Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
#1Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 10:54am
#2re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 11:47amI've never seen anyone move like Anita Morris. And while the first think people mention about her is how insanely and ridiculously sexy she was, I think her voice is as fascinating as her moves. I just love her singing voice. How I wish I had been able to see her in BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, I bet she was a great Mona. It's a pity she died so young, and that she didn't come back to Broadway after NINE.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#2re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 11:52amGod, what a woman. I'll never forget my first exposure to her was in RUTHLESS PEOPLE when I was 7 years old and I became fascinated by her. Later on was when I discovered her stage roles and I still consider myself a huge fan.
#3re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 11:55am
For those who saw her in "NINE"...do you think she deserved the Tony over Liliane Montevecchi?
BTW, if you find the video of "A Call From the Vatican" her husband leaves a provocative comment about her!
#4re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 11:58am
She died oh so young at age 50 from ovarian cancer. Such a tragedy.
To have seen HER, (AND Liliane Montevecchi, AND Karen Akers, all in 1 show)- the original "Nine") was a modern high point of my theater-going "career".
#5re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 12:11pmAll my friends who saw the NINE original cast say that Anita Morris' performance was easily one of the best they have seen in their theater-going careers. They say it was in the Donna Murphy in PASSION, Christine Ebersole in GREY GARDENS vein, just to use modern comparisons. I'm not quite sure how Morris lost the Tony to her co-star, nicely enough, Jane Krakowski won for playing Carla in the revival over Chita Rivera who played the Montevecchi role.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
WestVillage
Broadway Star Joined: 7/20/05
#6re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 12:22pmAnita was one of the sexiest women to ever grace a Broadway stage. How fun to see that video, and I loved how she handled the costume malfunction! Loved her in Nine and The Magic Show. So tragic that she passed so young.
ghostlight2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
#7re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 12:55pm
I've always absolutely loved this video. The look on her face at the moment she realizes she's lost her skirt is priceless (2:40, for the curious among you). And yes, she handled it wonderfully. After her initial hilarious reaction, she forgets all about (and so do we) and moves right on as though it never happened. Quite the performance. Love the guys dancing with her, Jeff Calhoun being one of them.
Completely agree with Ray about her voice. That belt of hers on "DIE for me!" is just...wow. She also was a brilliant comedienne, with an excellent sense of timing. And yes, a body to die for, with the knowledge of just exactly how to use it. I was lucky enough to catch her in her last four Broadway shows (Nine more than once), as well as numerous benefits and other shows. One of a kind.
I absolutely believe she should have had that Tony for Nine. No disrespect at all to Jane Krakowski, who did a brilliant job and deserved her Tony, but Anita's "Call from the Vatican" to me will always be the definitive version, and she did it without the props. The only existing video I've ever seen is of horrible quality, but its well worth the look if you can find it. Also so sexy/funny is her cartoon character portrayal in the Rolling Stones' video "She Was Hot".
She was truly a force of nature, and gone from us far too soon. Thanks for posting.
Ms Morris' Nine commercial
Updated On: 7/17/09 at 12:55 PM
#8re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 1:03pm
Ghostlight, Jane Krakowski has actually said that she saw Anita Morris in NINE and she thinks HER Carla is definitive. Krakowski said that's why she wanted to do something completely different from what Morris did during "A Call from the Vatican."
I mean, this woman was so brilliant that Tommy Tune said that he trusted Morris so much and he admired her so much that he let her choreograph her movements for "A Call from the Vatican." So the brilliance we got in that number was all Morris, even if Tune and Thommie Walsh helped a bit, the essence of it is all hers which explains why the movements seem so organic when she does them.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
ghostlight2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
#9re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 1:17pm
I didn't know that, Ray, but Krakowski has always been a very smart as well as talented woman. I can't see that they had any choice but to go in a totally different direction. Seriously...how do you follow that?
Kudos, too to Walsh (rip Thommie, another gone too soon, though he was no longer in the biz), and Tune for being secure enough (and smart enough) to allow her to do that. Thanks for that info.
Roscoe
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#10re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 1:59pmYes, Anita Morris deserved the Tony over the Montevecchi in NINE. She was wonderful.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/
#11re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 2:20pm
Ghostlight, I believe Jane was even involved in the early workshops of NINE or at least in talks to join (I can't remember exactly) since as originally envisioned, the Lady of the Spa was supposed to be played by a 13-14 year old Jane Krakowski. Of course they went a different direction, but I imagine Jane got to work with Morris or at least met her which also explains the respect and admiration she has for Morris' work in NINE.
I've only seen Morris' performance through video and well, I've listened to her "A Call from the Vatican" and "Simple" more times than I care to admit, but hers is easily one of my all time favorite performances (at least on cast recording and video).
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#12re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 2:29pmA brilliant talent indeed, who is much missed by the theatrical community. Ted Neeley spoke about her last time I went to see JCS; you'll recall Anita appeared in the OBC as a leper, reporter, temple prostitute, and one of the apostles' women. He put it this way: "It was so obvious, especially with Anita, that she was going to be a shining star from the first day, and what a delicious diva she was."
"There is no problem so big that it cannot be run away from."
~ Charles M. Schulz
ghostlight2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
#13re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 3:20pm
I'd never heard that before either, Ray, but it makes perfect sense - and of course Krakowski had also performed with Akers and Montevecchi in Grand Hotel.
"It was so obvious, especially with Anita, that she was going to be a shining star from the first day, and what a delicious diva she was."
I so wish I had seen her in JCS, gvendo. Thanks for that quote.
And to keep this almost on topic, the very silly Rolling Stones video, "She Was Hot".
She WAS hot!
Updated On: 7/17/09 at 03:20 PM
#14re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 5:28pmNo problem. Ted's never had an unkind word for anybody.
"There is no problem so big that it cannot be run away from."
~ Charles M. Schulz
#15re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 5:33pmThe first time I really took notice of her was in THE MAGIC SHOW - totally phenomenal performance. Unfortunately, the eventual DVD release cut her role to ribbons - but she was the real magic.
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LoveIsCompany
Stand-by Joined: 5/11/08
#16re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 5:39pm
If you go to the site and search "Anita Morris Nine" you'll find an amazing video (sorry! didn't realize it was CR infringement to post it here!)
What she does to that block is pure inspiration. Though the sound is shoddy, you can still see what an amazing mover she was. The things she can do with her body...
There will never be another like her!
Updated On: 7/17/09 at 05:39 PM
ghostlight2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
#17re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 6:02pm
LoveIsCompany, you are right, of course - there will never be another Anita.
I never knew there was a dvd of The Magic Show, TimesSquareRegular. That was the first show I saw her in. I always loved the line:
"I've been shocked
and unfrocked
at a Walpurgeshnacht.
Tell me, where is Gloria Steinem when you need her?"
Updated On: 7/18/09 at 06:02 PM
#18re: Anita Morris (vid). Nuff said.
Posted: 7/17/09 at 8:54pmThanks all, for your lovely comments to my thread....
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