Who was the best Cassie?- Page 3

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 8/22/06 at 10:52am

StandingO - you really liked Laurie Gamache or was she the only Cassie you've ever seen? I did a production of ACL a few years back and she was our Cassie and I was less than impressed!

I for one always wished that I could have seen Kerry Casserly play Cassie in the Paris company.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/22/06 at 11:41am

Laurie Gamache is the only Broadway Cassie I've ever seen - I saw her on tour after the Broadway production closed. And I remember absolutely nothing about her performance. I've since seen footage of her in the role, and thought she was pretty good. But she certainly wasn't memorable for me live.

[StandingO]

Posted: 8/22/06 at 11:45pm

I had seen a couple of other Cassie on tour and on Broadway in the mid-late 80's and I liked Laurie the best. I'm sure she was less impressive in your production considering she must have been 20-25 years older then when I saw her. Where did you do it if you don't mind me asking?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 12:32am

I saw many Cassies from standing room,
I couldn't stay away.
and Donna has the edge cause she was the first.
Her moment of taking over the Spotlight, finally, in her career and the attention she was getting from Michael Bennet made that moment something any other actress would have to really search for.
Many have and probably suceeded but to me Donna was the Best!
Also her "voice" had the perfect timber for that song.

Sidebar: Anyone know why Wanda R.'s nickname at 42nd St. was
WHEATIES?

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 3:22am

Has anyone seen any UK or European Cassies?

[Jon]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 8:58am

Don't forget Samdahl Bergamn's big film role: "She-Ra" in MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 1:22pm

For those of you curious - there is an audio clip of D'Amboise doing "Music and the Mirror" on the site that won't be mentioned. You can hear the slightly different orchestration as well. I thought her acting and singing live were great.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 1:39pm

Thanks, MB.

Damn she sounds good. I am glad, because I love her - she's the main reason (besides it being ACL) I want to see this show.

I can't wait!

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 1:46pm

There is a faint, fuzzy yet totally arresting video of Donna M doing the enitre "Music and The Mirror" number on y**t**e.com. The sound is perfect but it's got to be 33rd generation.

Still I can't take my eyes off iot. I saw her do the role. Wow.

Updated On: 8/27/06 at 01:46 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 1:53pm

I don't think you are allowed to actually say "Y.T." on this site - they may delete your post - you might want to edit it. That video is from the Public Theatre and even the master is of terrible quality. It was a very early foray into preserving musicals on tape, and the film they used was very poor quality.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 2:41pm

MB---I saw Laurie Gamache as Christine in an early ACL tour. Can't even picture her as Cassie.

And I know this isn't a fair assessment here... listening to the audio on that "Voldemort" site that shall remain nameless... but even comparing this to the fuzzy Donna clip's audio side by side, Charlotte's singing and especially her vocal "acting" are... not impressive. It's anything but "organic"-sounding. These aren't difficult lines of dialogue, either. It's not Shakespeare. It just needs to sound "real" and "honest"... and I'm not sensing that in her voice at all. She sounds more like the character "Bobby" when she goes over all her past jobs in California. She's almost doing stand-up. And Zach (Beresse) is just as guilty. He sounds like he's pouring himself a cup of coffee and checking his Blackberry while he's talking to her. Not invested AT ALL.

The orchestra sounds GREAT though, and the slightly embellished orchestrations and musicians are good too... (except for the brass "slides" during the singing sections, which I found a little cheesy-sassy, fighting the more straight-forward mood of the song at that particular point).

Just my premature 2.5 cents.

Updated On: 8/27/06 at 02:41 PM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 3:04pm

Just listened to the D'Amboise clip. She sounds vocally fantastic, but her dialogue needs... alot of work.

Updated On: 8/27/06 at 03:04 PM

[DG]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 3:17pm

"Oh, hers is a sad tale full of talent, sex, unreliability, Gower Champion, redemption, and Jesus."

My favorite quote of the week.

And Donna M. definitely gets my Cassie vote.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 3:32pm

God, DG, that IS the quote of the week!

...and the makings of a great Country song.

The more I reread it, the funnier it gets.

[mateo]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 3:41pm

My friend Ashley was my favorite Cassie.

Beautiful and oh so talented.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 5:43pm

Best12 - I always interpreted that Cassie IS trying to be funny in reviewing her past jobs in CA. The moment is at least supposed to be awkward. She's not being honest at that point. She's talking to a former lover she hasn't seen in years and the way that dialogue is written its almost as if she is dancing around the fact that Zach is surely going to ask about her relationship with the "big agent" - which is clearly some form of embarressment for her. Her honesty comes when she says she "needs a job, and doesn't know any other way to say it."

At the performance I saw (a week after the performance on that audio clip) I thought D'Amboise made the dialogue work because it is awkward and insecure - the way her entire portrayal is up until that scene. The honesty came in begging for a job.

I agree about Berresse though who gives her nothing to play off of.

I don't think McKechnie's acting on the archived clip is particularly impressive. I've heard recordings of other performances that she was much more convincing on. It would appear she was something of an erratic actress as well.

Updated On: 8/27/06 at 05:43 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 5:45pm

I seem to recall Totie Fields doing a remarkable job in a touring company.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 5:52pm

MB---Charlotte is pushing too hard at the "funny" bit. She's doing bright, breezy shtick (it sounds like to me), not covering any humiliation. There's no awkwardness coming through. Just the "jokes." Sounds like nothing is at stake right then, until she says she needs a job (like it just dawned on her, instead of having it at the root of this whole moment). There's no "subtext," just... "text."

Donna's reading, even on Mr. Fuzzy Tape is MUCH more convincing... even if it's not Streep-worthy.

And Dollypop--I was always partial to Mindy Cohn's "Cassie" myself.

Updated On: 8/27/06 at 05:52 PM

[theaterlover45]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 5:53pm

Donna McKechnie

[theaterlover45]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 5:53pm

Donna McKechnie

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 6:01pm

Oh, I thought D'Amboise had humiliated pretty well covered. She's probably the only Cassie I've seen who plays the whole opening number as if fearing any minute Zach is going to stop her and throw her out of the building. But, obviously a lot of anyone's portrayl of any role is going to be lost in an audio recording.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 7:54pm

Man, I would have paid good money to see Mindy Cohen in A CHORUS LINE!

[kyle.]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 8:03pm

Does anyone know if there was a Cassie in a nat'l tour (was there more than one?) in the early 80's by the name of Shannon? She only had a six month contract.

Ring a bell to anyone? Sorry this is so vague, it's the only information I have.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 10:08am

MB--True enough!

kyle.--I saw Leslie Woodies as Cassie in an ACL national tour (about 25 years ago, gulp). No "Shannon" in that company.

Updated On: 8/28/06 at 10:08 AM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 11:03am

Best12, just read your earlier comments about Laurie Gamache. I, too, don't remember her performance at all. Although I liked the show when I saw it (mid 80s), the only person who made a real impression on me was DeeLee Lively (at that time married to Eddie Mecca) as Val.