Best Mama Rose

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Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 1:31pm

Who 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!"

Best 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!

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 2:19pm

hmm 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.

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 2:46pm

Lansbury.

Best 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

Best 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.

Best 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.

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 2:53pm

Patty Duke. She played the part in dinner theater and was amazing.

"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:06pm

I'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

#10

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:30pm

Same as givesmevoice. I've seen Patti and Bernadette (and Bette in the movie), and I prefer Patti.

#11

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:33pm

Tyne. She was fantasmagorical.

#12

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:36pm

Mary Test- oh no, I've said too much!

#13

Best 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.

#14

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:53pm

Well Tyne certainly was more realistic and acted the part better than Bernadette or Patti.

#15

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:11pm

This 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.

#16

Best 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!

Updated On: 1/4/11 at 04:31 PM

#17

Best Mama Rose

Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:36pm

I 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.

#18

Best 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

#19

Best 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.

#20

Best 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

#21

Best 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

#22

Best 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)

#23

Best 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.

#24

Best 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")

Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!! www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm

#25

Best 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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