Elaine Stritch in the King and I ? — Page 2

When I saw her in the tour of MAME in Buffalo many years ago, Janet Blair was Mame and Stritch was Vera.

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This is off-topic but it IS mostly about 1950's Elaine Stritch. She originated the female lead in the 1958 musical GOLDILOCKS which was the first musical to play the newly restored Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. She was hilarious as the sarcastic, wise-cracking Broadway star who left the theatre to go into silent movies. She had many songs in the show which also starred Don Ameche, and co-starred Russell Nype(from CALL ME MADAM), Pat Stanley(who was to go to FIORELLO), Margaret Hamilton, and the always reliable 2nd Banana, Nathaniel Frey(from DAMN YANKEES, also to go into FIORELLO). The likable score was by Leroy Anderson(his only Broadway venture) and the choreography was by Agnes DeMille. It was directed by theatre critic Walter Kerr, and therein possibly lies the problem. Even with such credentials, the show flopped, giving 161 performances. But I loved it, seeing it twice as an out of town teenager. I can still remember Elaine Stritch coming out of the stage door, complete with a toy poodle on a leash, heading across the street to a bar. Supposedly her drinking days stopped in the 1980's, and she even tended bar at the uptown Elaine's Restaurant while sober. GOLDILOCKS is still available on CD and is worth a listen. Incidentally, Russell Nype and Pat Stanley both won Tony Awards, for best Supporting Actor and Actress.

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Bump

Updated On: 6/22/08 at 07:57 PM

Gothampc wrote: "Regarding Stritch in Mame: She and Bea Arthur toured with the show. They would swap roles, one playing Mame, one playing Vera, then they would switch."

Where did you hear this? I don't think so.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that after Arthur left the show on Broadway, she never played Vera again, much less Mame. After Lansbury left the show on Broadway, she did it in Los Angeles and San Francisco, with Ann Francine as Vera.

Stritch has talked about how she and Garland would say that when they got to do the show together, they wanted to alternate nights in the roles. Sadly, of course, Garland never did get to do it.

Stritch played Vera on one of the major national companies (opposite Janet Blair, as already mentioned). I think she played Mame only on a stock tour.

Here's what Mandelbaum had to say about Stritch and Mame in a column on replacements in '60s Broadway musicals:

"After Lansbury, my favorite Mame was redheaded Janet Blair, who starred in a national tour with the major added attraction of Elaine Stritch's devastatingly dry Vera. While Stritch threw away lines like 'I was never in the chorus' to amazing effect, Blair looked terrific and came the closest to Lansbury's mix of class, charm, and mischief. ...

"In stock, Stritch took on the title role, and while hers was certainly an original approach, she was far less at home as Mame than she had been as Vera. (I caught her in a threadbare production at the Candlewood Theatre in New Fairfield, Connecticut.)"

Actually, after Merman declined to do Gypsy in 1974 in London, Elaine was hired. However, during rehearsals it became apparent that she didn't have the vocal chops for it, so they hired Angela Lansbury. (I think...it may have been when Dolores Gray was hired to replace Angela, but I really think it was at the very start)

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Elaine was hired. However, during rehearsals it became apparent that she didn't have the vocal chops for it

Can somebody confirm this? I've never heard that she got as far as rehearsals.

According to Sondheim & Co., published not long after the events and so probably more or less correct, Merman was asked and said no, Lansbury was asked and said no, and then Stritch was asked and said yes, but they couldn't raise the money on her name. They went to Lansbury again and she said yes this time.

If Stritch was hired to replace Lansbury but had to be replaced, I've never heard it or read it but it certainly is possible.

Here's the interview in which Stritch says she could still play Rose:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/141598-DIVA-TALK-Catching-Up-with-Tony-Winner-and-A-Little-Night-Music-Star-Elaine-Stritch/pg3

I blame the interviewer. He kind of leads her into saying it.

Updated On: 8/27/10 at 12:22 PM

and then Stritch was asked and said yes, but they couldn't raise the money on her name.

Interesting! I doubt Stritch was let go because of her vocal ability. While Lansbury did/does have a more musical voice, the score was drastically lowered for her. I am sure Stritch would have been fine in those keys too. And besides, Tyne Daly (yes, I understand her acting was incredible) was allowed to croak out the score in 1989. I would rather listen to Stritch sing over her any day.

Updated On: 8/27/10 at 12:33 PM

She did have success and lots of critical praise in a couple of plays (Small Craft Warnings and The Gingerbread Lady) in the U.K. in the mid-70s, just around the time of Gypsy. And not long after Gypsy closed, she started on her hit Britcom. But, yeah, a huge musical lead is something she might not have been trusted with.

It's funny that that Gypsy production ran only 300 performances altogether in London, with Lansbury and then Grey. I guess that Grey wasn't a big enough name.