Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
_(•_&bull_/ said: "War Paint sold a good Six months with Ms. Lupone. She most definitely has a bankable name."
Let's be real. War Paint sold ok for about three and a half months (and even it's "ok" sales would have taken forever to offer recoupment if it had been able to sustain even those numbers). After that it slipped pretty quickly and from July through the rest of its run it had only four weeks where it broke 50% of its gross potential, and not even one of those weeks managed to crack 54%. That does not in any shape or form imply that Ms. LuPone, as talented and respected as she may be, is a bankable name.
Anybody speculating about Rosalie Craig or other theater folks for the part: they already have a "name" in mind, and rather a big one at that. The fact that it's taking until spring 2020 may have to do in part with waiting till her schedule was clear enough to take part.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/24/09
Hmm, maybe I saw her when she wasn't 100% health but Rosalie's Bobbie didn't belt at all (responding to an above post) and it was kind of lackluster for me. I would love to see this be a huge debut for Anne Hathaway, honestly. And I know Patti will be in it but it's a great opportunity for a new grand dame to play Joanne. I saw the show several times here and she was so overly hammy for her built-in audience that it was off-putting and felt phony (and like phoning it in).
For anyone ruling out Benanti or anyone else completely (even though the ‘name’ speculated probably already has the part), Rosalie did a lot more mixing and slipping into head voice than belting at all. The only songs she belted for a considerable amount of time was a bit of Marry Me a Little and Being Alive, which is obvious since it’s the big eleven o’clock number. Benanti would do just fine singing the score- Bobbi isn’t Elphaba.
I wonder if Sutton Foster was ever / is in consideration for the role of Bobbi at all.
YvanEhtNioj said: "I wonder if Sutton Foster was ever / is in consideration for the role of Bobbi at all. "
???
Featured Actor Joined: 10/3/14
Big name with a filming schedule - I'm thinking Cynthia Erivo
TotallyEffed said: "Of course Patti sells tickets, but Jordan is not wrong in saying that selling tickets doesn’t equal a hit."
When Graham Norton interviewed Sondheim and LuPone on his BBC Radio2 Saturday show at the start of Company’s London run he said in no uncertain terms that Patti’s fanbase was limited to a very specific theatre demographic and not broad enough to make a show a wider financial success. She protested, as much as she could but he didn’t back down. It made for some tense but very entertaining radio.
GreasedLightning said: "YvanEhtNioj said: "I wonder if Sutton Foster was ever / is in consideration for the role of Bobbi at all. "
???
"
What?
broadwayindie said: "Big name with a filming schedule - I'm thinking Cynthia Erivo"
Ooo a Bobbie of color, even as I kind of doubt that, I would adore her in that role
Featured Actor Joined: 7/24/06
Why not? Rosalie Craig’s understudy was a woman of color, and she got raves when she went on.
Londonskyguy said: "Why not? Rosalie Craig’s understudy was a woman of color, and she got raves when she went on. "
Also, Adrian Lester played Bobby at the Donmar
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/15
Definitely not my first choice for this role but Lea Michele
I would also say Anne Hathaway
And I wonder if patti lupone doesn’t transfer (which I can’t see her not). In terms of her replacement. How about Alice Ripley. I will say that the one thing that some commented on was that patti looked way too old for the role. I heard that consistently through the theatre crowd.
I do hope they keep the male actors. Ie Richard fleeshman. They were all so solid.
But honestly I see them transferring all the leads over here
Michelle Williams has said before she'd like to be on Broadway every couple of years, I can see that happening.
“Definitely not my first choice for this role but Lea Michele“
Why would you even put that out into the universe?
Question:
A lot of people have mentioned Anne Hathaway. Is there a rumor that she’s attached? Or is this just a situation where someone dreamcast her and planted the idea in everyone else’s head?
Bernadette Peters would be my choice if Patti doesn't come with it.
It would break my heart to see Bernadette do the role and be compared to LuPone. The role perfectly suited LuPone in every aspect - the bitchiness. The sas the song and vocals. It is one of those cliche “LuPone IS X” moments. I’m sure Bernadette would be ‘fine’ but it’s not quite as natural a fit for her and she risks being a bit whiny. I don’t know who they could get if not LuPone. I’d prefer Donna Murphy maybe.
Broadway Star Joined: 3/27/19
I know I am about to dive into sacrilege here but please not Bernadette. Shes adorable and an icon and I love seeing her wandering around the Upper West Side, but she does not have the voice for this. I think Ladies Who Lunch would be painful.
And kudos to whoever suggested Lea Michele, because now whoever it is will feel like a great choice in comparison.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/15/11
Anne Hathaway would put people off rather than attract them!
I hope for your sake you don’t get Rosalie Craig- she wasn’t very good. You have so many amazing actresses here, I hope one of them gets cast.
Dolly80 said: "Anne Hathaway would put people off rather than attract them!"
Tell that to nearly all Americans who'd see a show because of her but not a name unknown to them. I think Hathaway would be great (minus the singing, which we have no proof that she can pull off 8 times a week). Erivo too. I personally don't think SJB looks too old, and she'd be phenomenal in the part. My personal preference is still Sutton, who I think would kill with both the voice and the charm, but I have a feeling her contract with Rudin won't allow her to go into such a big profile revival right before The Music Man. Their whole stunt before announcing her was "a multi-Tony nominee who has not been on Broadway stage for a long time".
I’d be surprised if Sutton and her agents signed off on a contract that prohibited her from doing other shows. This isn’t 1940s Hollywood.
JBroadway said: "I’d be surprised if Sutton and her agents signed off on a contract that prohibited her from doing other shows. This isn’t 1940s Hollywood."
Yeah, fair. That was definitely some poor, conspiracy-laden guesswork on my part. Apologies. If Sutton were to come back in a revival, I'd pay a decent amount for Sweet Charity to transfer.
Isn’t the Brooks Atkinson a Shubert house? Honestly I could see Waitress packing things up this January and making way for a spring opening there.
That Sweet Charity revival was awful. Sutton deserves a better production with better orchestrations that actually include brass.
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