Anyone Saw Anika Noni Rose in A.C.T THREEPENNY OPERA?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 8:22pm

The other day I found out that Anika Noni Rose had starred as Polly Peachum in the A.C.T production of THE THREEPENNY OPERA along with Bebe Neuwirth as Jenny, Nancy Dussault as Mrs.Peachum, and Philip Casnoff as Macheath. I found this very negative review online but I was wondering if anyone here had actually seen this production and could comment on it.
I'd have paid big bucks to hear/see Anika Noni Rose performing "Pirate Jenny" and "Barbara Song" and Bebe Neuwirth doing "Solomon Song."
Negative Review

[ChecksintheMayo]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 9:43pm

Yes, I saw the ACT 3Penny Opera. Anika Noni Rose and Lisa Vroman were the best part of that mess. Philip Casnoff looked bored, Bebe WAY too serious and laying the helicopter-ish vibrato on thick.

The rest of the cast was painfully amateurish. It was like watching talent night at the local elementary school.
Updated On: 6/5/07 at 09:43 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:52pm

Thanks! How I wish I could have seen it if only to hear the songs I mentioned. Do you have anything to say about Anika Noni Rose's "Pirate Jenny"? Do you remember by any chance what translation they used?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:55pm

They used Michael Feingold's translation. :)

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 12:09am

I love that picture, BSo, something about Bebe Neuwirth's ice-cold I-hate-the-world expression does it for me.
I don't think I'm familiar with Feingold's translation though.

[ChecksintheMayo]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 2:40am

Pirate Jenny was split between Anika and Bebe.

Polly, in her wedding dress is downstairs and begins the song, while Jenny is upstairs, polishing the railings in the darkness. She sings two verses, and at "There's a ship," Jenny overlaps and takes over. Polly does come back in the end, when Jenny fades back out.

As I mentioned before, the production was forgettable, but Anika had some serious stage presence, even back then. The photo is from Ballad of the Pimp, where MacHeath and Jenny do a tango during the song, right before she shoves him towards the cops.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 4:58am

Pirate Jenny was split between Anika and Bebe
That's, ummm, interesting. Thanks so much for explaining the staging of the song. I wonder if this was specifically done to lure Neuwirth to be part of the production (I know Ute Lemper, for example, didn't even consider doing the Roundabout THREEPENNY revival because Jenny didn't get to sing "Pirate Jenny" then again Neuwirth didn't get to sing this song when she did HERE LIES JENNY) or if this was the director's main vision from the beginning. I've never seen the show live so can't really comment but I don't think I'd like to see a split-up "Pirate Jenny." I had this great vision of Anika stopping the show with the song...guess not.
It's sad it wasn't a great production, you would think that with a cast like Nancy Dussault, Anika Noni Rose, and Bebe Neuwirth they would have put on something decent.

[ChecksintheMayo]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:39am

Pirate Jenny was actually one of the few pieces that worked for me. Polly is at first, telling the story, then the story coming to life. With Jenny in the upper level, rear of the stage, Polly, front and center, and the slow crossfade, it became almost a dream-like sequence. Though I was kind of puzzled as to why Bebe was wearing a cheongsam. Southeast Asian pirates?

But, yeah. I imagine Bebe wanted to sing Pirate Jenny, and this was the solution. She did have three fat solos in the piece though and was there at the opening and closing of each act (reduced from 3 to 2). She opens up the first act with the Ballad of Mack the Knife, closes it with Phil in the Ballad of the Pimp, opens the second act with another solo that I can't recall at the moment (I only remember the lady sitting next to me in the sixth row having a loud, extended coughing fit and Bebe, center and front, looking increasingly pissed while trying to sing over all the hacking noises). The show closes on Solomon Song. So, the role of Jenny, at least in this version, was not insignificant.

I can't remember much about Mrs. Peachum, so Nancy Dussault didn't really affect me either way. Malcom Gets was originally slated for the role of MacHeath, but had to cancel, so Casnoff stepped in at fairly last minute, I believe. Now that was a shame. I would have liked to have seen Gets in the role.

[lite2shine]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 11:23am

I did see the show too. I went to see Bebe but wasn't impressed with her, but I remember very impressed by Anika. She looked so refreshing in that stale production.

[DirtyRottenGirl]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 11:25am

A little of topic she is in that movie series whatever you call "The Starter Wife" with Debra Messing. Watch it on Thursdays.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 6:03pm

Checks, I guess it was one of those things you had to see to really get them. As I said, I wish I had seen this production. That particular staging of "Pirate Jenny" sounds intriguing. Did Neuwirth's rendition at least give justice to the song? From the review and the few comments on this thread it doesn't sound like this was Neuwirth at her best (probably due to the lack of direction). Oh, and I also would have loved to see Malcolm Gets as Macheath. Wish this cast would get together for a better-conceived production though.
I did catch the Starter's Wife and while it isn't that great, Anika steals the show, she has this one scene with her landlord that was hilarious and showed her brilliant comic timing.

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 7:12pm

Question: Is it Anika as in Ann-ih-ka or A-neek-a?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 7:40pm

It's not an American name so A-neek-a is probably a wrong pronunciation. Not sure how she prefers it, but I'm pretty sure she goes by Ann-ih-ka.