_(•_&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.
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.
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.
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
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?
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.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
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.
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".
Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.
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.
Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.