If Merman were alive, she would probably go up to Lansbury & hauled off and belted her square in the chops. She would have walked away singing "I'll Be Swell I Am Great" etc
Great interview and lovely pictures of Dame Angela. I love how unpretentious and direct she is. Oh, and this quote is ****ing amazing:
"I may be even going back to London to do some Restoration comedy. I think Restoration comedy is great because it's so dirty and slutty, and I think at my age I should do that."
Did I miss a meltdown where Spil.berg LEFT? Because that would be lovely. (Not to mention whoever else he has been.)
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
In the audio that exists of Merman's final Gypsy performance, I think she's pretty much perfect. She lands laughs in places I never knew had laughs, and is like a lost, confused child in the Minsky's dressing room scene. The part is written to play to all of Merman's strengths. Her style might not be for everyone, but this myth that has arisen that she couldn't act seems ill-conceived.
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
There's an apocryphal story about Merman delivering the "Ephraim, let me go" speech in Dolly with a tear running down her cheek. She came offstage and announced "See, I told ya I could act!"
I'd say it depends on what you mean by acting. I saw Ethel Merman on stage in the ANNIE GET YOUR GUN revival and in HELLO DOLLY and saw Angela Lansbury in most of her theatre work since MAME in 1966. I'm a major fan of both ladies. Merman could certainly achieve an emotional effect on stage, but she didn't delve into text and subtext to characterize the way Lansbury does. Merman's acting effects were more on the surface, while Lansbury's come from a deeper place rooted in the character she and the writer have created.
I've really enjoyed some of The Merm's film performances, but her appeal as a musical theatre actress and vocalist is lost on me. I mean, I know she could project and I know she could hold a note, but every time I listen to her or see one of her concert or live appearance clips posted on here I see zero subtext.
I think it's probably a generational thing. Then again, I was born well after Dame Angela's glory days in the musical theatre, and I have no trouble appreciating everything she did.
Great interview! Even MORE excited to see the show on Thursday. What a funny quote, as I recall Debbie Reynolds saying that Merman was a bad actress because she OVER acted.
"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999
I saw Merman twice in "Gypsy," once from the front row. It's true that Merman was a better singer than actress. But, her "Everything's Coming Up Roses" at the end of act one was thrilling. The same for "Rose's Turn." She should have won the Tony Award that year, rather than Mary Martn, whom I also saw in "The Sound of Music."
Someone should remind Lansbury that Merman received excellent reviews for her acting in "Gypsy." Her acting on TV in "Annie Get Yout Gun" in 1967 was pretty bad. So I can only comment on "Gypsy"--the only time I saw Merman on stage.