George Hearn was married to Betsy Joslyn?- Page 3

[ShineOn]

Posted: 11/1/05 at 9:42am

THANK YOU, Baritone!

They were so never married. Ever.

[isntitromantic]

Posted: 12/15/05 at 12:07pm

Actually, she was during the Doll's Life period.

George then married Leslie Stevens (not Simon), the ingenue Anne from La Cage.

Betsy was a wonderful Johanna -- she may appear freakish only because Cris Groenandahl was not an actor (although quite a devote Christian). The video couple was the opposite of Rice and Garber -- Rice couldn't act although she sang prettily.

Yes, Merle Louise is the most memorable thing about the original production.

[bially082]

Posted: 12/15/05 at 12:13pm

If he wasn't an actor what was he? Just a singer? ANd how do you know he was a deout christian? Doesn't metter, I'm just curious. Thanks.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 12/15/05 at 3:38pm

George then married Leslie Stevens (not Simon), the ingenue Anne from La Cage.

Um, no. Hearn is definitely married to a woman by the name of Leslie SIMONS, who was also in "La Cage" as a swing. I've varified this by checking IBDB and IMDB.

[elmore3003]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 12:38pm

I saw both Betsy and Sarah Rice as Joanna on Broadway. Both were wonderful. The videotaping was late in the tour and she was not in good voice.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 12:44pm

And THAT profound statement was worth bumping this topic a year later.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 1:49pm

God, you really are a disgusting person.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 2:09pm

Well, since the thread was bumped anyway, I may as well respond to this comment from a year ago:

Someone back on page one took issue with the idea that Hearn was twice Joslyn's age, stating that he is in his early 70's and she's in her early 50's -- thus not TWICE her age.

But rewind 25 years to when they dated: He would have been around 45, and she would have been around 25 -- which is a whole heck of a lot closer to twice her age. Creepy.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 2:14pm

I thought this thread died a well-deserved death. And, just to clear it up, I'm 25 now and I would date George Hearn right now. The man is beautiful.

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 3:10pm

Betsy made the character of Johanna seem almost mentally ill, which could be a result her mother's rape, her being taken from home, etc. Whether this was a conscious decision to portray the role this way, or whether she's just plain bad, is anyone's guess.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 3:18pm

Betsy's Johanna isn't mentally ill: she is not psychotic as she has a clear concept of person, time, and place; nor is her "style" of personality pathological. Nor is she a "psycho" as that usually refers to a psychopath. She is however horrendously neurotic (if she has anything, I'd bet that it'd be an anxiety disorder, though I don't think so because with GAD you have to have no clear cause for anxiety, whereas I think ANY of us would be anxious in Johanna's situation.) I personally believe that it's in the script for Johanna to be like that--why else would the romantic duet "Kiss Me" have her keep saying things like "I think I heard a click! It's the gate!" when they don't even HAVE a gate or surmising as to all of these horrible things that could keep Anthony from coming for her. And as people have said, it's perfectly understandable seeing as how she was raised by a rapist who also clearly wanted her sexually as well (and we don't know on for how long that went.) Betsy's performance was rather exaggerated, but I liked that spin on it, making Johanna less of your typical ingenue and giving her some foibles. Also, as I've said, being raised by Judge Turpin, she was bound to end up with some issues. Not to mention the intense religious environment and being cutoff from all society except for her "father" and those people he approved (who, as we all know, are either rapists themselves like the Beadle or don't care about anyone else like the ones who watched and laughed at Lucy's rape.)

As for her singing, I thought that she was decent, but it was strange how her eyes crossed whenever she hit high notes...

Updated On: 12/18/06 at 03:18 PM

[PottstownTeacher]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 3:37pm

I grew up watching the video tape of SWEENEY that I taped off of PBS back in the day. So, Betsy's "Johanna" was the only one I had known, until I saw Lauren Molina's on Broadway. I just remember being so blown away by SWEENEY TODD as a whole that, for me, those people on the DVD were DEFINITIVE. (I was 10 years old!) I was then confused when I bought the double album as to why the TV people weren't ALL on it. In later years, I saw Betsy in the national tours of INTO THE WOODS and CITY OF ANGELS and thought she was great in both! I remember walking into the Forrest Theatre in Philly and being all excited because "Johanna" was playing the Witch! OK, fine ... I'm a loser!
Updated On: 12/19/06 at 03:37 PM

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 4/17/07 at 10:18pm

Not to go back to an old topic, but we talked about Sweeney today in Musical theatre history today and it reminded me about her.


So, regardless of the fact that the girl crosses her eyes when she sings, and bobbles her head she pushes held out notes at least 2 steps SHARP!! How do you DO THAT?!?!?!

that is all I have to add.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 4/18/07 at 12:17am

2 years later, I still maintain that viewing her is an experience. I for one enjoy it still.

[Maya]

Posted: 4/18/07 at 1:54am

It's been a while since I watched the movie, but all I can remember thinking was that Betsy's Johanna is what a bobble head Sarah Brightman would look/act like.

I generally perfer the concert version from San Francisco. I do miss Angela in that one though. No version is perfect.

Maya :)

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 4/18/07 at 6:08am

I very much enjoy her Johanna, even though she gots some crazy eyes. I still think Molina is the best, though.