Bernardette Peters is terribly miscast in "Night Music"- Page 4

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 10:03am

This might be my new favorite thread.

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 11:35am

Alma Cuervo is a vacation cover?? OMG, I would do anything to see her as Madame Armfeldt. She was fabulous in ROAD SHOW and in the recent ill-produced TITANIC concert.

[newintown]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 11:51am

Alma is a great talent; she and Maureen Moore are definitely stars-who-ought-to-have-been.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 12:51pm

Heather Ayers is a vacation cover. She covers Desiree when either the regular Desiree or one of the understudies is away. This week, Jayne is out, so Heather is standing by. She stood by during both of CZJ's vacations.

Totally off topic here but does anyone know if Heather's sister Becca is still a swing in South Pacific?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 12:54pm

I didn't know they were sisters! I love Becca Ayers.

And Alma Cuervo IS a star, in my little book anyway.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 1:06pm

Yup

Updated On: 7/19/10 at 01:06 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 1:08pm

I saw one of them one go on as Kate Monster in Avenue Q, and I can't remember which. I *think* Becca.

I also saw Becca go on as Madame Thenardier in that awful revival of Les Miserables.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 1:11pm

Becca was an understudy in Avenue Q

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 2:02pm

If my benedryl-addled brain is reading this site correctly not only is Becca no longer with the show but Skipp Sudduth has returned. I missed him originally so that makes me very happy if true.

LCT

Updated On: 7/19/10 at 02:02 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/21/10 at 3:17am

I saw the show tonight (after seeing it last fall with the Original Cast).

I thought Bernardette was pretty great. I didn't think she looked older, but you could sort of sense that she was older and had experienced more. And that made her "Send in the Clowns" even more heartbreaking because it made it seem that this was in her last ditch effort to have someone.

Elaine Stritch had a few lines fed to her and was pausing left and right to remember lines, but when she actually got them down I think she was pretty spot-on. She came off as kind of a know-it-all bitch, but I think that works well. But you also felt sorrow for her when she reveals all the "loves that could have been."

The rest of the cast is pretty stellar. I think Erin Davie is still giving a tremendous performance. Her "Everyday a Little Death" is brilliant. The way she conveys the heartbreak happening without pushing it upon the audience is what great acting is. She has tears falling down her face, but she doesn't effect her voice to make it sound like she's crying like some actresses do (I'm looking at you Ramona!) And Aaron Lazaar is actually really great at the comedic moments. Watching him scowl during the picnic scene is pretty hilarious.

The two "teens" in the cast are still turning in rather one-note bland performances. I feel like Henrick was told to just be "depressed" all the time and Anne was told to be "whiny" all the time. Neither of them have much of an arch, and I still don't really see the appeal of Anne and why Frederick would fall for her in the first place? Unless it's just a last ditch effort to prove that he's still "got it." Her voice is fine, but she's just so whiny, I don't see why someone hasn't slapped her yet or something.

Larkin was great, but she really doesn't do too much. She sang "Miller's Son" great, but the song itself really interests me. I think it's interesting to give the "11 o'clock" number to a minor character, and to make it such a big character song. I mean, why do we think this works? What is the song about, etc. I'd like to hear some ideas. And how does it fit into the major scheme of the play?

And on second viewing, the direction is really awful. I mean, does Frederick really need to "mime" running up the stairs to meet the star in her dressing room? That's so stupid.