I admit, I have never seen this Tony Awards performance clip before, and just discovered that Phylicia Rashad was the witch?!!
That being said, she was awful! WHAT were they thinking?
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
Actually I saw her and thought she was excellent in the part.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
I saw her too and i'll agree she was excellent as well
Attend the tale of Bovine Boy
His party threads we all enjoy
But does he have Mad Cow Disease?
He doesn't eat beef - but cows skating? - oh please!!!
With cocoa!?!
And lemonade!?!
The heifer-mad poster of Broadway
(World)
Feel free to correct me anyone (this is what I gathered from this site, but I can't seem to find the thread), but there was a whole lot of drama when casting the Witch in Into the Woods. Apparently, they asked Patti LuPone who turned it down to be Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes. They next went to Betty Buckley who they fired for being uncooperative and a diva, so they asked Phylicia Rashad who wanted to do it but she had a toddler and didn't want to take time away from her so she said she would when it was more convienent for her. At lunch one day with Bernadette Peters, Sondheim commented that they were having difficulty finding someone for the part and she called him the next day and told her that if he needed her that she would do it. Bernadette originated the role on Broadway until Phylicia, who I'm guessing realized that she could handle both, finally took on the role. Again, that's just what I remember reading but feel free to pick it apart.
Phylicia Rashad, at least in this clip, was VERY weak vocally. Just a bad performance? Or is it one of those performances you need to see in context of the show?
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
I liked her, too. She was very elegant in the role, a foreshadowing of the maternal queen/roles she's played of late (actually, sensibilities very right for the Witch, whose backstory and arc in the story are defined by maternal feelings)
But I'd never heard she was the original choice. I did know that Buckley had done the workshop and been a bit difficult. I don't think she's right for the role. The Witch must have a sense of humor, a sparkle in her eye. Buckley tends to play the eleven o'clock spot from the start.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
She had trouble negotiating "Children Will Listen," but everything else was fine. And she was very funny with "Beans, beans..." -- all of the crone material.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
I thought she looked and sounded great but I never actually got the chance to see ITW and have only listened to the soundtrack, thus I'm not the best to judge.
"Perhaps, when we remember wars, we should take off our clothes and paint ourselves blue and go on all fours all day long and grunt like pigs."
Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
Was that back before she began speaking everything as if she were issuing a commandment from god? (Her Tony speeches make me cringe, though I like her anyway.)
And these Tony clips are always so annoying in that they make the performers try and fit in as MUCH as they can by speaking/singing as quickly as they can. Interesting though...
Bernadette agreed to do the part for a little awhile, I believe as a favor to Steve, and of course because she liked the role. She agreed to play it for six months and then she would leave. It was also agreed upon that the producers would submit Gleason's name for Leading Actress instead of her. She came back to do the video (whenever that was) but Rashad took over after six months. I also believe that Bernadette presented the Leading Actress award that year.
PLEASE! Do not post anything negative or dramatic! DidYouReallyHearMe has LOST the ability to ignore such posts and he will comment! Please, help him.
With Clay Aiken in Spamalot, all of Broadway is singing a collective "There! Right! There!" -Me-
"Not Barker, Todd is the only person I've ever known who could imitate Katherine Hepburn...in print." -nmartin-
I heard that Betty was liking someting other... this was the 80s folks.... ahem ahem....
And before you all jump down my ass.. this is common knowledge she had problems in the past.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
According to what I've read, Bernadette was busy and they didn't think she would do it. She did it as a favor to Sondheim. I would still love to have seen Patti's take on the role, but her Reno was something to be reckoned with so that's okay.
Buckley's ... issue ... is known, but in fairness, she was past it then, considerably so.
I don't think the role is right for Buckley or LuPone. It just needs that core glamour to really work. I also saw Betsy Joslyn, and she was rather uninteresting.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
I stand corrected. And I am fine with being wrong. I love Betty Buckley and think she is a fabulous singer and actress.. I saw her and John in Sunset Boulevard and loved her.
I just thought that being it was the 80s -- my time frame was a little off.... my bad.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
"Perhaps, when we remember wars, we should take off our clothes and paint ourselves blue and go on all fours all day long and grunt like pigs."
Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
this reminds me of the Witch casting for the ITW revival.
Sondheim originally wanted to cast it as a man. they put Billy Porter through a lot of callbacks and just when they thought they were going to put him into the role, the Creative team changed their minds.
it was some more Witch drama!
you can hear him sing "The Last Midnight" on his solo CD from Joe's Pub.
That's so cool about Patti being asked... I'd LOVE to hear her sing Last Midnight... That being said, I loved Bernadette Peters' interpretation on the video... Rashad is okay on the clip, I think... but not great.