Ana Gasteyer and Kathy Voytko in "Passion"- Page 2

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 11:19pm

I thought Audra's Clara was TOO nice. I was like "Why would Giorgio ever leave her?"

And OMG, I may have to crash my sister's apartment this Oct.

[Celticblockhead]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 11:31pm

Ana will play Fosca and Kathy will be playing Clara. I have to note, neither actress has signed her contract yet as far as I know, but since it's been announced I'm assuming they'll sign soon. Kathy absolutely can play a nasty Clara no matter how sweet she is in real life and she has an excellent range for the part as well from what I heard when I saw her as Grania. I'm not an Ana fan, but I can see her as Fosca. With Eugene Lee for a set designer, you can bet it's going to be a big to do. Wish I could get down there to see it and cheer Kathy on, but alas, college gets in my way.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 11:45pm

I love "Passions"!

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 11:50pm

Well whether we're supposed to like Clara or not depends on the director's vision. Though of course it's probably not a good choice to have her be more appealing than Fosca in everyway, but I would think it a suitable choice to have her be less cool that Marin Mazzie's Clara. I'm not saying that Marin Mazzie wasn't a great Clara too, I'm just saying that it all depends on the director and the warmth of the Fosca. Lupone's Fosca was very cool herself (imho) so the balance was all off. Now, if say Donna Murphy were to play Fosca again, a toned down version of Audra McDonald's Clara might work.

And again, no I don't think Audra could do the role as well as Donna Murphy. I don't really think anyone could.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 12:54am

Americanboy, I don't know how long ago that Evita tour was, but I am sorry to hear you didn't like Kathy. I have to say, I think she was very good in the Pirate Queen recently when she went on for Stephanie. I found her voice impressive.

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 12:56am

You gotta be mutha ****ing kidding me?!?!?! I knew they were doing Passion but....WOW!!!

I'm so mutha ****ing there!!!!

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 12:56am

Can't wait!

[Steven]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 1:00am

At least Gary Griffin will be able to watch two different productions before he stages this one. I saw Kathy Voytko in Evita and thought through she wasn’t the biggest voiced out of the 10 or so Evita’s I’ve seen (that honor would belong to Susan Moniz another Chicago Actress) that she was one of the better acted ones. I was also impressed that she was one of the few that didn’t have another actress play the role at the matinee.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 1:01am

You will have to have DirecTV after September 17th to be able to see it!

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 1:11am

I just sent a email to my professors, so hopefully they will listen to my plea and it will be a PA trip (that way I can go for free and meet Kathy because one of my professors has worked with her before!!)


Please work, please work, please work....

[jimnysf]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 1:14am

I would hold the hand of the one who could lead me places
And kiss the lips of the one who could sing so sweet
And I would fly on a wings of a bird I knew could take me highest
Breathe in, breathe out
You keep me alive
You are the fire burning inside
Breathe in breathe out
You keep me alive
You are my fire, my passions for life

I would dance with the feet I knew could always follow
And take the road that had the straightest line
You do all of these things for me
You are all, and then some

Breathe in, breathe out
You keep me alive
You are the fire burning inside
Breathe in breathe out
You keep me alive
You are the fire burning inside of me
You are my passion for life

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 1:41am

Does Kathy have a nice soprano range?

buffyactsing: That's a very good point. LuPone's Fosca drove me crazy, so I saw absolutely no reason for Giorgio to choose her over Audra's beautiful, warm Clara.

[Celticblockhead]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:38am

SporkGoddess, she's got the Soprano end of a Mezzo type voice. She's very good and she can handle Clara. Should be a good show. The run will be October 2nd to Nov. 11th. Enjoy it those who can go! Now if only I could convince some people to pay for me to get to Chicago from PA for my birthday ...

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 10:44am

Has anyone ever seen Voytko in Pirate Queen?

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 11:07am

I want to see this show so bad! Passion is my seccond favorite show and I have never seen it live.

"I simply adored McDonald in 110 IN THE SHADE but I don't think she could pull off all the layers and nuances that Murphy brought out in the character (neither did LuPone)."

Ray, once again you hit the nail on the head. I love LuPone, but she was horribly miscast as Fosca. She came off as almost cold and distant, which is the exact opposite of what Fosca is supposed to be. LuPone also was terribly one dimensional, in one of the most complex roles recently written for musical theater. I somehow think McDonald and LuPone got mixed up with the charecter discriptions. hah, I jest. . On another note, Michael Cerveris was not ideal as Georgio, and his chemistry with LuPone in the bedroom scene was so off the mark, but he was the one I liked best of the Trio (even though McDonald sang Clara beautifully.)

[ahmelie]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 11:26am

Am I the only one who cannot see Ana as Fosca AT ALL?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 1:24pm

I bet she'll surprise us. Anyone who saw Gastayer in THREE PENNY knows she's got the pipes for this role.

But who else thinks that once done up in Fosca drag ... she'll look like Dame Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers in REBECCA?

If anyone can post the two faces, just check it out.

[Celticblockhead]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 1:42pm

Millie - Yes, I saw Kathy in 'The Pirate Queen'. She was fantastic vocally and acting wise and she's the sweetest person you'd ever want to meet. Part of why hearing she played Eva really surprises me since Eva is so nasty and Kathy really isn't. However, she's a wonderful actress and person and she'll do the role justice.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 1:47pm

I think she would be a pretty good Fosca. It would be interesting to see this.

[daspazoo]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 3:12pm

Steven: "At least Gary Griffin will be able to watch two different productions before he stages this one."

HI-LAR-IOUS!

I tell everyone about the 'Gary Griffin rule' at Theatre on Film and Tape in New York--cracks me up.

[My Sobriquet]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 11:00pm

I can really see Ana Gasteyer as Fosca. I thought she did a really exceptional job in Wicked, both singing and acting.

I'm pretty sure that she started as an Opera major at Northwestern, my alma mater, before changing to the theater program.

Something for us here in Chicago to look forward to.

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 8/2/07 at 3:35am

My major worry is that she lacks subtlety, and I think to a certain degree that's what makes a good Fosca. I don't know though of course, I've mostly seen her do comedy. Fosca can become a mess if played too "operatically" dare I say.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 8/2/07 at 4:04am

Wow. That's crazy. An NY transfer would be great, though. Passion needs to find an audience.

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 8/2/07 at 4:25am

I would love for it to transfer...on the other hand the thought of all the potential fangirlies (assuming some hot broadway hunk played Giorgio) to start going to their high school auditions trying to sing "I Wish I Could Forget You" freaks me out just a bit.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 8/2/07 at 4:37am

I don't think that could ever happen with Passion. But if it makes a Sondheim show successful, I would be willing to deal with fangirls.