Betsy Joslyn as Dot/ Marie?

[musicalfan07]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:22pm

Hi. I was wondering what the general word of mouth/ reviews of Betsy Jolsyn were in this role.
Thanks,
musicalfan07.

[Mood_Indigo]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:34pm

Betsy Joslyn? The same that butchered the role of Joanna on the Sweeney DVD? SHE'S played Dot/Marie? Updated On: 5/10/08 at 06:34 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:36pm

She was one of the replacements in the original Broadway production.
I believe I've heard good things about her in the role, then again, there's people who think she was good as Joanna... I cannot stand her voice or her idea of "acting." She indeed butchered the role of Joanna.

[musicalfan07]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:38pm

Yeah, she was the 3rd or 4th replacement, and I believe the last Dot/ Marie.

[MisterRussell]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 10:16pm

I ADORE Besty Joslyn. Met her after a performance of Carousel here in Portland. She played Carrie to perfection. Was she AMAZING as Johanna? Maybe not, but she does have a whole resume of parts other than Johanna, so why judge her?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 10:18pm

I can't stand her in the A DOLL'S LIFE cast recording or in the BOM Sondheim cd.
I'm sure she has her fans, but I personally have a strong dislike for her performing style.
She also played the Witch in the original production of INTO THE WOODS, and I've also heard she was good in that.

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 12:25am

I glanced at this and totally thought it said Betsy Johnson, as in the designer.lol! Its quite a funny thought. Sorry, had to share!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 11:29am

I;ve heard her "Move On" and found it wonderful. However, she wasn't the last, because, as I recall (reading at least), Bernadette closed the show.

I find it funny, that Joslyn replaced Bernadette in this, Into the Woods and Goodbye Girl.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 4:42pm

I know I saw MaryAnn Plunkett in the original after Bernadette left. Speaking of which, Plunkett did some fine work in the late 80's-early 90's. What has happened with her -- she TV now, retired or what?

[sparrman]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 5:47pm

Betsy Joslyn was fantastic as the Witch in Into the Woods. Her performance of Johanna is indeed truly regrettable, but she really is an extremely talented singer AND actress. It's just a shame Johanna is the one thing most people have to judge her by. I'll bet she was very good as Dot and Marie.

Isn't Green Finch and Linnet Bird transposed upward from the original key on that DVD? That certainly didn't do her any favors.
Updated On: 5/25/08 at 05:47 PM

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 6:30pm

I actually saw Betsy as Dot/Marie the third time that I saw "Sunday in the Park with George." (Though, the third time is when I finally saw Mandy Patinkin as George and I saw the show the first time within a month of it's opening!)

Now, I didn't like her in the video of "Sweeney Todd" either and I didn't know "A Doll's Life" at point. But, she was quite good! Seeing as how I'd seen Bernadette Peters twice as Dot before, she wasn't able to make me forget Bernadette. But she was very good as Marie. Maybe it's because Bernadette is such a star that, when she played Marie, you'd think "That's Bernadette up there in that wheelchair and grey wig." But, I completely thought of Betsy playing Marie as Marie, a ninety-something year old woman.

And seeing her finally showed me the difference between belt and legit voices. Betsy went soprano on some notes that Bernadette belted.

But, seeing Betsy in "Sunday" gave me a new respect for her. What's she doing nowadays? The last time I remember seeing her listed anywhere was "High Society" about ten years ago. She was in the ensemble and, I'm guessing, standing by for Randy Graff.

[sparrman]

Posted: 5/26/08 at 10:17am

I believe her last appearance on Broadway was as Madame Thenardier in Les Mis. That gives some idea of her versatility!
Updated On: 5/26/08 at 10:17 AM

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 5/26/08 at 10:45am

Oh, man. This woman's voice goes right through me. Has anyone heard her Green Finch and Linnet Bird? It's actually kinda scary.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 5/26/08 at 10:46am

Damn double posts.

Updated On: 5/26/08 at 10:46 AM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 5/26/08 at 3:50pm

Count me as one of the few but proud fans of Betsy Joslyn's portrayal of Johanna! (Even if she did go sharp sometimes.)

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/26/08 at 5:59pm

People often blame Betsy for her performance in the tour of SWEENEY TODD (and on the TV version) but it is my belief she was directed to play it that way.

Hal Prince (and probably Sondheim too) conceived the lovers to be comic - not to be taken seriously. This is one miscalculation on their part. If the lovers are NOT taken seriously the audience really has no reason to care what happens to them.

I have always liked the gentle sadness Sarah Rice brings to "Green Finch..." on the OCR. (Also Judy Collins' lovely recording of the song that came out while the show was running.)

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/26/08 at 6:11pm

Betsy was also Sondheim's second choice to be the original Johanna. So obviously he really liked something in her. Especially since she did more of his shows later on.

[Kev]

Posted: 5/26/08 at 7:05pm

Joslyn had a small role High Society, but did not understudy any of the principals.

And yes, her version of "Move On" is just lovely.

I remember her randomly popping up on the 1NT of Beauty and the Beast, as Mrs. Potts. She was wonderful, and quite funny.

But I'll most remember her performance as the Witch in Into the Woods. I was a child when I saw the tour, but Joslyn was incredibly vivid in the role.

[sparrman]

Posted: 5/26/08 at 9:46pm

To confirm my own question earlier, almost the entire first Johanna/Anthony scene is transposed up a whole step on the "Sweeney" DVD, including "Green Finch", "Ah Miss", and "Johanna". Only the Beggar Woman's interruption is in the original Broadway key. I'm sure the higher keys showed off Cris Groenendaal's tenor voice to better effect, but it's not at all becoming to Betsy Joslyn's voice.

And for a bit of irrelevant gossip, Joslyn was involved in a fairly serious relationship for a time with George Hearn.