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Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season

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#3

Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season

I 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.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#4

Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season

Wow, 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.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#8

Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season

My 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.
#9

Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season

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.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal "I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
#10

Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season

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.)

Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.

Updated On: 1/19/11 at 02:44 PM

#14

Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season

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.

Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.

Updated On: 1/19/11 at 06:48 PM

#16

Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season

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.
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

Updated On: 2/2/11 at 01:39 PM

#17

Block, Olivo et al. Lead BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK at 2nd Stage This Season

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.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

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