Christine Pedi going into Chicago!

[musicalperson17]

Posted: 4/2/13 at 11:02pm

I wish I didn't live out of the country. Does this not excite anyone else?

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/2/13 at 11:03pm

Is she going to do Mamma Morton as a different person each night?

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/2/13 at 11:19pm

Im glad she is going into a show worthy of her talent. She's been stuck in crap for far too long. Break a leg Christine!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/2/13 at 11:19pm

Is she a Momma Morton? Doesn't Momma Morton have to be like tough and intimidating?

[pair-o-dice]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 9:41am

Is she a Momma Morton? Doesn't Momma Morton have to be like tough and intimidating?

Well, the good news is she is FREAKISHLY TALENTED so I'm sure she'll pull it off. Really excited for her! I've always loved the impressions but think she's the best when she's just herself :)

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 11:49am

I know she's crazy talented. But this is just seems like odd casting, to me. But maybe I'm just thinking of Queen Latifah, ha.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 11:51am

Is she going to do Mamma Morton as a different person each night?

That would certainly make it worth seeing. She's done "Lansbury performing 'Class'" before, and I'd like to see that one.

Updated On: 4/3/13 at 11:51 AM

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 11:54am

Mama Morton doesn't have to be menacing or frightening. She has to have a good deal of sass and brass. I've seen Carol Woods, Roz Ryan, Kecia Lewis and Nicole Bridgewater as Mama Morton. They each have their own interpretation. Miss Pedi will do just fine. from RC in Austin, Texas

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 11:58am

They have cast sexier and less intimidating Mamas. before. Sofia Vefgara and Lynda Carter have played the role on Broadway.






Updated On: 4/3/13 at 11:58 AM

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 12:00pm

I want to see her do it like "s**t Liza says".

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 12:30pm

Also, remember Kelly Osbourne played Mama Morton in London...

Never 4get.

[HandsomeLittleLiar]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 4:31pm

I never new that Kelly Osbourne played Mamma Morton in the West End. It's not surprising given Chicago's love of star casting but she is extremely young for that role and I'm surprised they didn't bring her in as Roxie or Velma instead. Was she any good?

[brettarnett]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 4:47pm

I'm so glad she is getting work, I love her. Has she played a role or any role for that matter in New York in which she was doing impressions? Not doubting her talent, just wondering.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 5:07pm

All of the examples you gave for Morton not being played by a big, brassy lady are celebrities, so I don't think that works. Typically, Momma Morton is played by a bigger black lady. It just seems an odd casting choice to cast someone that is a tiny little white girl in the role. That's all.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 5:15pm

It's been a long time since I've seen Pedi in person, but I don't recall her being all that tiny (not that I'm saying she's huge either, just a regular sized adult woman from my memory). And when Sofia Vergara did the show I don't think she was really all that famous to U.S. audiences at the time (again, as I recall, she did a few stops on the tour, not Broadway, before Modern Family made her a much more recognizable name).

And just remember that Marcia Lewis, who was nominated for a Tony for the role in 97, was not a big black lady by any stretch of the imagination.

[jpbran]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 5:21pm

...neither was Mary McCarty from the original '75 production.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 8:43pm

I've never seen a picture of the original 1975 "Chicago" Matron Mamma Morton...Mary McCarty. I found this: left (Mary McCarty). from RC in Austin, Texas

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 8:48pm

Some of the white Mamas from the revival

Marcia Lewis
Michelle Pawk
Debbie Gravitte
Debra Monk
Anne L. Nathan
Camille Saviola
Mary Testa
Aida Turturo
Belle Callaway


A white Mama is nothing surprising.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/4/13 at 12:21am

Ha. It's not the WHITE part I'm concerned about. I don't care about that. I've seen Pedi in performance a few times and she's always come off as a Kristen Cheno type of person. Kind of small and fit. Just seems like an odd choice for this role who is suppose to be this big, brassy parol officer.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/4/13 at 12:33am

. It just seems an odd casting choice to cast someone that is a tiny little white girl in the role. That's all.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/4/13 at 12:56am

" I've seen Pedi in performance a few times and she's always come off as a Kristen Cheno type of person. Kind of small and fit. Just seems like an odd choice for this role who is suppose to be this big, brassy parol officer"

When did you last see Pedi? She's not small and fit. She's ample size and definitely brassy as all hell. There's nothing diminutive about her. She's an old school performer-she can play broad characters and is very expressive. She's actually perfect casting.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 4/4/13 at 12:04pm

I love Christine Pedi. She will put it off like gangbusters albeit I admit, I wouldn't have equated Mama Morton and Christine Pedi as perfect casting.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 4/4/13 at 12:17pm

She does "When You're Good to Mama" in her Great Dames show with no character voices and it's fantastic.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/4/13 at 6:42pm

I've seen Pedi in performance a few times and she's always come off as a Kristen Cheno type of person. Kind of small and fit.

I think you're confused. Pedi is neither small in stature nor in bulk. She's not fat or anything, but she's no Cheno.

[gravity87]

Posted: 4/5/13 at 8:44am

I think you're confusing Pedi with another Newsical cast member, Christia Bianco, who is built like cheno.