Best Mama Rose
Best Mama Rose
#1Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 1:31pmWho was your favorite Mama?
"Look I made a hat... where there never was a hat."
"Think of how I adore you, think of how much you love me. If I were perfect for you, wouldn't you tire of me?"
"Somebody, crowd me with love. Somebody, force me to care. Somebody, make me come through, I'll always be there, as frightened as you, to help us survive. Being alive. Being alive. Being alive!"
"There are worse things than staring at the water as you're posing for a picture after sleeping on the ferry after getting up at seven to come over to an island in the middle of a river half an hour from the city on a Sunday!"
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#2Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 1:41pm
Genius... do a SEARCH! This question/topic has been discusssed endlessly on this board.
EVERY time a new revival of GYPSY hits Broadway, this same tired question is asked.
Oy!
#2Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 2:19pmhmm I don't think I asked who can act the most like mama rose. I don't know what your problem is calling someone you don't know stupid. All I asked was who was the best Mama Rose. Why does it matter that it was discussed two years ago? I'm discussing it now. Why did you even post that comment? If your so sick of this question being asked THEN IGNORE IT.
"Look I made a hat... where there never was a hat."
"Think of how I adore you, think of how much you love me. If I were perfect for you, wouldn't you tire of me?"
"Somebody, crowd me with love. Somebody, force me to care. Somebody, make me come through, I'll always be there, as frightened as you, to help us survive. Being alive. Being alive. Being alive!"
"There are worse things than staring at the water as you're posing for a picture after sleeping on the ferry after getting up at seven to come over to an island in the middle of a river half an hour from the city on a Sunday!"
#4Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 2:48pm
It's rather harsh to attack anyone on this board for any reason, let alone unfamiliarity with the iffy-at-best search function, let alone someone who joined the board less than three weeks ago.
That said, if the Roses I've seen live (Buckley, Peters, LuPone), I'd have to choose LuPone. However, the clips I've seen of Tyne Daly lead me to believe that I would have preferred hers if I'd had a chance to see it.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#5Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 2:51pm
Roz Russell acted it the best
Bette Midler sang it the best
Angela Lansbury made the part her own the best
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#6Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 2:52pm
THANK you, madbrian. That was a ridiculous response from BrodyFose. How about "Oh, you may not know, but . . . " Sheesh.
As to the original question, I think it's impossible to answer. Each of us can only choose our favorite(s). Which, for me, is LuPone.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#7Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 2:53pmPatty Duke. She played the part in dinner theater and was amazing.
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
#8Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:06pmI've only seen Bernadette Peters and LuPone live, and while I enjoyed both of them, LuPone was far and away my favorite.
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
ahhrealmonsters
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/11/10
#9Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:30pmSame as givesmevoice. I've seen Patti and Bernadette (and Bette in the movie), and I prefer Patti.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#12Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:37pm
"Tyne. She was fantasmagorical."
If your idea of Mama Rose is a barrel that sings like a frog.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#13Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:53pmWell Tyne certainly was more realistic and acted the part better than Bernadette or Patti.
#14Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:11pmThis question only means anything to me when the people who answer have seen Merman, Lansbury, Daly, Peters, and LuPone LIVE. Otherwise it's pretty pointless.
#15Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:31pm
As Gertrude Stein once said (albeit in another context): "A Rose is a Rose is a Rose."
I've seen Angela, Tyne, Linda, Betty, Bernadette and Patti live and Roz and Bette on the screen.
Each one was thrilling, although Tyne and Linda acted phenomenally but didn't sing well, Betty lacked humor and Bernadette was miscast. Roz is quite good but the movie is creaky (and it pains me not to be seeing Ethel), and Bette is quite good but the TV version is also creaky.
That leaves Angela and Patti, each one of whom left me feeling that I would never again see a Rose so perfect.
Nevertheless, each one was thrilling to see.
Rather than ask which one was best--a question that seems to be setting up others to argue--why don't you tell us who you've seen (even if it's just on video or amateur productions), what you liked about them--and ask people who've seen others what they liked about them?
And if you haven't seen the Roz Russell or the Bette Midler, you must do so immediately and report back to us!
#16Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:36pmI would also like to add one of my biggest reasons for preferring LuPone to Peters: Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines were a stronger pair of costars than Tammy Blanchard and John Dossett. I thought that what Benanti and Gaines brought to the production elevated LuPone's performance. The dynamic those three had was simply incredible.
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
#17Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:48pm
Tyne Daly. She was extraordinary.
But the role is and will always be Merman's. So for the sake any "who was best" argument, Merman is unfailingly the victor.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. - Eleanor Roosevelt
#18Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:49pm
Well, as I said, anyone who has seen more than one can say who their favorite is.
And no one, even if they've seen hundreds, can say empirically who was the best.
#19Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:54pm
I agree with you Reginald Tresilian, but I think there is an argument for Merman based on the facts that her performance is solidly in the legendary category, every actor playing the role has something of the Merman legacy to at least acknowledge and the show simply wouldn't exist without her.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. - Eleanor Roosevelt
Updated On: 1/4/11 at 04:54 PM
#20Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:55pm
Well, as I said, anyone who has seen more than one can say who their favorite is.
Well best is different from favorite. The OP should have been more specific as they used both words.
I agree that anyone can choose their favorite based on who they have seen.
Updated On: 1/4/11 at 04:55 PM
bryan2
Broadway Star Joined: 12/19/06
#21Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:56pm
Patti Screamed it THAT RIGHT SHE DID
for
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeaaaah
Bernadette popopedoo it-like a cupie doll on a mission
betty was great
Angela was lovable and wicked
Tyne was also it and live was a phenom
Merman cant act and basically was the same character her entire career
Roz was lovable
Bette was a showgirl without a show
Linda Lavin butchered it
Only one I hated was Linda Lavin
the others all had good and great moments with a few bad moments
(patti screaming for me...like norma desmonds decent into hell)
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#22Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 5:10pm
"So for the sake any "who was best" argument, Merman is unfailingly the victor."
Obviously you've never heard any other rendition of "Everything's Coming Up Roses". Merman had her moments, but the woman wouldn't know legato if it bit her on her uvla.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#23Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 6:59pm
Going solely on the recordings...Patti sang it best, she had the most feeling.
Bernadette had a slinky, lilting quality to her and when she needed to be powerful, she was.
Tyne Daly...meh
Merman was one I never was a fan of, she sounds like she's singing into a fan ("Louise, I AM YOUR MOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHEEEEERRRR")
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#24Best Mama Rose
Posted: 1/4/11 at 7:08pm
If we base it on cast recordings. Merman and LuPone are clearly the best sung, in my opinion. Lansbury sounds great, but some of her keys are much lower. Daly's singing voice is grating. Peters' should have used lower keys. Some notes were just out of her reach.
And Bette just doesn't do it for me.
Updated On: 1/4/11 at 07:08 PM
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