Well, damn. I wasn't able to catch it and I admit I was shockingly gullible and thought, Well, No use spending $500, sounds like you'll catch it at the St James.
BJR said: "Well, damn. I wasn't able to catch it and I admit I was shockingly gullible and thought, Well, No use spending $500, sounds like you'll catch it at the St James.
Damn. I know better. And damn."
First of all, you would have to be insane to spend $500 anyway, but that’s neither here nor there.
Second, the transfer talk isn’t a rumor, so you’re not gullible. Some of us who were “confirming” it probably just jumped the gun in talking about it before it was a done deal.
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Can't wait for all the talk of "erasure" if Donna Murphy is actually replacing Heather Headley..."
Except it's not as if Headley is being fired - if all we're hearing in this thread is true - Headley would be stepping down from the role. (I'd be thrilled to see either woman.)
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.
ElphabaGoodman said: "Headley is not moving forward with the production, but a Tony winner from a few years ago has been offered the role of the Witch for Broadway..."
The only "recent" Tony winning actresses, that are in the age range of The Witch and aren't currently working on a show/movie/production are Rene Elise Goldsberry, Rachel Bay Jones, and Ruthie Ann Miles.
I am assuming you are talking about Goldsberry, considering her and Sara would likely be on the same filming schedule for Girls5eva, which I would assume currently isn't in production, since the new season is already airing on Peacock, and a new season has not yet been announced. I would love to see her take on the Witch.
Rachel Bay Jones and Ruthie Anne Miles both feel like would give such different performances from Headley that it wouldn't make sense to cast them as her replacement, add to that neither can likely sell tickets like Headley. I also feel The Witch may cut a little too close to home for Miles, although if she is ever comfortable mentally to play it, I would see it in a heart beat.
When did Donna Murphy win her last Tony? She posted an Instagram post talking about how she is joining a production of Into The Woods, and an announcement will be made this week.
She posted about seeing the show at City Center, and also vaguely commented, "There's a second part to this Into the Woods chapter in my life coming up this week. Will keep you posted."
I agree it's unlikely but if she is available for work Donna Murphy would be a reliable short-notice choice because she has done the part a couple of times and proven she is more than capable (though she isn't getting any younger sadly and perhaps her voice isn't what it was 10 years ago). If they can get Renee Goldsberry though that would be incredible.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
If Sara Bareilles is indeed continuing with the show, Renée Elise Goldsberry makes the most sense, because of the Girls5Eva connection. Also, she's another person of color, and she'll fit in very well with the modern, fresh vibe that made this production so successful at City Center. People seem to forget that this is about making money, and, with her Hamilton notoriety, Goldsberry would likely be a bigger draw than Heather Headley anyway, and definitely more than the other names mentioned here.
TaffyDavenport said: "People seem to forget that this is about making money"
I don't think people are forgetting that, I think people are just assuming that, on such short notice, they'll get who they can get - it sounds like this transfer is on the brink of falling apart, if it hasn't already, so I doubt they can afford to get really picky about the comparative fame-levels of their prospective replacements, especially if they have Harris and/or Bareilles to fall back on for ticket sales.
I can't wait to see what happens - this thread has been a roller coaster 'IT'LL TRANSFER WITH EVERYONE EXCEPT NPH; SARA IS UNAVAILABLE IT WON'T TRANSFER; DONNA MURPHY IS IN; DONNA MURPHY IS OUT; SARA IS AVAILABLE IT'S BACK ON AND RENEE IS IN'.
This reminds me of the 'good old days' here with the excitement on revivals such A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and the FOLLIES transfer.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000