Denzel Washington coming to Broadway in the Spring in FENCES??
Denzel Washington coming to Broadway in the Spring in FENCES??
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#1Denzel Washington coming to Broadway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 4:24pm
Riedel mentioned it on Theater Talk. Anyone know anything about it?
Updated On: 10/18/09 at 04:24 PM
#2re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 4:38pm
Eh, really? He's so wrong for the part. I'd much rather have Laurence Fishbourne, but I guess with his TV schedule Broadway isn't possible for him right now.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#2re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 4:51pmI hope not. Denzel is not a good fit for Fences.
#3re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 4:53pm
I'm asleep already!
P
#4re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 5:05pmOne of Wilson's best ! Would love to see it, but without Washington- Just get Chisholm in the cast !!!
Smaxie
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/26/05
#5re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 5:26pmWhy are you all complaining about Denzel Washington? He wouldn't be believable as a one-time aspiring baseball player? The complaints here are insane. I think he'd be great - and it was the one Wilson play that was as much of a commercial hit as it was a critical one.
iluvtheatertrash
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/9/04
#6re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 5:47pmWhile I'd rather see Fishbourne, I do agree with you Smaxie. I think he'd do quite well in the role.
#7re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 5:48pmHave you seen Washington on stage? Or in any film over the past decade or so? He's a dead weight on stage and he's become a caricature of himself on film. God forbid we'd want to see someone who could connect with the text or try to construct a character, rather than just playing himself.
Smaxie
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/26/05
#8re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 5:53pmWhile Julius Caesar was DOA, Denzel Washington was great in Soldier's Play, once upon a time. And of his recent films, I thought he delivered great performances in Training Day and American Gangster, sorry, AC. I saw and loved James Earl Jones, Mary Alice and Courtney B. Vance in the original, but still think Denzel would rise to the occasion.
CAX
Featured Actor Joined: 8/12/09
#9re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 5:53pm
Well, AC, half of Hollywood and Broadway alike are guilty of what you speak of... If I have to sit through one more Morgan Freeman as Morgan Freeman playing Morgan Freeman Fox in Morgan Freeman's Free Man, I'm revolting.
I think it might be really interesting to find a powerhouse unknown regional theatre actor to give Troy a solid go. That said, I'm sure Denzel would fill seats and if that's the goal of the theatre, then they'd probably meet goal if they cast him.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#10re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 5:58pmFences is about working class blue collar people. Denzel doesn't play that very well. He's too polished for those types of roles.
#11re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 6:26pm
I don't think he's a good fit for the role, and I saw the original production twice.
He could have played the son 20 years ago, though.
But he's still a big name, and he'll sell tickets. And that's what it's all about these days.
We don't have anybody today that can "thunder" across a stage the way James Earl Jones did. That performance is indelible in my mind.
But so was Mary Alice's, who played his wife. I actually saw it in NY a second time because of her, not James. To this day, it remains the most natural non-acting performance I've ever seen on Broadway. I went back to study what she was doing, because I couldn't believe my eyes.
But I'm sure we'll get Denzel with Queen Latifah. Or Angela Basset (who would probably be great in the part).
With P. Diddy as the son.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
CAX
Featured Actor Joined: 8/12/09
#12re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 6:28pmOr Terrence Howard.
#13re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 6:38pmHoward has stated that he'll never work in theatre again, comparing the eight-performance-a-week schedule to slavery.
#14re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 6:53pm
Totally. Only there's a big paycheck and fans. But other than that, it's exactly like slavery.
Besides, he's way too busy being "let go" from blockbuster franchises like Iron Man.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#15re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 6:54pmHoward is a d*ck. And he was terrible in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF anyway.
#16re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 7:09pm
Yeah, one of the worst stage performances I've ever seen. No charisma whatsoever. And in his mind, have to act for three hours straight without a trailer break probably is slavery... 
CAX
Featured Actor Joined: 8/12/09
#17re: Denzel Washington coming to Bway in the Spring in FENCES??
Posted: 10/18/09 at 7:58pmLOL. The vitriol for TH amuses. I can't stand him or Jamie Foxx for that matter... Odd to think of it now but I think The Soloist, which Foxx butchered IMHO would be a very interesting stageplay. Anyone else seen the flick to concur or rebuff such a suggestion?
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