Posted: 1/11/17 at 1:16am
100% agreed on Tony Yazbeck. I don't know why I'm just thinking of this now, but Megan Hilty as Lola sounds so very thrilling.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 9:10am
As has been pointed out, Verdon was 30 when the show opened. It might be odd to have a post-menopausal Lola, no matter how well preserved her exterior may be. When her hip breaks during "A Little Brains, A Little Talent," it'll be a real downer for the entire audience.
That said, I would imagine a successful revival will require an actual star for the role, not a relatively unknown workhorse like Davi or Padgett. I don't even know who this Garrett Clayton is - the only one I've heard of is a boy.
I think Yazbeck, at 38, is too old for an ideal Young Joe, too. He's supposed to be a kid ball player who no one has ever heard of. If the team is game to hire a late-30-something guy (not young for baseball), Applegate might as well just give Old Joe some extra strength and have him try out for the team as is.
All of this is, ultimately, somewhat moot, as the show is a silly bit of fluffy fairy tale, without any relation to a "real" world.
Updated On: 1/11/17 at 09:10 AM
Posted: 1/11/17 at 11:13am
I believe the Garrett Clayton comment is a joke. She's a sexy little boy but much too young for Lola
Posted: 1/11/17 at 11:51am
Oh, what wonderful news! DAMN YANKEES is one of my favorite shows and Cranston one of my favorite actors. It would be so much fun to see him back in full-on comedy mode again.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 11:56am
I'm a big fan of Cranston, but can he sing?
Posted: 1/11/17 at 12:13pm
I think as long as he's not completely tone-deaf, he'll be fine. Applegate has what, one solo and one duet? Neither of them especially taxing.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 12:20pm
Cranston sang on Corden in a "man band" and was definitely up to the Applegate songs, they're not exactly Sweeney Todd.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 1:04pm
"I think as long as he's not completely tone-deaf, he'll be fine. Applegate has what, one solo and one duet? Neither of them especially taxing."
In the original version he has only one light solo; they took the duet from Joe and gave it to Applegate for the Garber/Neuwirth revival.
I'd like to see a real clown as Applegate - why not James Corden himself? The role as written is not really all that funny, and I'd love to see what a good clown could do with it. I know there are those who really truly hate him, but maybe Will Ferrell could bring some fun to the part.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 1:21pm
Krakowski was good in the Encores! production that is the basis for this revival. But I imagine she'd be great in a proper production with a good amount of rehearsals. She's also a true comedian and a star unlike most of the people who have been named here so far for the role.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 2:07pm
I'd much rather see Christina Applegate as Lola than Krakowski. Based on her work post-30 Rock, I just feel like Krakowski has plateaued and just delivers the same thing over and over. I was disappointed by her work in She Loves Me and her role on Kimmy Schmidt is really just a one-joke schtick much like on 30 Rock.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 2:12pm
Mister Matt said: "I'd much rather see Christina Applegate as Lola than Krakowski. Based on her work post-30 Rock, I just feel like Krakowski has plateaued and just delivers the same thing over and over. I was disappointed by her work in She Loves Me and her role on Kimmy Schmidt is really just a one-joke schtick much like on 30 Rock.
"
Really? I think she gave a masterclass performance in She Loves Me.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 2:16pm
Oof. I thought she was unconvincing, unfunny and wooden. I cracked a smile every now and then because I knew the book and lyrics, but I was really bored by her performance. The extra choreography given to her was interesting, but didn't really add much to the character or anything.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 2:42pm
I found the extra choreography merely distracting; if Ilona is a dance role, the show would have been written with dance music for her. That whole silly dance felt just contrary (to me) to the spirit of the show, which is small, delicate, and non-showbizzy.
As for Krakowski, I agree that she delivers exactly what you expect, nothing more, and she does it pretty well. But I think she's really at her best on the small screen, in supporting roles.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 3:15pm
newintown, on the subject of clowns, my first experience with this show – and among the first professional theater experiences of my life – was seeing the tour of the ’94 revival with Jerry Lewis. I was 14 and a theater novice at the time – and already a fan of Lewis’ films, so read this testimonial with that in mind – but it remains to this day one of the five funniest shows I’ve ever seen.
