ah thx for the clarification
Understudy Joined: 11/29/10
"(Sorry, but Julia Roberts can't act. And I remember thinking her epileptic and Sally's "Drink your juice, Shelby" were funny when they shouldn't have been.)
I won't get in to a discussion of Ms. Roberts' acting chops. BUT you should know that Shelby is not epileptic. Shelby was diabetic. You don't get a kidney transplant for epilepsy.
Ummm, did anybody clear this with Sondheim?
Swing Joined: 9/2/10
@crewdude yup, you also don't treat epilepsy with juice. that comment was making me twitch...which now strikes me as an unfortunate colloquialism in this context.
Understudy Joined: 8/16/11
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
"BUT you should know that Shelby is not epileptic. Shelby was diabetic."
Sorry you are right. But I still think that her performance borders on the comic as PRS's picture indicates. I saw this show originally off-Broadway and I don't remember it being unintentionally funny.
I won't be spending money to see this in the theater. I may rent it from Netflix. I agree, leave it alone. The original is iconic. Take some good black actors and maybe try for something original that may become an iconic picture.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
It's gonna be on Lifetime, baby! You won't even need to leave the house!
I'm still down with this. I really hope it happens!
I grant that the films is iconic. But it still isn't good.
Maybe the black actresses can make this material work better than the miscast originals.
What if the original cast did it in blackface?
They'd also have to dress in Solid Gold-esque clothes and say things like "jive turkey" and "Honkey" all throughout.
And instead of a seizure, Shelby does the moonwalk.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
And Jonah Hill (in drag AND blackface) must play Annelle.
Not to hijack this thread, but has anyone yet found out the cast of the all white remake of A Raisin in the Sun?
"Annelle, I'm trippin'!"
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
How can a script that often sounds like it was written by cribbing slogans off the buttons pinned to an eighth-grade girl's purse NOT be considered a classic?
If you don't have anything nice to say, come join the republican party!
I think it's funny how many people are dissing the original movie. I remember people talking about how awful the revival cast was on Broadway compared to the movie cast.
I rented the film a long time ago on a whim and, yes, it did make me whimper and sob like a babe without its mother. I loved that it made me sob 'n laugh at the same time when they were at the cemetery and the Olympia Dukakis character grabbed MacClaine and said, "Here! Hit Ouiser!!!!" I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it as I was initially resistant to watching it and my gut feelings are rarely THAT wrong, LOL.
The all-black/purple/yellow/pink/lavender/tri-color thing can be irritating, especially when it's obvious it's a gimmick, but this sounds great. One of the things that, apart from the moving tale, is a feature worth noting in the work itself are the potential for varying takes on the same roles due to their rich characterization.
So it also points out we are not equal, as blacks are apparently different enough to warrant another go on film. You could view it that way or just view it for what it is, which is likely more a way of showing just how similar we are that an all-black variation of the story won't hurt a bit and could even offer an interesting perspective worth experiencing for ourselves.
I doubt the intention here is to top the original. But if it does, then so be it, and I'm certain it will have something to do with the performances rather than anything to do with race.
I'm just glad that nobody on this thread has resorted to cheap jokes like "Drink your 40, Shelby".
I'm still bemused by the comments demanding that Lifetime should do something different and write something original. Um...isn't that what they're known for? That's their schtick. And if anyone has ever seen their original work, why ask for more?
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