A Little Night Music

[Boq101]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 11:41pm

I think that if any sondheim show should be revived next, it should be ALNM. It is by far very mature work and a lot could be odne with it with the advances we've had in stage technology what with the woods and the trees moving and joining and creating spaces. It could even work well as a John Doyle piece, considering Henrik is already supposed to play an instrument.

Any thoughts?

[C is for Company]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 11:47pm

PLEEEEEEEEASE, no Doyle for this one! Not this one! He won't get his hands on it and destroy the beauty of this piece by having them cradle unwieldy brass instruments!

[Boq101]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 11:50pm

okay, X on doyle, but the show still needs to be revived, eveyr other opera company in the world has done it already.

[Dark_Angel]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 11:51pm

I was just thinking about this musical the other night. I had no idea that it had been filmed in 1978. It starred Elizabeth Taylor (!), Diana Rigg and Lesley Ann-Down (among others). It was directed by Harold Prince. Has anyone here seen the it? Does it do justice to the original stage work? I know it isn't available commercially on home video and I've never run across it on television.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 11:52pm

Definitely need some legitimate actors and just perform the hell out of it. Some clips of operas performing it on Youtube have led to extreme disappointment because the theatrical nature that this piece holds so well was very lost. I can envision such gorgeous sets and costumes being used and with a great cast, this should be revived next.

[Boq101]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 11:56pm

the movie was not good at all. Hal PRince's fault mostly for making ti all choppy and moving the setting to austria...WHO THE HELL WOULD DO THIS SHOW IS AUSTRIA?! Not a good film by any standards.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 12:02am

I think it's not revived often because it really needs to be cast well. Desiree should have a European actress sensibility to her and there aren't many American actresses that can pull that off.

I also think that many of today's Broadway actors wouldn't be able to pull off the music. There has been a tendency lately for actors to use a rock belt voice. The voices for ALNM should be legit voices.

[Boq101]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 12:09am

Marc Kudisch as Carl-Magnus
Laura Benanti as Anne

they both did the roles at the LA Opera. this also had Kristen Bell from VEronica MArs and Reefer Madness as Fredrika.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 12:54am

I agree with those two cast members, they would be perfect and for Desiree I would love to see Bernadette Peters.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 1:57am

Didn't we JUST discuss this?

First, Boq, there are a ton of other issues aside from the Vienna switch, which when compared is slight.

Next, Anne is an 18 year old. 18, Giddy virginal child bride. (According to the MTI casting info) Not some singer who, in her last three leading roles has left prematurely (Into the Woods was legit, I know, but the track record is not good,), and has nothing relating to warmth.

Finally, much as I LOVE Bernadette, she's too old now. Desiree is only in her early-mid forties, and Bernadette is pushing 60. This is also why Glenn Close is no longer being considered.

The End

[DickonDefysGravity]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 3:23am

I think Bernadette could still pull off a smokin Desiree.
Keep Benanti away.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 3:43am

I'm waiting for this day, because this is my Favorite Musical of all time!

Bernadette could play Desiree and her age is not a probably because she doesn't look a day over 40! So don't pull an age card because it's how old you look not how old you already are! Besides, from the original pics I would day that Glynis Johns looked to be in her 50's as opposed to her 40's.

I think that Michael Cervis would be a good Frederick (especially since Sondheim is becoming a trend for him).

Brian Stokes Mitchell as Count Carl-Mangus.

Bebe Neuwirth as Charlotte.

and although she would never do it, Sutton Foster as Petra.

[mallardo]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 5:49am

The LA Opera production, which I saw, was almost perfectly cast:
Victor Garber - Frederick
Laura Benanti - Anne
Marc Kudisch - Carl-Magnus
Michele Pawk - Charlotte
Judith Ivey - Desiree
Zoe Caldwell - Madame Armfeldt
Danny Gurwin - Henrick
Jessica Boevers - Petra
Kristin Bell - Fredrika

It was as good as it sounds.

[JRybka]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 7:56am

Actually I think Brian Stokes as Carl is brilliant casting... and why not let Marin Mazzie play his wife the scheming Charlotte. We KNOW the two of them can sing it and just to hear Marin do Every Day a Little Death would just melt me into sheer pleasure.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 8:15am

Major NY revivals have been talked about many times (I wish I could have seen the LA production with Lois Nettleton as Desiree and Glynis Johns as Mme Armfeldt!), the last with Glenn Close attached as Desiree. But the show has had many wonderful productions at opera and theatre companies across the country (I saw a lovely regional production with April Shawhan as Desiree and Taina Elg as Mme Armfeldt) so it is far from neglected.

The film is a guilty pleasure of mine and "should have been wonderful." Prince is largely at fault ... as cinematic as his stage shows are, he is clunky with a camera.

The only reason the film got any financing at all (and from an Austrian film company) was because of Elizabeth Taylor's participation, who I always thought was an inspired choice for Desiree ... sadly, her weight gain during filming became quite a problem.

After the film was completed, it took quite a long time to find a distributor, if I remember correctly, with only schlockmeister Roger Corman willing to pick it up.

The film is being released on DVD this June ... I can finally retire my well-used laserdisc!

[Dark_Angel]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 8:42am

Look what I've found!

Updated On: 3/6/07 at 08:42 AM

[sondhead]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 8:48am

"Finally, much as I LOVE Bernadette, she's too old now. Desiree is only in her early-mid forties, and Bernadette is pushing 60. This is also why Glenn Close is no longer being considered."

Sally Ann Howes was 60 when she did it with NYCO, and her performance was pretty spectacular.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 8:58am

Judi Dench was way too old when she did the RNT production and she was spectacular as well. I think the role can be well-played by any woman "of a certain age." Bernadette's age isn't an issue in her being a good Desiree ... she would always have been a better Anne or Petra.

Streep of course, would make a smashing Desiree. Dixie Carter would have done well in her time also.

[roseaddams]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 9:42am

Coloring in the people in the tree takes all the fun away from knowing that they're there. I mean, they're not hidden or anything, but still...

[philcrosby]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 9:52am

Making the figures in the tree obvious in the film poster is just as awful as the tagline "Send in the Clowns ... Send in the Crowds!" Very cheap stuff. But they are lucky the film got distributed at all. Even luckier that the videos have included the full original film release, and not the drastically cut version distributed after the initial NY/LA Oscar consideration runs.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 10:07am

That LA opera cast sounds marvellous!

Updated On: 3/6/07 at 10:07 AM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 10:41am

The rumors of Glenn Close as Desiree and Angela Lansbury as Madame Armfelt sent me running to the web to book airline tickets last time.

[skingdom]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 10:59am

I DO love Laura Benanti, and I thought she was good in LA a couple of years ago. But I do think she is too old now.

Keep Stokes Mitchell AWAY.

Glenn Close could do it. And I'd see it with Bernadette.

[skingdom]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 11:00am

Oh, and Jessica Boevers rocked my socks. I was very surprised.

Kate Baldwin would be great too.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 11:13am

Victor Garber and Marc Kudisch on the same stage? I wouldn't have paid any attention to the actual show...
Benanti sounds great singing "Soon" on the Wall to Wall-Sondheim album, but at 27 she hardly looks like an 18 year old blushing virgin bride.
There's been a couple of threads on the subject. I think one of the most competent suggestions made was Annette Benning. I personally would prefer to see Bernadette Peters in a show where she can show off her singing a bit more (and yes, she'd have made a brilliant Anne back in the days). Desiree is a role for an actress who can sing...how about Natasha Richardson?
Marin Mazzie would indeed make a great Charlotte but the role is too small for her.