Cate Blanchett as Margo Channing in ALL ABOUT EVE

https://twitter.com/BazBam/status/857723709444018177

Adaptation directed by Ivo Van Hove. Starts in London next year.

Color me excited (and praying to the gods that it comes to New York)!

My interest is definitely peaked. Though I worry that with a possibly minimalist approach from van Hove and Blanchett's refined beauty, it might come across as too... cold? I feel like All About Eve needs a sense of melodrama and the characters shouldn't come across as too patrician. They're actors and journalists and that sort of thing... not people born to high society. I think it works better if you get the feeling that Margo could have been Eve. That way Eve's ascendance seems more in reach through talent and ruthless scheming.

I will schedule next year's visit to London to coincide with this production. DO NOT want to miss Cate Blanchett's performance. There are few actors I admire more.

Updated On: 4/28/17 at 10:27 PM

The two share a source material, and the play is written by the author of the original short story (also titled "The Wisdom of Eve" along with her husband Robert Denham, that played off-broadway in 1979.

Hopefully this will die where it begins. The director is not the second coming, and why doesn't he pick on someone else, for example, Neil Simon? His work reminds me of theatre 20-odd years ago, when every "serious" play ended with deconstruction. Nothing really revolutionary, just pretentious. And no, Arthur Miller would not have applauded what has been done, and neither would Joe Mankiewicz.

I saw a concert of Applause last year and there is a big structural problem. Margo doesn't carry the story yet the musical keeps her onstage with nothing to do.

Margo carries the first half of the film. Once Eve takes her part her story is done. The focus shifts to Eve's blackmail of Karen and her *** spoiler? *** clash with Addison DeWitt. Margo doesn't confront her again or plan any sort of revenge.

In Applause we keep going back to scenes of Margo arguing with Bill in her apartment. Bacall never got a duet with Penny Fuller. She had to settle for the bland "One of a Kind" and the terrible "Something Greater."

I'll be curious to see if the new play gives Blanchett more to do or if it takes the spotlight off of her for the final scenes.

fashionguru_23 said: "I'll be the one to say it: just revive "Applause".



"

Was thinking this yesterday!

By the way, Ann Dowd would kill as Birdie.

Incredibly exciting.



And it's always funny watching people review a production that isn't happening for over a year. Even more so when they claim to speak for dead people.

Jayne Houdyshell would be a really fun choice for Birdie.

wonderfullwizard11 wrote: "Jayne Houdyshell would be a really fun choice for Birdie."

I was thinking the same thing...and Nancy Walker would've been great, back in the day.

This might actually be good, as the movie studio that had the rights at first refused the production of Applause the use of all material not directly related to the short story. Later, they relented, but it was too late. Who knows what a new production could do with full use of all source material. I'm intrigued. It's strange, though, that this work is so popular with gay men, in particular, as the main themes cast the homosexual characters (de Witt and Eve - implied) as evil, and the heterosexual ones as good and battling the aggressive manipulations of the former. (I would quote source material, but don't have it on hand - yes, I do read).

MrsSallyAdams said: "I saw a concert of Applause last year and there is a big structural problem. Margo doesn't carry the story yet the musical keeps her onstage with nothing to do.

Margo carries the first half of the film. Once Eve takes her part her story is done. The focus shifts to Eve's blackmail of Karen and her *** spoiler? *** clash with Addison DeWitt. Margo doesn't confront her again or plan any sort of revenge.

In Applause we keep going back to scenes of Margo arguing with Bill in her apartment. Bacall never got a duet with Penny Fuller. She had to settle for the bland "One of a Kind" and the terrible "Something Greater."

I'll be curious to see if the new play gives Blanchett more to do or if it takes the spotlight off of her for the final scenes.



"

I too saw a concert version about 10 years ago and your analysis is spot on. (Though I think there are plenty of poorer songs in the show than "Something Greater".)

I would only add that in 2017-18, are we still asking whether a woman can have a career and a successful marriage? That dramatic question was pretty creaky even when APPLAUSE first opened.