn someday." Everything I'm hearing about the HBO production is amazing. Frank Rich said it is the most powerful filming of...

Thank you WOSQ -- all songs must be considered ::besides:: "If I Loved You"Not a Day Goes By -- MerrilyNo One is Alone -- Into the WoodsTell Me on a Sunday -- Song & DanceTime Heals Everything -- Mack&MabelI Have Dreamed -- King and ILosing My Mind -- FolliesNew Music -- RagtimeBring Him Home -- Les MizTry to Remember -- The Fantasticks

In certain circles, you have to duck and cover when you proclaim your love for Ragtime, but for me it remains the most emotionally and politically powerful of all musicals. I saw it in LA prior to the Broadway run, then twice on Broadway. "New Music" contains one of the most saoringly romanic moments I've ever seen ("Sarah come down to me") and Brian Stokes Mitchell was brilliant. (I also saw his replacement, an incredibly beautiful man named Something Something White. He was excellent; what ...

I've directed both. The score of Snoopy is mostly very good. "Poor Sweet Baby" should find its way to more recordings. I'd love to hear Bernadette Peters do it. The finale, "Just one Person" had the audience and the cast sobbing every night. The revival {B D Wong played Linus) supposedly made some improvements in the music, but I found the cast album a bit junky. But the book is unbelievably bad. When I directed it at a high school {disclaimer: I'm making this up; we didn't really do what I'm...