A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC takes the Kerr? — Page 9

Meryl Streep is Meryl Streep she doesn't have to audition, especially for her good friend Sondheim. Wasn't she attached to it around the time they were courting her for MAMMA MIA? I believe someone told me that she had scheduling conflicts that she wasn't so interested in figuring out because there was another musical she was interested in being a part of. But who knows?
Either way, Winslet is the most ideal candidate for Desiree along with Laura Linney. I have no interest in seeing Clark in this production nor Cerveris. I agree, Cerveris is in everything and it has become tiresome, predictable and annoying.

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If Winslet is in this, there would not be words for how happy I would be. She is, without a doubt, my favorite actress, film, theatre, or otherwise.

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If they advertised it as Lansbury's final stage role, I couldn't imagine the number of ticket sales!

Though they never would, and it may not be :P.

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If Winslet's cast, it's going to be a pain to get tickets.

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I actually think Lansbury would be a bigger draw to theatre audiences (i.e. the people who will buy tickets to this production) than Winslet. Yes, Winslet was in TITANIC which was a huge hit but, much as I love her, LITTLE CHILDREN and REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (and THE READER, for that matter) were far from blockbusters (or financially successful for that matter) and she has never appeared on Broadway before, so it will be a first.

All of that being said, she is at the top of her game and may be the biggest movie star right now (and deservedly so) so that may be the best career choice.

I say she'll do a 4-month run if she does it. She lives in NY, after all, and in a fantastic INTERVIEW interview recently she spoke of her love of the theatre, of New York and a desire to have a "night job" (aka after little children go to sleep aka showtime) which this project undoubtedly would be.

I agree, Winslet and Lansbury in the first Broadway revival of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is exactly what that piece deserves and would have the potential to give the original a run for its money if that were even remotely possible. This score is Sondheim's most exquisite, evocative and enchanting and deserves the best the entertainment field can offer.

Those ladies are it.

P

P.S. Winslet and Cerveris really would look like great opposite one another and their acting styles would complement each other magnificently. I would prefer any of the Fabrizios from LITP's run, but Cerveris is a great actor and a good singer.

Updated On: 6/24/09 at 08:01 PM

All this Winslet and Lansbury talk is making me so excited. Kate is one the best film actresses of our generation and Lansbury is one of the greatest stage actresses of all time if not the best. Winslet would nail the complexity of the role perfectly.

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Where the hell did the Angela rumor start?

"The only problem seems to be any drama left over from the lawsuit involving Mendes over WISE GUYS. "

- Can you elaborate of what this is about?

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I'm sure someone could do a much better job than I could. I think the wounds are healed, anyway, as Mendes and Sondheim worked together on pre-production for SWEENEY TODD a few years after the lawsuit was settled, so it doesn't really matter.

And Mendes' Donmar Warehouse did a revised version of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG in that time period that won the Olivier for Best Musical, though Sondheim apparently was not a huge fan of the production (it included "The Hills Of Tomorrow") and still prefers the Lapine rewrite, which I do, too.

WISE GUYS was the best STRIKE IT RICH/GOLD/BOUNCE/ROAD SHOW ever was. By a MILE. True, Sondheim and Mendes has totally different ideas of what it should be but in this case that worked to its advantage I think (it really is a dark story told in a musical comedy milieu, as much as Steve refused to say it was dark until he changed his tune with Doyle's darkly dreaming ROAD SHOW).

Since we are all making wishes I wish that Steve finally gives Madame Armfelt an Act Two song, which Regina Resnik apparently requested from him once and he declined. Angie's a different story, as they are true collaborators and admiring peers. I don't care if the show is too long and Nunn used "Silly People" in previews in London so he is open to the idea of a cut song making its way back into the score and ALNM has all the best cut songs (besides FOLLIES). Or maybe a new verse in a Liason's (Reprise)?

P

ljay, always the fool, has apparently not read the most recent issue of HELLO! (UK edition) magazine in claiming this rumor is far from substatiated.

Words, when eaten, taste best with salt. Believe me, I know.

P

I'm honestly all over this idea of Laura Benanti as Charlotte. she wasn't honestly who I'd think of first for the role, but I do think she'd be wonderful.

although, I also think Victoria Clark could've made a fine Charlotte. not in this production, obviously.

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I have no interest in seeing Cerveris as Fredrick, you can almost tell what he's going to do in the part already, if someone proves that there's such a thing as overexposure it's him but I guess he is cast so it'll depend on their choice for Desiree. If it's Cerveris and Clark, I'll be the first one to admit I'll be quite disappointed.
Unfortunately, I'm with Ljay, Winslet is really just a rumor and I even don't think that she is even on their radar.
My ideal cast would be: (since Fredrick and Henrik have been cast I won't add them)
Kate Winslet or Laura Linney as Desiree
Steven Pasquale or Michael Gets as Carl-Magnum
Angela Lansbury, Maggie Smith or Mary Beth Piel as Armfeldt
Laura Benanti, Kate Jennings Grant or Jenny Powers as Charlotte
Josefina Scaglione or Erin Davie (too old I know) as Anne
Heidi Blickenstaff as Petra

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I'm not really a fan of the idea of Cerveris as Frederick. He would be serviceable, but not that exciting.

ETA: And either Blickenstaff or Larkin would be terrific as Petra.

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Updated On: 6/24/09 at 09:53 PM