Ariana DeBose to lead THE BAKER'S WIFE at Classic Stage Company — Page 5

It's basically sold out, so I'm not really surprised. Great score, great book, I just wonder if the cast would transfer?

Updated On: 11/11/25 at 05:54 PM

Definitely an out-of-left-field candidate for CSC’s first ever Broadway transfer.

Daily Beast is mixed

Oscar Winner Ariana DeBose Takes on One of Musical Theater’s Biggest Songs

SING TO ME

In the new production of “The Baker’s Wife,” Ariana DeBose puts her spin on a ballad made famous by Patti LuPone.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-bakers-wife-review-ariana-debose-shines-in-underbaked-production

"When one or both of Ariana DeBose and Judy Kuhn are on stage all is right in Classic Stage Company’s revival of The Baker’s Wife. But without their charisma, stage presence, and creamily lovely singing, other elements of this musical—with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and book by Joseph Stein—can seem rickety."

Vulture is mixed.

https://www.vulture.com/article/theater-review-bakers-wife-fixable-debose-bakula-schwartz.html

"The song has so much force that, like a comet pulled from orbit, its gravitational pull throws a light farce out of whack.

The same may be said for the casting of Geneviève, here played by Ariana DeBose, one of the most supremely willing-to-commit stage performers we have. (She loves to do the thing.) She’s delivering all her lines with a thick French purr while the rest of Greenberg’s cast tends toward gentler accents. She’s also triple-underling every reference to a love her character had before Aimable, a plot point that doesn’t get much elucidation in the book, and laying gesture upon gesture as she makes her way through her big solo. The resulting performance is terribly overwrought, and more than a little fun to watch in its grasping bigness. Either way, the result is that DeBose pulls the production’s focus over to Geneviève, a character who, despite the show’s title, really should be less than central to its interests. In Act Two, after running away, Geneviève keeps getting inserted back into the action in ways that defeat the musical’s structure, whereby one couple’s breakup serves as a jumping-off point for communal reckoning. DeBose, a great dancer, and Paul perform little dream ballets. Later, she sings “Where Is the Warmth?” while he lies in bed shirtless, a choice surely meant to distract from the dreariness of the song itself."

NY Sun

Ariana DeBose Leads a Sterling Company in a New Off-Broadway Production of ‘The Baker’s Wife’

DeBose returns to the New York stage for the first time since winning a Tony Award nomination for ‘Summer: The Donna Summer Musical’ and an Oscar for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of ‘West Side Story.’

https://www.nysun.com/article/ariana-debose-leads-a-sterling-company-in-a-new-off-broadway-production-of-the-bakers-wife

"Jason Sherwood’s cozy, charming scenic design reinforces this infectious esprit de romance, and I’m sure it could easily be adapted to a larger venue on Broadway. But I wouldn’t wait to see if Ms. DeBose’s schedule allows for such a transfer; catch this little marvel while you can."

‘The Baker’s Wife’ Review: Ariana DeBose Returns to New York Stage

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/theater/the-bakers-wife-review-ariana-debose.html?unlocked_article_code=1.0k8.gFkP.Vrj8sI7gU05A&smid=nytcore-android-share

Subjective take: it's impossible to fathom That Song functioning in a linear narrative now, as excised and repurposed as it is, a standalone paean to {Singer's Choice}, a showcase for 80s overwrought show-tune-ness. With its galloping rhythm, its incessant plea to be recognized as the stirrings of a singer's - not character's - heart, how can it be folded into a slight fable with the gravitas of, say, The Fantasticks? Or maybe Amelee? Asked to serve mere storytelling? Apparently, not so easily. Yet would the show be revived without it? An honest question.

Auggie - I think there is one portion of the song that manages to make it still function within the linear narrative - it's the intro ('What does he think I am...'). Her fury at him turns into fury at herself which then leads her to work through what she's feeling and make the decision she ends up making. Without the intro, the song is absolutely a generic (if gorgeous) cabaret spotlight showing off a singer's range. With the intro, it's essential for this character's arc.

I tend to think that the casting of the baker as older and older as this show has been produced over the years is interesting. This story isn't Aspects of Love and its unsettling sexualization of a young girl. It's closer to Most Happy Fella. Yes...there should be a bit of an age gap between Genevieve and Aimable. But Aimable should also be plain (says a former Aimable). She chooses someone who is warm and kind but with whom she has no spark. She makes this choice after a disastrous affair with a married man (assuming the lyrics to Gifts of Love are still the same). She then is lured back to another bad choice ('oh, won't you come' has more than one meaning in Meadowlark). Her final discovery is that passion burns off but warmth can be long lasting.

A few years ago, a friend was producing a production of Baker's Wife and I tossed my hat in the ring for the Aimable. He was stunned saying I was far to young and I was like, 'Friend...I'm almost 50!' He thought that was way too young for the role. That's just the way it's progressed and I'm not sure it's the best idea for this show.

Auggie27 said: "Subjective take: it's impossible to fathom That Song functioning in a linear narrative now, as excised and repurposed as it is, a standalone paean to {Singer's Choice}, a showcase for 80s overwrought show-tune-ness. With its galloping rhythm, its incessant plea to be recognized as the stirrings of a singer's - not character's - heart, how can it be folded into a slight fable with the gravitas of, say,The Fantasticks? Or maybe Amelee?Asked to serve mere storytelling? Apparently, not so easily. Yet would the show be revivedwithoutit? An honest question."

I get this take., But you'd be surprised (or maybe not?) just how many musical theatre loving people I know--mostly younger than I am--who do NOT know Meadowlark. Is it still sung at auditions (I know Paul Ford told me that for a time a lot of men sang Proud Lady at auditions) and in concerts as much as it used to be?

I think the song absolutely works in the context of the show--except, as I said above and will say again, no doubt--for the fact that it sets the audience to think that for the rest of the show they'll be following Genevieve's story, or at least the show seen through her character. And that's not remotely what happens.

Updated On: 11/13/25 at 08:53 PM

SonofRobbieJ said: "
A few years ago, a friend was producing a production of Baker's Wife and I tossed my hat in the ring for the Aimable. He was stunned saying I was far to young and I was like, 'Friend...I'm almost 50!' He thought that was way too young for the role. That's just the way it's progressed and I'm not sure it's the best idea for this show."

I get that, though again, that goes back in a way to the original movie where Raimu at around 50 was twice the age of Ginette Leclerc.

"Meadowlark" is an almost 5 minute song. It wouldn't be a very good choice for auditions.

QueenAlice said: ""Meadowlark" is an almost 5 minute song. It wouldn't be a very good choice for auditions."

You rarely sing a full song in auditions--though I admit the length does make it an odd choice. I'm just going by what Trevor Nunn said when he did the show--that for years he had heard songs from the show, especially Meadowlark, at auditions and finally it made him investigate the show the songs were from.

At any rate, I don't see it as a problem that too many audience members going to a production of Baker's Wife will know Meadowlark from concert and cabaret performances and zone out as to how it relates to the show...

Kad said: "I suspect that "Meadowlark" became perceived as overdone and so singers actively started to avoid doing it."

I think that's a good point--I remember seeing it (along with, for example, Corner of the Sky for tenors) on several lists of songs to avoid at least 20 years ago...This doesn't really prove anything, but castalbums org lists 28 recordings with it (several are by the same performer--ie several Patti LuPone concert recordings.) It pops up the most on solo albums in the 1990s.