Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#2
Posted: 1/18/11 at 11:23am<3 Karen Olivo.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#2
Posted: 1/18/11 at 11:35amI notice that the role of Vera Stark has yet to be cast/announced. I believe Anika Noni Rose played her in a recent reading. I'll be interested to see who they get to lead the cast.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#3
Posted: 1/18/11 at 11:41amWow, it'd be fantastic if Anika Noni Rose played the title role, this sounds like such an interesting play. I'm a bit disappointed by the casting of Block, especially since this is a play and she won't have any singing to rely on, but the casting of Olivo makes me way excited about this. I also loved CRUMBS OF A TABLE OF JOY and especially RUINED, so I'm sure this will be another winner from Nottage.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#4
Posted: 1/18/11 at 12:50pm
Stephanie J. Block in a straight play, where she'll have to act?
That'll be a hoot.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#5
Posted: 1/18/11 at 1:13pm
Karen
I had figured she'd go the Benanti route, and follow up her Tony win with an off-Broadway play.
Updated On: 1/18/11 at 01:13 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#6
Posted: 1/18/11 at 3:41pmI'm very happy Stephanie is returning to the New York stage. I'm also a fan of Daniel and Karen. I'm looking foreward to this opening.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#7
Posted: 1/18/11 at 7:26pmMy guess is it is more of a play with music. I mean, there was song even in "Ruined." So I don't think they would cast all these musical theater actors and not let them sing a little. Even the poster has a picture of a Billy Holiday-esque singer singing into a microphone, so I imagine it's more of that sort of thing.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#8
Posted: 1/18/11 at 7:40pm
WOW! Maybe now I'll actually get to see Olivo in something. Since two attempts at In The Heights and three at WSS proved fruitless.
Maybe if she doesn't have to sing or dance she'll show up for the whole run.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#9
Posted: 1/19/11 at 2:44pm
It's funny that you mention Laura Benanti, ljay889- she played Gloria Mitchell (the role that Stephanie J. Block is playing) in the first workshop Second Stage did of the show a couple summers ago, back when Liesl Tommy was attached to direct.
In that same incarnation, Anika Noni Rose played Vera Stark and Natascia Diaz was Anna Mae/Afua Assata Ejobo (Karen Olivo's role.)
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#10
Posted: 1/19/11 at 3:48pmSW, do you know anything about the size of Olivo's role?
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#11
Posted: 1/19/11 at 6:00pm^Supporting, but it's only a 6 or 7 character play so all of the characters have plenty to do. The title role and Gloria Mitchell are the two leading roles, with all of the rest supporting characters.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#12
Posted: 1/19/11 at 6:06pmLOVE LOVE LOVE KAREN OLIVO!!
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#13
Posted: 1/19/11 at 6:48pm
CockeyedOptimist2 is correct. While Olivo's role is supporting, in the first act, her character has a lot of thematic relevance to the plot, at least in the earlier drafts.
I'm excited to see how the show turns out in a full production. It's a very, very interesting script, and Second Stage has put more developmental work into it than anything they've ever produced before, as far as I'm aware.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#14
Posted: 2/2/11 at 1:30pmSanaa Lathan has joined the cast http://www.playbill.com/news/article/147266-Lynn-Nottages-Meet-Vera-Stark-Will-Star-Sanaa-Lathan-as-Hollywood-Dreamer
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#15
Posted: 2/2/11 at 1:39pm
I will see this for Sanaa Lathan. I have always enjoyed her performances in movies and she was wonderful in "A Raisin in the Sun".
Went to share this on Facebook and the Mary Poppins logo comes up.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#16
Posted: 2/2/11 at 5:03pm
I'm sad Anika Noni Rose is not doing this, I really do adore her. I've only heard great things about Sanaa Lathan so I'm sure she'll be good.
I'm actually much more disappointed that Benanti dropped out, especially because Stephanie J. Block simply can't act and unless there's a musical number every 5 minutes, I can't imagine her doing Nottage any justice. What a shame, Benanti is so fantastic, pity that she didn't continue with the part.
I hope I have a chance to see this somehow, the play sounds ridiculously fascinating.
Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season#17
Posted: 3/27/11 at 11:57pm
TV ALERT: For those looking forward to this show, Sanaa Lathan will be talking about it on the Wendy Williams Show tomorrow (Mon,3/2
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