She's got it in her bag.
I think Helen should definitely have a deepish voice. when you think of stage divas of a certain period and age, you think deep. And I think of a brunette.
I was never so anxious to hear about a casting before!
"I think Helen should definitely have a deepish voice. when you think of stage divas of a certain period and age, you think deep."
Like Gertrude Lawrence, Helen Morgan, or Vivienne Segal?
I'm not familiar with them, but how about Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Judy Dench?
1930s era Broadway grande dames had all manner of vocal registers: Miriam Hopkins, Helen Hayes, Lilian Gish, Elisabeth Bergner, Jeanne Eagels, Lynn Fontanne, Katharine Cornell, Ruth Gordon....
Jane2, Judi Dench was born in the mid 1930s.
Updated On: 7/9/13 at 07:41 PM
that's nice
Stand-by Joined: 11/10/10
Judy Dench reminded me of Judy Davis. Judy Davis has appeared in 5 Woody Allen movies, maybe she was robbed of an Oscar for her performance in Husbands and Wives. I think I read somewhere that she started out as a singer- she played a singer and sang in a movie, High Tide. She's done stage work in Australia per Wikipedia, and there's something kind of theatrical about her. She can be funny. Maybe she's not well known enough or enough of a singer or the right age, but I can see her as Helen Sinclair.
Yes, Judy Davis is a fine actor and apparently Woodyloves her!
*YES! Memo to Woody: Cast her! (change the songs/keys if nec. but cast her!)
Smokin' Bebe Glazer
Updated On: 7/9/13 at 12:01 PM
Someone I haven't heard mention (who certainly doesn't have a healthy soprano) is Bebe Neuwirth, she'd be a riot and has the smokey voice. She's also worked with Allen before (she walks away with CELEBRITY) and can definitely play a diva.
If they're cool with not making Helen a soprano (or any rangy singer), Bebe could be great.
She'd be good for box office, too.
Vocal choices aside, Newirth would be ideal, but there are so many possibilities.
Imelda Staunton, hands down. She would blow the roof off - great singing chops and a freaking brilliant sense of comedy timing.
Anyone have any more information on who Helen is or when they will announce it?
Thanks!
They're selling tickets already, aren't they?
They must really be holding out for "the right star."
I believe they're waiting to see how the workshop goes in October before finalizing casting for the role of Helen.
Because of what happened with Marin Mazzie after the last reading, I'm guessing they've found someone who will be doing the workshop in October and want to wait and see how it goes before finalizing that actress for the actual production.
somethingwicked- what happened with Marin Mazzie in the last reading??
I've been all over the place on this, most recently obsessed with the admittedly wild idea of Shirley Henderson as Helen, which I arrived at after watching her as Leonora in Topsy Turvy, reciting her lines in her dressing room mirror while sipping sherry just before we see her on stage singing the &*() out of The Moon and I.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
When I read the casting breakdown and saw they wanted a soprano, I thought Rebecca Luker could be an inspired choice, and am holding out for that possibility.
I have a few people I'd really like to see play Helen, so I hope they cast one of them.
(Shirley Henderson would be brilliant, but that would never happen. Unfortunately.)
Has anyone heard any on the casting of Eden or any of the ensemble roles?
Think Dianne Wiest would ever do it herself? She hasn't been doing much lately.
I want Donna Murphy to be in this so badly.
I believe Somethingwicked said in another thread that Mazzie appeared in the workshop, but the creative team decided she (along with the actress who played Eden, not sure who that was) was not a right fit for the role, and that's why Eden and Helen were not announced along with the rest of the cast. I guess it makes sense they are waiting for the next workshop to see if the role works out, I'm sure they really want to get this one right.
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