Posted: 5/17/22 at 8:15am
I always thought Patti's mention of Lincoln Centre in her acceptance speech for Gypsy was a wink to everyone that she wanted the Tony for Anything Goes, especially considering she makes a point to say she's written acceptance speeches before bu they never made it out of her purse, so that night she was using an old one...could it be the one from 1987
Updated On: 5/17/22 at 08:15 AM
Posted: 5/17/22 at 8:26am
fbueller said: "Yes!!! I’m surprised it wasn’t put out as an initial theatrical release in the states. Can’t wait to see it! Sutton is the definitive Sweeney."
It did get a theatrical release. Fathom Events showed it for two days about a month ago.
Posted: 5/19/22 at 2:11pm
I watched last night on my DVR. The first act was better. But the show is still worth it for Sutton Foster and the dancing
Posted: 5/19/22 at 2:47pm
BwayLB said: "I watched last night on my DVR. The first act was better. But the show is still worth it for Sutton Foster and the dancing"
Glad you enjoyed it.
Posted: 5/19/22 at 3:15pm
Having seen Patti Lulone in the role, I can assure you that Sutton Foster — who is wonderful in the role — is not the definitive Reno. She is missing the jaded ‘world-weariness’ that Lupone brought to the role.
Posted: 5/19/22 at 3:32pm
And that is one of the most ridiculous losses ever.
I would also point out that Ethel Merman lost the Tony for Gypsy, even though three people won after her. Does that mean that she was not as good? If Sharon D Clarke wins the Tony, does that end she was better than Tonya Pinkins? Maggie Smith lost the Tony for Private Lives and Lindsay Duncan won in a later production. As good as Duncan was, she did not hold a candle to Smith. There are other examples, e.g., Claudia MacNeil and Felicia (sic) Rashad in A Raisin in the Sun, Irene Worth and Geraldine Page for Sweet Bird of Youth…
Posted: 5/19/22 at 3:44pm
Chita Rivera wasn’t even nominated for her now-legendary performance as Anita in the original 1957 Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY yet Debbie Allen was for the 1980 Broadway revival and Karen Olivo won it for the 2009 Broadway revival.
Posted: 5/19/22 at 4:06pm
The first and best "Reno Sweeney". Here in a 1954 TV performance, 20 years after originating the role on Broadway.
Updated On: 5/19/22 at 04:06 PM
Posted: 5/19/22 at 4:22pm
Dollypop said: "BwayLB said: "I watched last night on my DVR. The first act was better. But the show is still worth it for Sutton Foster and the dancing"
Glad you enjoyed it.
Pleasure. After last night, I regret not seeing the 2011 Bway production with Foster, Grey and Osnes. I was young and not open to much of Cole Porter’s music
Posted: 5/19/22 at 9:11pm
BwayLB said: "Dollypop said: "BwayLB said: "I watched last night on my DVR. The first act was better. But the show is still worth it for Sutton Foster and the dancing"
Glad you enjoyed it.
Pleasure. After last night, I regret not seeing the 2011 Bway production with Foster, Grey and Osnes. I was young and not open to much of Cole Porter’s music
Aging brings many things along with it, including a taste for the classics.
"
Posted: 5/19/22 at 10:25pm
^ I have near equal taste for the classics as well as contemporary musicals. I was 18 in 2011 actually
Updated On: 5/19/22 at 10:25 PM
Posted: 5/20/22 at 12:52am
Now you might want to find a good recording of KISS ME KATE. There are some wonderful Cole Porter tunes in that.
Posted: 5/20/22 at 7:47am
I have a recollection of seeing a movie that had a different title but Merman played Reno Sweeney. She sang "I Get a Kick Out of You" while floating over a bar seated in what seemed to be Glinda's bubble. None of the men seated at the bar seemed to notice her. Does anyone have a better memory of this?
Posted: 5/20/22 at 8:04am
Dollypop said: "I have a recollection of seeing a movie that had a different title but Merman played Reno Sweeney. She sang "I Get a Kick Out of You" while floating over a bar seated in what seemed to be Glinda's bubble. None of the men seated at the bar seemed to notice her. Does anyone have a better memory of this?"
Possibly. Merman starred in a heavily revised film version of "Anything Goes" which was originally released under that title. In the mid 50's, however, its title was changed for television broadcasts to "Tops Is The Limit" so as not to conflict with a new, even more revised film version of "Anything Goes" which starred Bing Crosby and Mitzi Gaynor. The lyrics Merman sings in the clip Highland Guy posted (thank you, Highland Guy) are from the 30's film, although Merman was revisiting them for TV here.
First film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027302/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2
Second Film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048954/trivia/?ref_=tt_trv_trv
Updated On: 5/20/22 at 08:04 AM
Posted: 5/20/22 at 8:38am
I knew someone here would have a better memory!
Thank you.
Posted: 5/27/22 at 11:12am
I saw this on the PBS app and got immediately excited!! Although when I realized it was the London version and not Broadway I was a bit deflated (I know, why would it be the version from 11 years ago).
How does the compare to the Broadway version for those who saw it? Very sad I didn’t find my way into this show, I think it was pricy for me at the time. I have seen some footage and it looks fabulous.
Posted: 5/27/22 at 1:09pm
It was pretty much the same staging as Broadway.
It's cheaper to tape/film productions in London.
Posted: 5/27/22 at 2:12pm
Yes, the staging is nearly identical. The costumes are mostly quite similar with a few exceptions. The text has been slightly altered in a few spots, nothing major except for the updates made to the Chinese characters, who in this version speak perfect English and instead feign acting like the gullible stereotypes found in previous iterations. It’s not the perfect update, but it removes the racism without removing the only roles written for people of color in the show.
Posted: 6/1/22 at 5:11pm
The show will go behind paywall on June 10th (PBS Passport)
Only 10 Days Left to Stream Anything Goes Starring Sutton Foster for Free
Posted: 2/18/24 at 8:08am
I saw Porchlight Theatre's production of Anything Goes in Chicago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Meghan Murphy's Reno brought back the vaudeville vulgarity that I've missed from others in the role.
I was pleased by the book rewrites which replace the caricatured Chinese missionaries with two bratty kids and disguise Reno as a Hollywood actress rather than a Chinese maiden. These revisions are cited on the Tams Whitmark website but don't appear to have been used in the Sutton Foster production. Does anyone know when they were first introduced?
Anything Goes (2022 Revision) | Concord Theatricals
Posted: 2/18/24 at 12:33pm
MrsSallyAdams said: "I saw Porchlight Theatre's production ofAnything Goesin Chicago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Meghan Murphy's Reno brought back the vaudeville vulgarity that I've missedfrom others in the role.
I was pleased by the book rewrites which replace the caricatured Chinese missionaries with two bratty kids and disguise Reno as a Hollywood actress rather than a Chinese maiden. These revisions are cited on the Tams Whitmark website but don't appear to have been used in the Sutton Foster production. Does anyone know when they were first introduced?
Anything Goes (2022 Revision) | Concord Theatricals"
Press materials suggest this is the first production to incorporate these revisions.
Posted: 2/18/24 at 1:28pm
Those have been in the licensed production since summer 2022. I was in a production that specifically recruited two Asian men, only to discover that they didn't have roles for them other than Sailor/Ensemble when the new scripts came in.
The one-liners the kids Spit and Dippy now get are BAD. But at least they're not both bad and racist!
