Amy Adams to play The Baker's Wife- Page 5

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 11:56am

My first witch was Phylicia Rashad (was she Ayers-Allen at that time??). She brought a grande dame bearing that was impervious and cold and rather wonderful. Then, I saw Ellen Foley, who brought a butch rock and roll undercurrent to the show. Very, very interesting. And then I saw Bernadette, who brought a sexy, tit-filled performance that was unlike the others in every way. I think the role is a bit of an enigma and requires the actress cast to bring the full force of her personality to bear. It's not just a role you play, it's a role you fill. Therefore, what Donna Murphy brings would be very different from what Idina Menzel would bring. But I think both would be viable interpretations.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 11:57am

ah, Sikes makes a lot more sense as Baker's Wife. i should have IBDB'd it...and i am sorry i forgot Dussault's name, i think she was quite talented and flexible (is?). Bringing it back to Baker's Wives...Sondheim's, not Schwartz's...WEHT the lovely talented Kay McClelland (what a delight in both ITW and CITY OF ANGELS)

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:03pm

Kay McClelland was my OBSESSION when I was a teenager. I thought she was an amazing actress and was completely in love with her voice. I had heard she left the biz to teach acting...but I have no idea if that's true or not.

I mean...what level of gay am I that Kay McClelland was my obsession?

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:05pm

By the way, Marin Mazzie understudied the Witch in the original Broadway production, and she went on several times. She would be great, too.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:05pm

a charming level. i was easily as obsessed with the lovely original Cinderella, Kim Crosby...who actually married her Wolf Prince.

[TheatreFan27]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:05pm

I'm throwing Marin Mazzie's name into the mix as well (being a Tony winner and not a TV/movie actress). She's got a great look for the part, incredible voice and phenomenal acting ability. She also reminds me of Hannah Waddingham (The Witch for Regent Park's production).

I'm still secretly hoping for Emily Skinner though :)

Best, I see we have the same idea haha

Updated On: 4/4/12 at 12:05 PM

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:07pm

Tx, I saw the production with Uggams, too. Pretty good production, considering -- I actually liked Lenny Wolpe as the baker, too, as having him be such an old man added a bit of Abrahamic poignancy to his desire for a child.

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:09pm

@TheaterFan-Marin Mazzie has been nominated for, but never won, the Tony.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:10pm

La Uggams has done it several times regionally, but YES Wolpe was wonderful (though i have yet to see him fail, a marvelous actor). And to SONOFROBBIEJ, don't know her surname in that phase of her life, but Phylicia was mesmerizing. i'd have love to have seen her try the many roles in DREAMGIRLS she covered originally. BEST12, i have seldom similarly seen Mazzie fail either, so i'd love to have seen her then...and now. i think she also covered Kim Crosby as Cinderella, if not mistaken...which again might point out that each of these roles, while certainly stamped with the original cast's interpretation, has room for other nuances from talented singing actors of many variations.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:17pm

I have a good (fast) story about Marin going on as the Witch during the original run ...

Mutual friends of ours learned that she was going on that night (this is pre-Internet, so the word didn't exactly spread) , and they all scrambled to buy last-minute tickets to the performance.

These were/are VERY close friends of Marin (and me as well), so when the curtain went up, they looked at each other, totally disappointed that someone else was playing the part. It was only toward the end of Act One when they began to realize it WAS Marin, and she had disguised herself so completely, both vocally and physically, as the "ugly witch" that her own good friends who loved her and had worked with her in many shows didn't even recognize her.

They were completely blown away by her performance that night.

EDIT: By the way, she was about 26 or 27 years old at the time (pretty young to play the Witch) and also understudied Cinderella.

Updated On: 4/4/12 at 12:17 PM

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:24pm

that is one great anecdote! was it Mazzie who was also in SONG OF SINGAPORE, or was that Murphy? i also saw Mazzie do 110 IN THE SHADE opposite her hubby in Pasadena CA and wow she was great there too.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:27pm

Murphy was in Song of Singapore. That's great that you saw them in 110 in the shade.

I guess the best part of the anecdote is that these were her best friends ... not acquaintances, etc. It's just short of your own mother not recognizing you. According to them, it was a total transformation.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:33pm

again if memory serves, Mazzie was a great Arlene in BABY at Papermill...or maybe she started it and Carmello (another fave of mine) had to take it over.

[AngelorPhantom1359]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:41pm

There is no way that I can get a ticket for this which is devastating to me, but I'm hoping that they record this, although I know it probably won't.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:51pm

Do you KNOW how crazy-making the conversation is in my head right now?

'$400 for two tickets? You can just pay $600 more and go to opening night for both shows!!!!'

That's kind of crazy, right?

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 1:03pm

What's a few zeroes among friends?

Wanton spending at its finest! Hey, if you got it ...

[somethingbypuccini]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 2:02pm

Does anyone else think that Audra could be an interesting choice? Or even Lillias White.

Updated On: 4/4/12 at 02:02 PM

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 2:13pm

I need to make some charitable donations to off-set some income, so this is as good a deduction as any, right?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 3:11pm

Audra, Big yes,
Lilias: Big no.

[somethingbypuccini]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 3:13pm

I know Lillias doesn't have that allure and beauty, and wouldn't work in a full production, but but I think she would sing the hell out of the score. Can you imagine her Last Midnight?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 3:16pm

Would I be hanged to suggest the Tony-winning actress Idina Menzel?

Yummy. Yummy. Yummy.

With Adams and Menzel, people will probably camp out for tickets. And honestly, I could see Adams doing a more innocent and naive take on the Baker's Wife that could be potentially hilarious when she tries to force some assertiveneaaz. For example, the thought of her blurting "I need your shoe to have a child!" already makes me smile.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 3:25pm

"I could see Adams doing a more innocent and naive take on the Baker's Wife"

I'm all for interpretation, but that's not the character as written.

[somethingbypuccini]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 3:33pm

Neither was Liza's Sally Bowles, and that was brilliant. I think it could work very well. Her inherent naivety paired with material like Moments in the Woods could be really powerful.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 3:39pm

I don't think Amy Adams needs to be naive to be effective. There's a whole lot more to her than Giselle and wide-eyed optimism.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 4:46pm

I'm all for interpretation, but that's not the character as written.

The character is quick to think on her feet, but she can still be naive to the situations being presented. And I'm not saying she needs to be naive to be effective. I'm not thinking Giselle, but a little more discovery and a little less savvy. Gleason did what she does best, but I cannot see anyone else performing that interpretation as successfully. I do think the character works best when showcasing the comedic strength of the actress, which is why there is more room for interpretation exactly as the character was written. Quite similarly for the Witch, Baker and Cinderella. The Princes, Red and Jack are a bit more limited in their characterizations. Though there is not much you can do with Rapunzel as she is SO underwritten, which I've always found a disappointment.