We sat second row as he riffed, digressed, and interacted with the audience, delivering lines like “I *hate* charities” with a wink followed by a long, shameless mug towards the audience. And whenever he was onstage, it was most definitely The Jerry Lewis Show, but my memories of the not-Jerry parts are quite strong, too, particularly the opening, all of the dance numbers, and “Goodbye, Old Girl” (with the delightful magic trick of Old Joe turning into Young Joe as he bursts through the front door). Anyway, it was a formative experience for me that I’ve always cherished. We literally slid out of our seats with laughter several times through the evening.
I also remember buying the cast recording shortly after and being so perplexed and disappointed by Victor Garber’s dry and – in the wake of seeing Lewis ham it up all night – boring performance. So while I’m very curious to see what Cranston would bring to it (I think I can sort of imagine his performance, but also expect him to confound expectations), the idea of a clown like Corden in the role is also very attractive. (I despise Will Farrell; the only time he ever made me laugh was when he did Harry Caray.) Although if we do get Corden back on Broadway anytime soon, I still want him in a FORUM revival.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 4:12pm
Growl - I saw that tour as well (and met Lewis backstage!) and I have to admit, when Jerry was playing Jerry, he was TERRIFIC. But I did notice when he needed to veer back on script for purposes of the narrative, his delivery of much of the required dialogue was mostly disregarded. He really only seemed comfortable in the moments when he could forget the show and play his stock character. At least, that was my impression at the time. I'd have to *theoretically* go back and *somehow* watch his performance again to reassess the role and his delivery.
Nonetheless, that revival was absolute perfection and I heartily welcome back the show in any form. The score alone is worth the price of the ticket, but with a good director and choreographer, the show glitters. Even the erroneous Who's Got the Pain? number can arouse giddy joy while making no sense and adding effectually nothing to the plot.
Did the Encores production use the 1994 revision of Six Months Out of Every Year or the original? I actually prefer the revised version.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 4:25pm
Your memory is probably accurate, Matt. I mean, it certainly sounds about right. I can’t believe that’s going back almost 22 years. And I certainly wasn’t familiar with the material before seeing the show, so the ways in which he bent or broke the script to suit his purposes may very well have flew right over my head. I’ve looked around a bit, but I’ve never found any footage of him in the role.
But I agree with you about how the show can glitter. I feel the same way about – and as much affection for -- THE PAJAMA GAME. Neither are as perfectly conceived and constructed as, say, MY FAIR LADY or GUYS AND DOLLS, but, provided the right razzle dazzle, that scruffiness is a large part of their charm. And of course that score! I swoon.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 4:43pm
The Pajama Game was the very first musical I ever saw when I was a wee little lad in the mid-70s and though I was so young, I can still vividly recall Hernando's Hideaway and the Finale. I curse the fact that the tour of the recent revival never came to Chicago! But I agree completely with your comments. Just hearing Hey There, which must have been jaw-droppingly innovative when it premiered, makes my heart swell. And of course, the same goes for the erroneous Steam Heat. I often wonder what other sparkling gems we would have had if Jerry Ross hadn't passed away in 1955.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 4:43pm
CindersGolightly said: "I don't know why I'm just thinking of this now, but Megan Hilty as Lola sounds so very thrilling."
I would see the hell out of Megan Hilty as Lola.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 4:54pm
Joviedamian said: "Would love to see Laura Benanti as Lola!
"
What in gods name??? Are you high?
Posted: 1/11/17 at 8:27pm
I think Annaleigh Ashford could also be a good Lola. She's been wanting to do a Fosse show for awhile.
Posted: 1/11/17 at 11:42pm
newintown said: "All of this is, ultimately, somewhat moot, as the show is a silly bit of fluffy fairy tale, without any relation to a "real" world."
Give the story a little more credit. it may be light and charming - but the plot does have heart; pun intended. It's a clever adaptation of the Faust legend. A middle aged man gives up fame, fortune, and sex to go back to his comfortable, unexciting life with his long-time, beloved wife. "A man doesn't know what he has..." I have always found the unconventional love story between Joe and Meg Boyd to be quite touching - perhaps even more real and genuine than some of the somewhat phony and forced contemporary musical dramas exploring the social problems of today.
Posted: 1/12/17 at 4:03am
I think Patina Miller would be a great Lola. I'd love her back on Broadway.
Megan Hilty would be wonderful, but I don't get the impression she is a dancer on the level that Lola typically is.
A lesser known starlet could be exciting, too. It's not like they'd need a star Lola with Cranston on board
