Mike Barrett said: "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."
Still, I'd like to see a new production of 'Company' on Broadway. Maybe it would help erase the memory of that godawful production of John Doyle's "everybody-plays-an-instrument" version in 2006.
It worked for me. I loved everything about this new production in London. I thought Rosalie Craig was terrific, but if they went with an American actress, my first choice would probably be Renee Elise Goldsberry. And I don't think the actress playing Bobbie has to be the "bankable" name to sell tickets. The London production had several actors that were recognizable TV personalities (and all delivering terrific performances on stage) that helped bolster the positive reviews and word of mouth.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
The London production had a strong start but sales tapered off. I would not say its books would have people rushing to invest without some caution.
"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
Pose2 said: "Everyone on this board knows when she wraps up her TV show next Spring, she will be preparing for The Music Man. So, no."
Ahh gotcha. Not a fan of the Music Man (haven't been following any news about the upcoming revival) so I ain't know that. Regardless, I would've loved to see her in this role, though.
ukpuppetboy said: "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."
I had to go find this. Entertaining indeed. I was cracking up when he told her, essentially, “You ain’t no Cher.” For anybody interested, the exchange starts at around 32:00.
"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
LLW2 said: “I had to go find this. Entertaining indeed. I was cracking up when he told her, essentially, “You ain’t no Cher.” For anybody interested, the exchange starts at around 32:00.
Thanks for tracking this down LLW2. I gave up after a brief search on YouTube. I figured Patti had had it erased from history. Perhaps you could unearth the footage of Bebe Neuwirth in Kiss of the Spiderwoman that I always wanted as you seem to have skillz. Her rendition of the title song was perfection.. Maybe she’d make for a great Joanne? She totally nailed Lilith.
At the risk of veering this thread off topic, I have to say I find Sondheim's take on TV stars pretty irksome. He's probably right that there are few, if any, stars known predominately for Broadway who draw the general public on their name alone. But he is so condescending and flippant toward people who have made their name on TV. Patti was quite right to point out that a TV/film star on Broadway could have the skills necessary to do perform well, given the right material.
Not only that, but consider how many current TV/film stars got their start onstage, or have an proven track-record onstage, or have theatre training, or maybe even are just talented performers who *GASP* are able to do both naturally. We constantly see TV and film actors produce extraordinary onstage performances. There are truly too many examples of these to count, yet Sondheim brushes TV fame off like it's nothing but shallow, artless, money-grabbing.
g.d.e.l.g.i. said: "broadwayindie said: "Big name with a filming schedule - I'm thinking Cynthia Erivo"
You're thinking wrong."
These type of cryptic messages are both my favorite and least favorite type of BWW posts. Favorite because it implies that there's something real brewing and we're not just wasting time dreaming. Least favorite because someone seemingly knows real information and I don't and I just... want to know NOW lol. :)
Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.