You can also see Chita do a recreation of the Shriner's scene at bluegobo.com as well. She is such a terrific performer. Why, oh why, did they not cast her in the film? (Of course, the film cut Spanish Rose...)
Reinking is a divine dancer (won't comment on her singing of the song). I could not get my eyes off her legs, the way she moves is pure genius. How I wish I had seen her dance in DANCIN' and A CHORUS LINE. Luckily, she is heavily featured in ALL THAT JAZZ. Chita Rivera is just too good for words. I was enthralled by her performance and God did she rock that skirt, it's like the skirt itself was part of her body. I can only imagine what her dancing as Anita must have been like. Thanks for posting, PJ, both are fabulous. I think it's clear that Gershon won't be doing anything like that, a pity.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
They have to! It's one of the best songs in the show, at least my favorite, it's hilarious and while it sucks badly that Gershon won't be able to dance it like Rivera or Reinking, I do believe she'll be able to do a great job with the comic aspects of the number.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
I hope so! It just scares me because there is an alternate number to replace SPANISH ROSE with.
I am also fearing they will cut Rosie's ONE BOY reprise/dance. If Gershon cannot handle the dancing, they could replace it with LET'S SETTLE DOWN from the 95 movie. And that scares me!
Well to be fair Reinking is as white bread as they come. Gershon has a more exotic look to her, I feel. Regardless I don't think it's a matter of the actress being "Spanish enough," it's whether the actress can really vamp up those stereotypes mockingly in order to make a for a hilarious show-stopping "Spanish Rose's Turn" (as I like to call the number).
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
^^Gershon does have a more exotic look to her, agreed, but I'm still not that excited to see her tackle the choreography. But perhaps she will surprise me.
I do think that vamping up the stereotypes for the humor that "Spanish Rose" really needs is very important and a successful actress can pull that off. Of course, if said actress is as white as can be, it certainly won't play well. However, I did think Vanessa Williams did a good job with the shortened version in the 95 movie.
Ann Reinking is really not latin and spunky enough. Don't get me started on her singing. I've actually never really liked her that much. The only thing she can do well is dancing/coreography.
"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas." -Danmeg's 10 year old son.
In regards to Vanessa Williams, I must admit that I prefer the placement of Spanish Rose in that spot as opposed to so late in the second act. I find it sets up Rosie's attempts to cut loose a bit with the Shriners' Ballet when done beforehand. Where it stands in the stage script I feel like it just makes Rosie vindictive and spiteful. By that point it is clear that she has won the "battle" over Albert and now just seems intent on rubbing it in Mae's face.
I also think that Rosie's "One Boy" reprise can be done without the "How to Kill a Man" ballet without resorting to replacing the whole sequence with "Let's Settle Down." I like the song, but agree that it is out of place with the rest of the score style-wise.
I stand corrected. Last time I did the show was in 1999, so the details of where various things were that we cut is somewhat hazy after all these years. Either way, I still don't think the show suffers from its excision (but that is just my opinion).
^^Isn't that placement of "Bye-Bye Birdie" been inserted into the script when licensed after the 95 movie aired? During undergrad my theater group did the show and this song was definitely in it.
And Byron Abens, I definitely agree about the placement of "Spanish Rose." It does work better placement-wise I thought in the 95 film. I saw the North Shore Music Theater do the show last summer (and in regards to above, my mind is telling me that "Bye-Bye Birdie from the film was in the show, but I could be remembering wrong) and thought Spanish Rose could have been set earlier in act II.
^^Nope, it wasn't cut. Shortened a little. The 95 film is available if you are a Netflix member as an instant watch. I searched, but haven't been able to find a clip of it online. Perhaps someone else would have more luck?