Dunaway Filming "Master Class" in Detroit

[YipHarburg]

Posted: 10/24/09 at 11:44pm

http://www.playbill.com/playblog/?p=2037

Caldwell created one of the most extraordinary performances I have ever seen. Caldwell filled your soul with a love of art and an appreciation for humanity. Truly Miraculous.

Dunaway not only tortured her "students" but the audience as well. Same play, same set, same costumes, same director... but OY! Caldwell made you love theatre and art, Dunaway made you hate theatre and loathe art.

Still.. I'll be first in line to see it. Either way it promises to be memorable.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/25/09 at 12:03am

Dunaway is apparently DIRECTING as well as starring. Proof nobody will work with her. I just hope she tells those film distributors not to f#@k with her - this aint her first time at the rodeo.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/25/09 at 2:30am

I hope she's using the Lucille Ball "cheesecloth and vaseline" method of filming, because the last time I saw Dunaway's face, it looked like a bag of dirty gym socks.

Seriously, what was Terrence McNally thinking selling the rights to her? Streisand could have done it. Streep could have done it. Any number of British actresses could have done it.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/25/09 at 8:34am

Saw her in Boston- dreadful.
Patti in London- stunning!
Caldwell -well, just out of this world.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/25/09 at 10:25am

Faye Dunaway as Maria Callas in MASTER CLASS:

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/25/09 at 2:10pm

She was awful in LA...

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/25/09 at 2:19pm

I would have loved to see a film of this with a capable director behind the camera, and with a first rate actress as Callas. Dunaway used to be good...what happened to her? Needless to say, I no longer think of her as first rate. What next? The film version of SUNSET BLVD. finally starring Ms.Dunaway in the lead?

[nealb1]

Posted: 10/25/09 at 2:25pm

It's just too bad that it's taken so long for this film to have been made. With her plastic surgeries on her face...how will she look? Oi........

Saw her 3 times when "Master Class" was here in LA in the summer on 1997. She was extraordinary.
Updated On: 10/25/09 at 02:25 PM

[Muhlethaler]

Posted: 10/25/09 at 6:08pm

Updated On: 8/31/11 at 06:08 PM

[goodoneinlou2]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:31am

Faye Dunaway in Master Class remains the ONLY Broadway show I have ever walked out on. She was horrid.

No, horrid isn't descriptive enough...

Intolerable.

I was one of MANY people who left the theater in droves at intermission.

I won't waste my time on her... IMO she's an overrated, angry, and unappealing actress who somehow got lucky in her career.

Shaggy

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:37am

She didn't do the show in New York, just the tour.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:39am

Just to clarify, she only did the show on tour and I believe she actually secured the rights BEFORE she did the role. I think performing the role on tour was akin in her mind to a sort of dress rehearsal for the film.

I would love to hear more about her performance from people who saw her. All three women on Broadway - Zoe, Patti and Dixie Carter actually received wonderful reviews. I thought the role was somewhat critic proof!

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:51am

http://www.sacnews.net/sacstage/master_r.html

[goodoneinlou2]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:54am

And to clarify further... I never said I saw the show on Broadway... I saw her in the Broadway version of the show (well, half of it at least)when it played Cincinnati probably 10-11+ years ago.

If she obtained the rights, and being in the production was a "dress rehearsal" then she's had lots of time to prepare. But I doubt she's improved. LOL

[YipHarburg]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 12:15pm

Michael Bennett,

I saw Caldwell and Lupone multiple times, Dunaway 1 1/2 times.

As a showman and in-general performer I appreciate LuPone, as an actress I am not as enthusiastic. However, to be fair, LuPone did a splendid job. I remember McNally commenting that LuPone brought her innate sense of music to the stage, which I agree with.

LuPone's big handicap was following Caldwell. Replacing was something I recall she never did as a rule, but at the time to be ask to follow Caldwell was something of a complement.

Still, it was like looking at a light bulb after staring at the sun.

Dunaway, however, was literally frightening. I've come to believe that she equates good acting with being "hard"... just like some actors consider good acting being as "vulnerable" as possible. Two extremes.

Dunaway had no grasp of the humor or elegance of the piece. She was fierce, mean and volcanically abusive. While other actor understood that this Callas was tough for the love of art, Dunaway was almost sadistic and really seemed to be raging about something personal to Dunaway rather than Callas.

If the material itself had been hackneyed the performance would have been high camp. Instead Dunaway's severe performance leached any life and joy the audience had coming into the theatre.

