GUYS & DOLLS, SPIDER WOMAN & Block in SUNSET BLVD at the Kennedy Center- Page 12

[SisterGeorge]

Posted: 2/7/23 at 2:58pm

I would travel to see Melissa Errico as Norma. 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 2/7/23 at 5:18pm

DCNY said: "So in line with people's comments about this direction of the ending not being realistic in the descant to madness, one could imagine that Norma is indeed of sound mind at the end and worked with Max to put on an act!"

I think this interpretation is available for any version of the musical, or indeed for the movie. I definitely felt that Glenn Close played it with that possibility in mind.

Another thing that occurred to me after seeing the Kennedy Center production - and I realize that it may have always been obvious to others - is that Max may be the main source of Norma's problems. He implies she's always been a snowflake in need of protection, but it also seems plausible that he's selfishly held her back from becoming a gracefully aging star.

[defenses]

Posted: 2/7/23 at 6:42pm

I saw it for the first time last night. I was absolutely blown away. It was my first time seeing the show I enjoyed the way Norma was portrayed. Having nothing to compare it to, I just figured that’s how Norma was. She was out of touch, but not to the point where it was scary. People seemed amused by her and willing to play along with her delusions, including Joe. Until he didn’t. I like that she didn’t seem to snap until he burst her bubble. I’ll have to check out some other interpretations.

Two random things I thought about yesterday:

- Did other actresses do that accent? According to Google, apparently it was an accent that was used a lot in Hollywood. I wasn’t familiar with it and couldn’t help but hear Moira Rose sometimes.

- As someone who was recently bitten by the Phantom bug (I know, I’m very late), I was surprised with how many themes the two shows share!

[kdogg36]

Posted: 2/7/23 at 6:55pm

defenses said: "Did other actresses do that accent? According to Google, apparently it was an accent that was used a lot in Hollywood. I wasn’t familiar with it and couldn’t help but hear Moira Rose sometimes."

I have to imagine you're talking about the Mid-Atlantic accent - an attempt to create a cultivated pronunciation common to the US and UK - and, yes, I think pretty much everyone who has played this role has adopted a version of it, from Gloria to Stephanie. 

In the miniseries Hollywood, the character played by Holland Taylor (an actor who, ironically, represents one of the last bastions of this accent) notes that it's a made-up accent that no one speaks naturally. She says it's called "Mid-Atlantic" because no one lives in the middle of the Atlantic.

[defenses]

Posted: 2/7/23 at 7:29pm

kdogg36 said: "defenses said: "Did other actresses do that accent? According to Google, apparently it was an accent that was used a lot in Hollywood. I wasn’t familiar with it and couldn’t help but hear Moira Rose sometimes."

I have to imagine you're talking about the Mid-Atlantic accent - an attempt to create a cultivated pronunciation common to the US and UK - and, yes, I think pretty much everyone who has played this role has adopted a version of it, from Gloria to Stephanie.

In the miniseriesHollywood,the character played by Holland Taylor (an actor who, ironically, represents one of the last bastions of this accent) notes that it's a made-up accent that no one speaks naturally. She says it's called "Mid-Atlantic" because no one lives in the middle of the Atlantic."

Yes! I did a quick Google search and saw that’s what the accent is called. I’m surprised how often it has been used in more modern times because I didn’t recognize it. (PS - Thank you for sharing the Wiki page! I was very confused by the name at first because the DC/Maryland/Delaware area is often referred to as the mid-Atlantic area. I work in DC and wondering why I haven’t heard it before. It all makes sense now! :))

Updated On: 2/7/23 at 07:29 PM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 2/7/23 at 7:40pm

defenses said: "(PS -Thank you for sharing the Wiki page! I was very confused by the name at first because the DC/Maryland/Delaware area is often referred to as the mid-Atlantic area. I work in DC and wondering why I haven’t heard it before. It all makes sense now! :))"

My pleasure! FYI I live in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and I've never heard it here, either. Around here more people talk like Edna in the Hairspray movie. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 10:28am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Video-Watch-Highlights-From-GUYS-AND-DOLLS-at-the-Kennedy-Center-20230210

 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 11:09am

Does it not seem weird to anyone else that they are releasing clips from a show in October?

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 12:41pm

A silent star who couldn’t make it in talkies doubtful had successful elocution lesions to learn the mid-Atlantic accent. 

Updated On: 2/10/23 at 12:41 PM

[bdn223]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 12:47pm

fashionguru_23 said: "Does it not seem weird to anyone else that they are releasing clips from a show in October?"

No its definitely weird, but then again this production is still being talked about and this release might be in hopes of sustaining that buzz for a possible Broadway transfer next season. My only question would be if it transfers would it be without James Monroe Iglehart? I say this as  I have to assume Disney has Broadway transfer stipulations in the Papermill contracts of Hercules. Especially for the leads, as they don't want a repeat of what happened with Jeremey Jordan and Newsies. Also if Hercules plans end up being delayed as it needs more work, I would assume Iglehart's next priority is the Louis Armstrong Musical...with 2 regional tryouts next this fall. So this if this does end up transferring I would have to assume the only way he stays with it is if both Hercules and the Louis Armstrong musical's fall apart, which I don't think is likely. 

[TarHeelAlan]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 12:53pm

QueenAlice said: "A silent star who couldn’t make it in talkies doubtful had successful allocation lesions to learn the mid-Atlantic accent."

