Glass Menagerie returning?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Sally-Field-Heading-Back-to-Broadway-in-THE-GLASS-MENAGERIE-20160223

This is according to BWW and I hope it turns out to be a false report. The last revival was so perfect and only was a few seasons ago! Why would you ever want to try to compete with the memory of Cherry Jones' performance?

Also, and I swear I'm not Celia Keenan-Bolger's publicist, but the press release says she is a two-time Tony nominee, and she is actually a THREE-time nominee (Spelling Bee, Peter and the Starcatcher and Glass Menagerie).

I'll start the "is this really necessary?" conga line. I saw Ms. Field do the play in D.C. She was wonderful. The production was wonderful. THAT production should have been the one on Broadway in 2005, not the Leveaux-helmed nightmare with the miscast Jessica Lange.

That said, we've since had two very solid productions of this play in New York: the very fine Off-Broadway production from Roundabout (with Judith Ivey's perfect Amanda) and the acclaimed 2013 Broadway revival. This play is a classic, but is it so loved that audiences are dying to see it for the fourth time inside a decade?

I would love to see Field back on the New York stage, but can it be in something that isn't produced quite so often?

It would fit a pattern. A tv/movie star wants to come for a few months get a Tony and leave. There are those out there who feel the need to see every production of a show with every actor in it.Cherry Jones performance will never be topped so why bother. Field is talented but a revival after 2 years is beyond silly.

Why not other Williams works rarely revived? Surely, there has to be something else she could do. Doubt this would succeed but wish them luck if they try. Maybe we can hope they wait 3 years before reviving it again.

Updated On: 2/23/16 at 10:34 AM

How about Eliza in "Look Homeward, Angel?"

Again? Really? Revive THE ROSE TATOO first, please. (Not with Sally Field, though.)

Williamstown Theatre Festival is doing a new production of The Rose Tattoo this summer with Marisa Tomei. Considering several of their recent productions have moved to New York, that might be a possibility. David Cromer tried to get a production of Sweet Bird of Youth off the ground in New York for years, with Nicole Kidman, but nothing came of it. Eventually he staged the play in Chicago with Diane Lane. It was a good production that was Broadway caliber, and there was talk of moving it to New York, but negotiations broke off at some point.

Mr. Roxy, you asked why so many of Williams' plays are rarely revived. The simple reason is that aside from the big three (Menagerie, Streetcar, and Cat), many of them aren't great. Suddenly Last Summer gets done quite a bit, largely because it's short and offers two juicy female roles. Rose Tattoo or Sweet Bird are both good plays, but they really need compelling stars in the leading roles. The rest of the Williams' catalog is very hit or miss.

If Sally Field wants to come to Broadway and the only play she's interested in doing in The Glass Menagerie, someone will put up the money for it. That's the simple fact. And, no, many of Williams' late career plays are not very good. I can't imagine there are many people dying to spend an evening with The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore or In the Bar of the Tokyo Hotel.

"Also, and I swear I'm not Celia Keenan-Bolger's publicist, but the press release says she is a two-time Tony nominee, and she is actually a THREE-time nominee (Spelling Bee, Peter and the Starcatcher and Glass Menagerie)."

It drives me crazy too. She earned all three of those Tony nominations!

no. We just had probably one of the best possible productions of this show on Broadway three years ago. No need for this again.

With previews starting next week, we have our first look at the playbill...
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP-O05kFx8A/?taken-by=broadwayboxcom

Though I do wonder how this production will be compared to the last revival given how acclaimed (and recent) it was by those who were able to see it.

double post

Updated On: 2/1/17 at 03:35 PM