The one moment I was hoping would work was when the young singer in the second act confronts Callas with the line " You just want to make it hard on us because it hard on you!" THAT was a moment when Dunaway could have slightly redeemed herself. All the other actors playing the role understood that to some degree Callas had to relfect on the truth of that statement. Instead Dunaway just ratcheted up the "hardness" and gave the impression that she would have physically assaulted the young girl if there weren't witnesses.







Updated On: 10/26/09 at 12:15 PM

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 12:25pm

To clarify, you said 'Broadway show'!
You didn't say Cincinati.
x

[WOSQ]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 1:37pm

Dunaway has always had a reputation for being what is quaintly called "difficult" even during her heyday in the 60s and 70s.

Her temperment is said to be hugely foul--as in amongst the very worst in all facets of show business.

Since she dropped in professional and public estimation beginning in about 1980 she has gone from A movies to B movies to an unsuccessful TV series to an unsuccessful memoir to virtually nothing. The tour of Master Class may have been her last well paying job which, it is said, she took if they would guarantee her the film. She alienated those holding the film rights and the Broadway management so much that the film version was put on the shelf. Who knows who is producing this movie?

Making this film could be a comeback or another fiasco.

In her favor, and I have not heard much in her favor, Andrew Lloyd Webber did not do her any favors when he cast her in Sunset Blvd knowing full well that she couldn't sing it. Not even close--no pun. She was in an untenable situation.

Faye Dunaway ought to be seen as a real cautionary tale.

Updated On: 10/26/09 at 01:37 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 1:48pm

Never saw Caldwell, but had the opportunity to catch LuPone twice in the show. Then I made the mistake of seeing Dunaway. I left at intermission. She absolutely RUINED the show. She was tentative with her lines, wooden and utterly unconvincing. Plus, she was notorious for delaying the curtain for approximately an hour after curtain opening night at each city of the tour, with audiences only receiving periodic updates while waiting in their seats. Crowds were demanding refunds at the box office (I was working box office one of those openings and it was chaos). I will not be seeing this film.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 2:04pm

I think Faye Dunaway's ego has alway rendered her a fairly selfish performer. I doubt this is intentional, but it sounds like it was ultimately the fatal flaw in her characterization of Callas. In fact the war between Callas ego, her art and her own insecurities is the driving force of conflict in MASTER CLASS. The vulnerability she experiences in the face of her ego (confronted) is the entire emotional journey of the character. If Faye didn't get that, no wonder she was doomed.

I also respect any performer who takes their career into their own hands and makes work for themselves. In this way I really admire Dunaway for even attempting this.

But I'm skeptical she has learned enough since her time performing the role to make the changes necessary to make the project work on film.

And Matt, I somehow am skeptical we will even ever have the chance of seeing the film.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 2:20pm

And Matt, I somehow am skeptical we will even ever have the chance of seeing the film.

If our only option for Callas is Dunaway, then it's certainly for the best.

[goodoneinlou2]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 2:33pm

"To clarify, you said 'Broadway show'!
You didn't say Cincinati. "

Sorry for the mistake in omitting that it was the Broadway Touring production.

I'm sure you'll agree that it's easy to make an omission here.

Like omitting one of the n's in Cincinnati.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 3:59pm

And not one mention of WKRP.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 5:25pm

Really what are the chances of a film starring and directed (and produced?) by Dunaway in 2009/2010 will get a distributor?

[nealb1]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 5:32pm

Interesting points of view on Faye's performance in "Master Class." When I saw it the 3 times here in June/July of 1997 here in LA, I was blown away by her performance - it was so layered, deep and very moving. How she would go back and forth between the characters that she was doing - Ari O, and her younger self, as Maria.

The first time I saw it, I went with a friend of mine who was Faye's assistant. He had told me many a story about what she's "really like" and all that. We went into her dressing room after the performance and she was very, very nice and was very curious as what we either liked, or disliked about her performance. And, she wasn't asking just to get compliments. She was very genuine and very interested in what we thought. We stayed with her for about 30 minutes or so as she greeted other guests and walked her out to her car.

In talking to her, I told her I couldn't wait to see it again, and she arranged the other 2 times - comp House Seats. Which, certainly was very kind and gracious to do. Granted it was 12 years ago, but I don't remember hoards of people leaving at intermission or anything like that. If people did leave, I didn't notice it. People leave at intermission quite often - doesn't matter if it's a play, musical or concert.

I'm looking forward to the film version of "Master Class." It's just too bad that it's taken so long to come to the big screen.


Updated On: 10/26/09 at 05:32 PM

[alxscrz2]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 5:50pm

Im looking foward to this movie. I think Faye Dunaway is a good actress. I keep reading that she doesn't get along with people very well, but what do I care. I don't know her in person, so her not getting along with other won't bother me. Im going to see the film for her acting and for the material. I think she will do a good job. I can't wait :)