Doyle to direct? Sondheim and Weidman working on revisions?
Hmmm...may move to Broadway if the critics are kind?
Anyone holding their breath?
Lets hope Doyle has a new idea.
And Sondheim has a new score, and Weidman has a new book...
I enjoyed Sondheim's score, but Weidman's book...eh.
The conversation that Riedel's "spies" heard between Esparza and Sondheim was priceless though.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/03
Anybody but Doyle.
We've yet to see Doyle's non actor-musican staging here. He could be quite good.
I'm quite excited. It'll be very interesting to see Doyle direct without the instruments (I know he's done it before, but this could be a major Broadway production.)
Didn't Doyle's non actor-musician staging of Mahogany get good reviews?
I wonder if Bernadette Peters will be involved. She did the Public readings last year, if I remember correctly.
Don't forget he's doing his "traditional-style" broadway bow with A Catered Affair! I guess we'll see what he's got.
Re: Bernadette
I think they should not only try to get Bernadette, but an all star Sondheim cast- Mandy, Patti, Michael Cerveris, Stritch. Of course, there aren't enough parts for them, but this is going to unfortunately be his last hurrah. Why not?
I agree, an all star Sondheim cast would awesome.
I have faith in the revision. It's not a Sondheim show, but the first production of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN was TERRIBLY received; people thought it was truly unfixable. But K&E and McNally took a few years and turned the show into a Tony winning smash.
^ That still is terribly flawed and could have used another year of work.
Well, with KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN it also had to do with the casting of Lauren Mitchell as Aurora--I still don't get how they thought they could get away with that.
This is what Frank Rich wrote about her:
Though Mr. Kander and Mr. Ebb have written some typically amusing parodies for their movie musical, even their better numbers are defeated by the routine choreography of Susan Stroman and by the performance of Lauren Mitchell. What is needed in this role is not, perhaps, a mysterious reincarnation of Rita Hayworth (which is what Sonia Braga brought to the film version) but a dazzling musical-comedy presence of the Chita Rivera sort who has always ignited the flashiest Kander-Ebb songs. Ms. Mitchell has neither the personality nor the vocal authority for the task.
Anyways, I hope this show is successful. Don't expect Bernadette Peters to be in the Public run though, it is kind of known that she did the reading both as a favor to Sondheim and to do some kind of stage work after her husband's sudden death. From what I hear she played a rather small role (was she the Candy Buckley role in WISE GUYS?) so I doubt she would do this.
I wish they went back to Victor Garber though.
JV, Well it did win 7 Tonys including BEST SCORE, BEST BOOK, along with BEST MUSICAL. Though after this year, I don't know how much merit those awards hold.
But I believe KISS has a truly stunning score.
Updated On: 6/15/07 at 12:37 PM
Kiss was much better with Chita. I think that it became too big though. That's what annoyed me. It wasn't bad or anything. (Well, the one song poor Valentin has to sing, no scream rather, is pretty bad and totally un-Kander. I'm surprised he threw in a power ballad.) I really want to see it done smaller.
Ray, can you explain the Lauren Kennedy as Aurora thing?
Oops, I got completely confused, I meant Lauren Mitchell. Sorry, let me edit my original post.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/06
Oh my God! I hope this happens! If it does, then I can die happy.
Richard Kind still might be in it. He was in the reading last year and then he originated the role out of town. So, I wouldn't be surprised if he came back with it.
So will Gavin Creel. Since Mary Poppins is closing in London.
I'd like to see this:
Richard Kind as Addison Mizner
Michale Ceveris as Wilson Mizner
Mary Louise Wilson as Mama Mizner
Donna Murphy as Nellie
Gavin Creel as Hollis Bessemer
Gary Beach as Papa Mizner, Yukon bartender, Hawaiian businessman and others
Any chance on this cast?? lol.
Broadway Star Joined: 3/18/05
I HIGHLY doubt Beach would do such small parts, though I do have to say that they're well suited for his type of acting.
Stritch as Mama? She's a tender woman! I couldn't at all imagine Stritch seriously singing "Isn't He Something".. Mary Louise Wilson would be QUITE good though.
Bernadette would be pushing it, agewise, with Nellie. Yes, she's still beautiful, but she doesn't look 30 anymore..
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/06
I realized that about Stritch after posting that. She isn't soft enough for it.
You never know. If the script is good, I think that Beach would do it.
Well, the article on the front page says it will not have actors playing instruments. :P
What's this about an amusing Sondheim/Esparza conversation?
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/05
Nathan Lane Stalker
1) Wison as Mama and Cerveris as Wilson.
I LOVE IT! I'd watch a cast like that do pretty much anything. I'm Excited!
Let's hope the new book includes characters that the audience can care about and the new score has more interesting songs. I saw the show in Chicago and it was mostly bland and foregettable. The brothers were sleazy and pathetic and not in any interesting kind of way. I didn't care what happened to them. The role of the mother was...what did she do...oh, yeah...not much. I'd much rather see Sondheim throw in the towel on this one and try something else instead.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/12/03
I saw the show in D.C. Yes , it was flawed BUT flawed Sondheim is a hell of a lot better than some of the shows playing now. I can't wait to see how they revised it.
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