Amy Spanger in Kiss Me Kate- Page 2

[TheColorOfFlame]

Posted: 5/25/05 at 11:57am

I'm so surprised there are so many people rooting for Anderson vs. Spanger. Anderson strikes me as frail and stiff, and her voice has a pigeon-like warble that I find to be so peculiar. Spanger is vivacious, sexy, and has a luscious, full belt that knocked me out of my seat when I saw KMK.

[NYAgent]

Posted: 5/25/05 at 1:30pm

I personally enjoyed Nancy Andersons Lois better. I think others did as well since Nancy was asked to go to London. Nancy got terrific reviews over in London and was nominated for an Olivier Award.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 5/25/05 at 1:58pm

i saw the show in NYC original cast and also late in the run with Burke and Carolee. Neither Lois knocked my socks off (not sure if it was Anderson by then or Janine LaManna--sp?). i've not watched the London video. However, in the Houston TUTS version of the revival, Danette Holden was a real stand-out. i also believe they did a cut version of TRUE TO YOU, which i think helped. As i recall, she played it almost entirely on the deck and did not use the stairs much.

Myself, i've always thought it might be interesting to stage TRUE TO YOU in the alley where TOO DARN HOT occurs. Maybe it's the movie rooftop setting influence.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 5/25/05 at 5:56pm

I saw Amy Spanger in one of my multiple trips to see Urinetown. I found her shrill and unbearable as Hope. I didn't get a chance to see the KMK revival though.

Updated On: 5/25/05 at 05:56 PM

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 5/25/05 at 6:13pm

I saw Amy Spanger in one of my multiple trips to see Urinetown. I found her shrill and unbearable as Hope.

Understatement of the century.


I will never be able to repay Karen Ziemba and the rest of the fine ladies nominated for Featured Actress in a Musical Tonys that year and shutting Amy Spanger out. She is the one and only actress who is colorless, irritating, cacophonous and makes me suicidal. I really cannot stand her, and I don't understand why she keeps getting jobs. I've seen her in 3 different things, and each time it was the same story. I really cannot stomach her and her annoyingness.

Thank you KZ and Company.
Updated On: 5/25/05 at 06:13 PM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/25/05 at 6:38pm

Karen definitely deserved to win the Tony in 2000. If there was an open space, I would give it to Tonya Pinkins (THE WILD PARTY). However, I did enjoy Amy's Bianca.

[mallardo]

Posted: 5/25/05 at 6:43pm

I loved Amy Spanger in KMK and Urinetown both but I can't say if it's because of her talent or because she's just so HOT!

[Doogie]

Posted: 5/25/05 at 10:22pm

Personally, Nancy Anderson is one of my top 20 favorite performers. ADorable, talented, a GREAT lois, a good Helen, and a WONDERFUL Ilona in She Loves Me.

Well, up till about a month ago, I thought Spanger was lousy. TECHNICALLY proficient in all areas, but had no spark whatsoever. She can sing, dance and act, but who cares?? She is BORING.

That said, I changed my mind when she was good when I loved her in REEFER MADNESS

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 12:44am

A while back I heard "Always true to you in my fashion" on Broadway's Best Radio and it was the lovely Amy Spanger (whom I had never heard of before) and I was blown away by how great it was! she has a voice on her. I then heard the original and went..."where'd Amy go??" . Then I saw her in Reefer Madness (which I now LOVE btw) and was like..wow..she's still amazing.

I can't imagine anyone sounding better than her in that role...but I haven't seen the DVD yet.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 11:06am

Both Amy and Nancy are super-talented, I can't pick one.

[snl89]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 1:23pm

Kiss Me, Kate was overall a first rate revival; but much like the once popular, short-lived game show, Amy Spanger was "The Weakest Link."

WEAKEST link?? she was practically WHY I fell in love with the show, but thats just me I guess :) haha. Seriously though, i walked out going "the show was really good, but OMG that girl playing Bianca was SOOOOOO amazing!! I LOVE HER!" lol. I personally feel that she should have been nominated, but that being sayed I honestly have never even heard of most of the people who WERE nominated, let alone saw them in the shows they were nominated for. haha. So, really its just my Amy bias talking there, but she was absolutely positively brilliant in Kiss Me Kate :P eeeeasily the best thing about the show. Marin was a close second.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 2:49pm

I think she should have won a Tony for TWS.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 3:16pm

"I was just looking at nominees for the year Kiss Me Kate was revived and noticed Amy Spanger was not nominated. I saw the show and thought she was brillant. Why would she not be nominates?"

Because Lisa Kirk did the role better and could pronounce all the words

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 3:27pm

Her performance was very, very good.

I don't think she was the weakest link, as I thought the production was perfection.

However, with Mazzie, Mitchell, and the two gangsters stealing her thunder, they just overshadowed her performance in my opinion.

Her Always True To You may have been questionable, but her Tom, Dick, or Harry was outstanding.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 11:09am

First of all, I am happy to see a thread about KMK!

Anyway, I saw Spanger, Anderson, and LaManna, and thought that Spanger was by far the best in every department. She stole the show, and there was a time when I would listen to her brilliant Always True to You every day.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 11:53am

bwaylvsong, could you expand and give us a review of Spanger, Anderson and LaManna???, by the way, it was an old thread and i rebumped it while listening to "always true to you", i prefer Spanger's version over Anderson's. But i think they are both brilliant. LaManna is a great performer, but somehow she doesn't do much for me, but i didn't see her performance as Bianca/Lois, so i can't talk about this role in particular.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 11:57am

And yes, the ladies from SWING! absolutely deserved to be nominated. I loved, loved, loved, loved that show.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 12:34pm

Spanger put a great deal of emotion into everything she did, both her belt and her head voice were incredible,her dancing was smooth and agile, she looked the part, and she embodied her character. Most importantly, she had a great spark, stage presence, and chemistry with her fellow actors.

LaManna was very similar to Spanger, but did not leave as much of an impression due to her lesser (but still great) stage presence. Everything she did was like Spanger but slightly toned down. I did like her very much, though.

I only saw Anderson on the video, but have seen it so many times that I can review it well. I did not think her use of character voice was appropriate to the character. It makes her less believable both as a lounge singer and as a sexpot. What guy would want someone with that voice? Anyway, her dancing and acting were good, but her voice turned me off.

Anyway, even a bad Lois could not detract from my enjoyment of my favorite musical of all time.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 12:40pm

"What guy would want someone with that voice? "
Haha, hey you are talking to a fan of hers! hehe, I understand what you say though, she is sexy in a very 1920's way I'd say, she is very Betty Boop-ish. I saw her last week in Burleigh Grime$ and i missed seeing her in a period role. She was great though, she is a fantastic dancer.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 12:51pm

Well, the voice she used was not her "natural" voice. I did not mean to insult her or her voice, just the character voice she used in this production.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 9:32pm

I agree. Although it is her real voice, i think.