Favorite Edna?
Favorite Edna?
#1Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:42amJust curious to know who is your favorite Edna in Hairspray? For me, the casting of Edna is important
''With the number of people I ignore, I'm lucky I work at all in this town'' - Helena Bonham Carter
Salene
Broadway Star Joined: 3/26/07
#2Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:24pmChris Sieber is playing the role at the Papermill Playhouse in NJ, beginning today through 10/24.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
TulitaPepsi
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/13/04
#3Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:27pmEdna May Oliver.
"Hurry up and get into your conga clothes - we've got to do something to save this show!"
hairspraydude1962
Leading Actor Joined: 7/20/09
#5Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/22/10 at 1:09pm
That I've seen so far? Harvey.
But I'm seeing Chris Sieber next week. (I've also seen Bruce Vilanch, Paul Vogt, Blake Hammond and George Wendt)
Pianist3912
Leading Actor Joined: 7/12/07
luvbrdway
Featured Actor Joined: 10/21/08
#7Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/22/10 at 2:07pm
I'm spoiled. Seen the show twice - once with Harvey Fierstein and once with Michael Ball. I know, lucky me! Both were just amazing. If I "had" to pick, I'd probably choose Michael Ball just because he can Harvey's gravel voice is sometimes hard to understand.
John Travola - no thanks.
#8Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/22/10 at 2:15pm
My favorite Edna is Edna Garrett-no question. However, my favorite Edna Turnblad is Jay Brazeau, the Toronto Edna. He was a great character actor and infused Edna with a lot of humanity.
Least favorite-Harvey. I know he won a Tony and is a legend, but me and my companions could not understand a word he was saying. His voice was shot.
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BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#10Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/22/10 at 2:21pmOf the Ednas I've seen onstage, I'd go with Paul Vogt. I'm curious to see how Sieber will be. I agree with Bettyboy - I was not a fan of Harvey.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#11Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/22/10 at 2:31pm
Christopher Sieber already played Edna from July 19 to August 7, 2010 at The Cape Playhouse in MA.
chewy5000
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/1/09
TheatreFan4
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/12/09
#16Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/23/10 at 4:29pmBruce Vilanch -- he walked the fine line between being funny and frightening!
Corine2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/14/03
#17Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/23/10 at 4:43pm
I've loved every one except Travolta but my favorites:
Harvey and Bruce Vilanch. I also think I saw Blake Hammond and he was fab!
JP2
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/2/07
broadwayguy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
#19Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/23/10 at 5:00pm
Well, I will avoid offering criticsim of a number of Ednas, but I will say that while I enjoyed a few of the dialogue changes offered by Harvey - particularly on his return visit (the Asians banter, the Motor Home/Boat/Car/Cycle switch up, the altered Pinky phone call and the addendum to the Jewish joke in Timeless, my overall top two Ednas continue to be John Pinette and Paul Vogt, both of whom offered very different and wonderful Ednas.
I enjoyed the Blake Hammond was light on his feet and truly played Edna as a broken mother. I commend Jerry O'Boyle, who in 2006 in Atlantic City left feeling as though he didn.t have a grasp on who Edna is, to truly having grown to be a wonderful Edna in 2009-2010... the evolution was wonderful to see.
By all accounts, the UK has had a wonderful array of Ednas in Michael Ball, Brian Conley, Phill Jupitus, Michael Starke and Adam Price - any clips and features I have found show them to be fantastic as well..
One of my great disappointments is that David Greenspan and Jim J. Bullock never were able to go on as Edna. Who knows? Perhaps now that the show is flourishing on the regional circuit, they will don the frocks. I dearly hope so.
As this is a "favorite Ednas" thread, I won't name names, but I will say there have been a handful of absolutely GHASTLY Ednas who have really made me appreciate the difficulty and the heart within that role and that Ednas transformation is truly, truly critical to the show. Without that growth, it is still a wonderful and FUns how, but a bit of the heart will be missing.
Edited to add that I am SO excited to Chris Sieber bite into Edna under Matt Lenz's direction at Paper Mill... I have long thought that he could bring a lot to the role.
Updated On: 9/23/10 at 05:00 PM
#20Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/23/10 at 5:11pmI saw George Wendt on Broadway and Jerry O'Boyle on tour....I choose Wendt.
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#22Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/24/10 at 4:51pm
Hearing Harvey sing makes my throat itch.
"Curse you, Lady Glyde!"
Updated On: 9/24/10 at 04:51 PM
#23Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/24/10 at 9:22pm
I'm surprised that anyone could not love Harvey as Edna. He was perfect, in my opinion. So, he's my favorite.
But how can we be forget Divine, people??
#24Favorite Edna?
Posted: 9/24/10 at 9:46pmBruce Vilanch, he always had fun breaking the fourth wall with the audience and was hilarious.
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