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#26

Best Joanne?

Posted: 7/12/11 at 1:05am

I thought Barbara Walsh gave one of the worst performances I've ever seen (as Joanne). That woman for me is the theatrical equivalent of watching paint dry!

I thought Patti's Joanne in concert was sensational.

"Broadway...I'll lick you yet!"

Updated On: 7/12/11 at 01:05 AM

#27

Best Joanne?

Posted: 7/12/11 at 9:16am

I never saw Stritch as Joanne. Lupone was a revelation. Lonnie Price's recent production was hit or miss musically (with Lupone being a consistent hit!), but the thing he got right was to make clear what was going on between the characters and what the show was about. For me he took what had often seemed a dated dull libretto and made it sing. Joanne's big scene, which is often played as a genuine ill-fated seduction took on whole new life with Lupone nailing it as a gambit to wake Bobbie up. The long stare was packed with manipulation but also with caretaking and cunning, not to get into Bobby's pants, but to awaken him to the possibility of intimacy. Bobby's "but who will I take care of?" became Joanne's triumph, not her defeat, with the denoument mirroring Amy's epiphany at the end of the I'm Not Getting Married scene. Lupone played the scene as if she knew she had absolutely no chance of getting Bobby into bed; instead she played it for higher stakes, shaking him up. Her final "I just did somebody a big favor" made sense and so did most of the whole book of this show. For a change.

#28

Best Johanna?

Posted: 7/12/11 at 10:00am

Definitely not the woman on the tour DVD. She's seriously singing intervals no one has ever heard before.

#29

Best Johanna?

Posted: 7/13/11 at 1:39am

I know I'm waaaaaaaay too new here to be complaining, but this board needs a "Thank You" or a "Bravo" button for posts such as Henrikegerman's a couple of posts up.

"Company" was the first Bway show I ever saw and I saw the Nat'l Tour and the first off-Bway production and more regional productions than I can count.

The film of the NY Philharmonic production is the first where every scene made dramatic sense and where I wasn't looking at my watch, praying another damn birthday party scene would end so we could get to the next song!

#30

Best Johanna?

Posted: 7/13/11 at 4:24pm

I thought Barbara Walsh gave one of the worst performances I've ever seen (as Joanne). That woman for me is the theatrical equivalent of watching paint dry!

Funny how people differ on things like this! I saw Barbara Walsh in Company as well as A Little Night Music here in Baltimore, and she's one of those few cases where I would actually consider paying to see her watch paint dry. :)

Updated On: 7/13/11 at 04:24 PM

#31

Best Johanna?

Posted: 7/15/11 at 9:40pm

wow! thanks, Gaveston - I really appreciate that! Better than any bravo button!

#32

Best Johanna?

Posted: 7/16/11 at 12:27am

From recording alone, Elaine wins for me. She's so iconic. Has it been brought up yet though that Joanne in the original 1970 libretto is FAR more of a bitch than in the revised libretto where many of her most scathing remarks were softened? Not sure if that would play a part in which people prefer

#33

Best Johanna?

Posted: 7/16/11 at 12:41am

Gaveston, what do you mean about seeing Elaine on video--do you mean later performances?

I know the 1972 tour of the original production that the The New York Public Library's Theatre on Film and Tape Archive has (and I'm gonna go watch as soon as I get to New York :P ) had Julie Wilson as Joanne. Did anyone see her?

#34

Best Joanne?

Posted: 7/16/11 at 2:05am

Eric: Given that the spelling has changed Johanna I think chewy5000 meant Sweeney Todd

I don't think that Joanne is any less of a "bitch" in the revised version than she was in the original. However, she does have fewer lines to demonstrate the fact. I miss one or two of them, but I think there is case for cutting the part back a bit.

As for Joanne - Elaine Stritch is, of course, the one we think of, however, it does play to her strengths and there aren't a lot of surprises in the performance and not a great deal of subtlety. As for Patti Lupone, one could say the same, except she's far too old for the part and all I could think was she reminded me of some drunken granny at a wedding getting frisky with the young men - not something that is entertaining to watch at any time.

#35

Best Joanne?

Posted: 7/16/11 at 2:06am

DELETE

Updated On: 7/16/11 at 02:06 AM

#36

Best Joanne?

Posted: 7/16/11 at 3:07am

LOL, but I was refering to the original question. I think. *so confused* :) I still wanna know how Julie Wilson was as Joanne.

As for the Joanna in the Sweeney tour/DVD, that's Betsy Joslyn, who has talent (and Hal Prince seemed pretty taken with her, giving her, poor woman, the lead in Dool's Life). I've been told by a few people that when she first played the role, I think as a Broadway replacement, she was very good, but by the time the tour had run for a while her approach got more and more manic (the performances in general as captured on the DVD are meant to be a more out of control just due to the long run - though I would expect Hal Prince would go over it before filming). Also, because she is known for such her high voice, they raised the keys of her songs - which adds to the manic ness, and isn't something I much like...

Updated On: 7/16/11 at 03:07 AM

#37

Best Joanne?

Posted: 7/16/11 at 9:49am

What bitchy lines have they removed for Joanne?

#38

Best Joanne?

Posted: 7/16/11 at 1:28pm

I do remember that the original karate scene involved a MUCH larger number of wine bottles consumed, to the point of absurdity. But that's not Joanne.

#39

Best Joanne?

Posted: 7/16/11 at 7:49pm

Yes seven or eight I think? I'm a pretty umm talented drinker, but after that many I'd be passed out, not stumbling around trying to get to my hotel. That said, I still largely prefer the original script.

Here's an article that points out most of the changes between original and revision - I believe it includes the Joanna stuff http://www.sondheim.com/commentary/company_rewritten_1.html

*edit* Nevermind, I was wrong, it was only 5 to 3 bottles of wine. But still...

Updated On: 7/16/11 at 07:49 PM

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