Elaine Stritch in Call Me Madam--RARE VIDEO — Page 3

Dear PalJoey,
I love you.
Amen.

So Elaine Stritch hasn't got a great voice. Neither did Jolson. Astaire couldn't be heard past the tenth row. Mary Martin never thrilled me. I always thought she sounded like the best singer in a community theater.

Didn't matter a bit. Doesn't matter with Stritch. She is what we all damn well know we will never be.

And thanks, Pal Joey, for reminding me to visit BlueGobo. After the Ed Sullivan heirs dropped the hammer on them, the site seemed so empty and lonely.

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Updated On: 1/11/12 at 03:56 AM

I actually prefer her in the part over Merman, based on that clip. I wish there were more! I always wanted to see her in that role.

With all due respect, you are out of your mind. The role of Sally Adams was written for and tailored specifically to Merman's gifts and limitations.

For one thing, even in the clip Stritch is obviously brighter than Adams is written to be. (The character triumphs because of her warm heart and American generosity, not because she's smart. In fact, the Russell Nype character has to explain basic geography to her.)

For another, there is simply no comparison in terms of what the two women could do vocally with the Berlin score.

Merman not only sang the hell out of the score, she was drop-dead funny AND exactly right for the character. CALL ME MADAM may not be a great show, but it was a nearly perfect vehicle for one of Broadway's two biggest stars.

Let's don't rewrite history, no matter how much we love Miss Stritch.