Profile for Steven

I'm surprised myself that they didn't try for original performances since this was going to be recorded for PBS. I was really hoping with this cast that they wold have created new "Sondheim moments" for everyone to enjoy. I'd love Donna Murphy giving us a preview of Whistle or I would have loved her singing "Children and Art" or even "Send in the Clowns". I'd have loved LuPone and Benanti to have sung a duet of "Everyday a Little Death" and surprisedthey didn't have LuPone either do a medley ...

At least Gary Griffin will be able to watch two different productions before he stages this one. I saw Kathy Voytko in Evita and thought through she wasn’t the biggest voiced out of the 10 or so Evita’s I’ve seen (that honor would belong to Susan Moniz another Chicago Actress) that she was one of the better acted ones. I was also impressed that she was one of the few that didn’t have another actress play the role at the matinee.

Really disapointed that Katharine McPhee couldn't do it as I think she has a great voice and untapped star quality. I like Tamyra Gray I just never thought there was anything that special about her. You never know though what could happen through.

I know she’d never get the film role but I think Idina Menzel could do very well, depending on if they went with a trashier overtly sexier version of Carla and if Rob Marshall could rein in some of tendencies she could sing it in a lower key for which I assume Rene would have to do anyway.

Personally I'd like to see American Idol's Katharine McPhee as Claudia and Idina Menzel for Carla. If not Idina then maybe Minnie Driver.

I’m hoping they record a few more solo discs with Patti LuPone (how about her Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda show) and Sherie Renee Scott give us a second solo disc.

Sam Mendes wanted to do Gypsy at the Donmar for the longest time and his original choice was LuPone Laurents who had been wanting to do a Broadway production with Bernadette told him that he wouldn’t give permission for LuPone to do it but would if Mendes went with his choice of Peters. They were supposed to open with Peters at the Donmar in London but then dropped those plans to go right to Broadway instead. After the how opened that’s when the stories about Patti being Sam Mendes first choi...

Actually if (and I mean if) Woman in White happens to close before the Tony’s then Friedman might not get nominated also she got great reviews for a show that didn’t and her outside drama seemed to be reviewed as much as her performance. She might not be the lock that many think she is. At this point depending on how big Edie Falco’s role is she might be entered in Featured (they’re using a brand new Wallace Shawn text) so besides “probably” singing Pirate Jenny we don’t know how large or how...