Ariana DeBose to lead THE BAKER'S WIFE at Classic Stage Company- Page 4

[Ensemble1728379893]

Posted: 10/31/25 at 9:00am

I was there last night. There were some seats empty.

I would agree with the general consensus that it is a charming, lovely evening of a very slight musical. The townspeople are adorable and DeBose and Bakula are very good.  Bakula is still way too attractive for the plot to make sense. 

I think it is worth it just to hear Judy Kuhn and see what Sally Murphy is capable of doing with a small role. Both display a masterclass in musical theatre acting. 

I would be shocked if this transferred, but....

[Melissa25]

Posted: 10/31/25 at 12:13pm

WiCkEDrOcKS: I’ll just keep hoping for something that hits me the way their brilliant PASSION did.

Hey Classic Stage —It is not too early to do another revival of Passion.  I second the comment above and have my fingers crossed we see it soon.

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/31/25 at 6:54pm

The score sounds mostly great, but there are moments when it’s begging for a trumpet and French horn for more oomph and a greater sense of longing.

Which is how I also felt about DeBose’s voice on the two big numbers.

 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/31/25 at 11:23pm

Ensemble1728379893 said: "I was there last night. There were some seats empty.

I would agree with the general consensus that it is a charming, lovely evening of a very slight musical. The townspeople are adorable and DeBose and Bakula are very good. Bakula is still way too attractive for the plot to make sense.."

Although I'm sure the dynamic changes some with an older than usual Genevieve, despite Scott Bakula still looking great, surely the fact that he's in his 70s still means that Genevieve being tempted by a young man makes some sense?  (But there's always been some problem with this--in the original production Topol still looked pretty great, and apparently wanted to show it by "improvising" things like taking off his shirt which didn't help the troubled production...)

I don't mean that it's impossible to have a relationship with someone in their 70s when you're in your 30s, but the point is Genevieve feels that she;s missed out on something in life and no matter how hot her 70something year old husband is, he would obviously be in a very different stage of his life than she would.

 

Updated On: 10/31/25 at 11:23 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 11:40am

Believing that Ariana could fall for Bakula and then fall for the young man and then go back to Bakula is not the issue here. That was all very believable to me.

The age gaps also weren't significant in the original:
- Topol was 41
- Carole Demas was 36
- Paul Sorvino was 37
- Patti LuPone was 27

Updated On: 11/1/25 at 11:40 AM

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 11:47am

Transfer is still very much in consideration. Waiting to hear about a specific closing.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 11:54am

Falsettolands said: "Transfer is still very much in consideration. Waiting to hear about a specific closing."

JUST IN TIME, I assume? This staging feels so specific to a thrust... the alternative being a Shubert playhouse, and there are no specifics when aiming for that type of house.

I don't really see it being a bonanza on Broadway, and I don't know that it gets raves from critics at CSC.

Updated On: 11/1/25 at 11:54 AM

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 12:11pm

Without getting too much into it, the idea is more “Baker’s Wife FINALLY makes it to Broadway” rather than “This will make zillions of dollars.”

it’s quietly understood that it likely won’t turn a profit.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 8:35pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Believing that Ariana could fall for Bakula and then fall for the young man and then go back to Bakula is not the issue here. That was all very believable to me.

The age gaps also weren't significant in the original:
- Topol was 41
- Carole Demas was 36
- Paul Sorvino was 37
- PattiLuPone was 27"

And Kurt Peterson was 28 I believe.  I have heard one of several reasons Demas was replaced was people felt she "read" too old, so there is that...  It is interesting that Aimables have gotten older...  (I doi think that, having not seen it, having DeBose as Genevieve removes some of the aspects I associate with the character in the film anyway--the idea that she's never had the opportunity to be with someone else before she ended up married to Aimable.)

For the record in the original French film, Aimable (Raimu) was 55 (which in 1938 read as older than now,) Aurelie (as Genevieve is named, played by Ginette Leclerc) was 25 and Dominique (Carles Moulin) was 29.

Updated On: 11/1/25 at 08:35 PM