"Allocation lesions"?? I fear you've fallen victim to an overly ambitious auto-correct! Happens to the best of us sometimes!

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 12:57pm

What happened with Jeremy Jordan and Newsies? He did Papermill and then Broadway, but was there some trouble in between? 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 1:32pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "What happened with Jeremy Jordan and Newsies? He did Papermill and then Broadway, but was there some trouble in between?"

When Disney wanted to move the Papermill Production of Newsies to Broadway, they were going to have to do it without Jeremy Jordan because he was contracted to star in Bonnie and Clyde on Broadway, as Newsies was just a one and done production at the time. The rumour goes that Disney interferred in some way, and either through the press or word of mouth to get Bonnie and Clyde to close shortly after opening to then allowed Jeremy Jordan to be able to do the Broadway run of Newsies 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 1:46pm

fashionguru_23 said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "What happened with Jeremy Jordan and Newsies? He did Papermill and then Broadway, but was there some trouble in between?"

When Disney wanted to move the Papermill Production of Newsies to Broadway, they were going to have to do it without Jeremy Jordan because he was contracted to star in Bonnie and Clyde on Broadway, as Newsies was just a one and done production at the time. The rumour goes that Disney interferred in some way, and either through the press or word of mouth to get Bonnie and Clyde to close shortly after opening to then allowed Jeremy Jordan to be able to do the Broadway run of Newsies"


That's... quite a conspiracy theory lol. A big conglomerate basically created an atmosphere for an unrelated Broadway show to close so they can keep a virtual nobody (at the time) as their lead, when that part could have been played by about 1000 different people including more popular Disney stars?

 

[bdn223]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 2:50pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "What happened with Jeremy Jordan and Newsies? He did Papermill and then Broadway, but was there some trouble in between?"

Jeremy Jordan was cast in the Papermill production run of Newsies in August of 2011, after it was already announced in June of 2011 that he would be staring Bonnie & Clyde on Broadway in late Fall of 2011. This theoretically was not a problem initially as Newsies Papermill run was originally only meant to be a proof of concept for regional licensing and scheduled to run from September of 2011 through mid October of 2011, with Bonnie & Clyde beginning previews at the Schoenfeld on November 4, 2011. Due to this as far as I am aware there weren't Broadway transfer stipulations in any of the Papermill contracts, which if things had gone as planned would not of been an issue.

It became an issue though when Newsies run at Papermill was a massive success with immediate speculation and clamoring for a quick transfer to Broadway, but unfortunately the shows lead was already under contract and about to begin an open ended run Bonnie & Clyde. Note although Bonnie & Clyde was a massive flop closing after less than a month of performances, going into the season all signs pointed to it being a big hit, meaning that the Jeremy Jordan likely wouldn't be available for a Broadway transfer of Newsies if Disney wanted to ride the buzz and pent up demand from the Papermill production to a quick Broadway transfer. As such there was rampant speculation when Disney did announce on November 15, 2011 that Newsies would transfer to Broadway for a limited run at the Nederlander from 3/15/12-6/10/12, as to who would star. There were allegedly behind the scenes discussions of Disney offering to buy Jordan out of his Bonnie & Clyde contract for the run, which he allegedly refused. The kernel of truth that those discussions likely happens caused some to believe/start spreading the rumor that Bonnie & Clyde only closed less than a month of performances because Disney paid off its producers to make Jordan available for Newsies Spring opening...which is obviously didn't happen.

Then even though Bonnie & Clyde did end up closing after at the end of 2011, meaning Jordan would be available for the Newsies transfer to the Nederlander 3 months later, that didn't mean Jordan was automatically going to do the transfer, as there was no deal in place. Remember over the course of the Fall 2011 Jordan went from just being the replacement Alternate for Tony in West Side Story and replacement swing in Rock of Ages, to Broadways next big leading man with back to back glowing reviews for his performances in both Newsies and Bonnie & Clyde. So Jordan and his team wanted to negotiate a new and likely significantly more costly contract if he were to sign onto the Broadway run of Newsies, which they were able to do because there were no Broadway transfer stipulations in the Papermill contract, as it was meant to be a one and done production. The negotiations were very intense and a headache for all involved, as both sides played hardball. Thus to avoid the negotiation nightmares and the large upcharge they likely had to pay to secure Jordan for the Broadway run, I would have to assume that since then Disney has added some sort of pay scale stipulation for a possible Broadway transfer to all future principal contracts of any of regional productions for musicals they are developing. 

 

Updated On: 2/10/23 at 02:50 PM

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 2/10/23 at 3:47pm

Fascinating insights into the Newsies/Jeremy Jordan situation. Thanks all for sharing. 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 2/15/23 at 5:40pm

So... when do we get the casting information for Kiss..?

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 2/24/23 at 10:13am

The production of SPIDER WOMAN has been cancelled "due to "future plans for the show, following prolonged conversations with the rights holders."

[TapDanceGal]

Posted: 4/6/23 at 3:24pm

Full casting has been announced for Spamalot

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Harvey-Guilln-Michael-Urie-and-More-Join-SPAMALOT-at-the-Kennedy-Center-20230406

 

[willep]

Posted: 4/6/23 at 3:36pm

Fun cast. Especially Harvey!