After seeing the thread about Molly - I wanted to ask this.
Who saw Brooke as Sally?? And what did you honestly think? I know some considered her a disaster in this production. But on one of those CABARET fan sites - the fan posted reviews - and he/she followed her run in the show - returning frequently - and each time they said she was getting better and better.
And lets not forgot - she performed in this show during one the hardest times EVER for Broadway. 911 attacks! And in a artcle she talked about what it was like performing for an audience of 17 people. Which is crazy.
Anyway, I think Ruth in WT seems like a much better fit for her. And for another bad girl role - Roxie seems better for her - than Sally.
So who saw Brooke's Sally? How was she? How did she sing the title song?
Updated On: 8/16/05 at 02:47 PM
I didn't see her as Sally, but I heard her as Sally. My my my my my my. She was so far off key she was practically back in tune again, and her rendition of the title number collapsed into hoarse bellowing. And yet somehow, for that number at least, it still worked. For the rest of the score, not so much.
I saw Brooke Shields near the end of her stint in Cabaret. I thought she was very good. She wasn't great and she wasn't poor. But she was definately worth seeing. She couldn't really dance the role, and she was vocally weak on "Don't Tell Mama", but her acting was dead on-especially in the last scene. I remember loving the production and liking her. I'm sure there were better Sallys than her, but I still liked her.
i heard that Brooke brought a lot of her comediec habilities to Cabaret and was the funniest Sally.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/14/03
I refused to see her in Cabaret on principle of how horrible she was in Grease.
I had no choice but to see her in WT. Didnt hate her. Didn't love her. Donna Murphy was better, from what I've heard from the cast recording, but Brooke wasn't horrible either.
If in Heaven you don't excel, you can always party down in hell...
I figured her acting would probally be good in CABARET. haha too bad they didn't make a new cast recording with her, but that's a Weissler thing. And I can almost gaurantee they wont make a new CHICAGO recording with her.
Anyway - I still say Brooke was better for RUTH than Donna. Because Donna is an amazing singer. The role of Ruth was constructed around lady with very very very limited singing ability - and little dance talent (Rosalind Russell.) Donna is a pro singer, and she changed a lot of notes. Brooke is more on the level of Roz Russell, and too me that goes over better than having an amazing singer in the role. Brooke definitely had a Roz Russell quality to her in the role - in her singing and all. I've seen Roz's Ruth on a bootleg of the rare 58 WT tv movie.
Excuse me? Did you just compare Brooke Shields to Roz Russel? Are you out of your damn mind?
Brooke Sheilds is a Blue Jean model and a second rate "performer"
Roz Russel is a legend and a true Actress.
Give me a fcukin break.
Why did they feel the need to make a "new" album with Brooke in GREASE and WT? I think that is kinda odd.
I've seen Russell in the role - and I've seen Brooke. I am able to compare the two performances. And I feel Brooke played it similar to Roz - and her singing and all. Roz had a VERY VERY dry quality to her acting, which made her so funny. And Brooke has a very dry humor.
If Roz was alive for this revival - I feel she would appreciate Brooke much more in the role - because Brooke was like her - Brooke dosen't have the best voice - and she really had to work with the score. JUST LIKE Roz did. Thank you - I've read Roz's autobiography so I know everything she went through with learning the songs, etc.
Anyway, there will NEVER be a Ruth as good as Roz. Considering Roz's reviews for her Ruth are considered the best reviews in HISTORY
BLUE LAGOON : The Musical anyone?
Because Brooke is a big star. That's why they re-released those CDs. The same happened with Vanessa Williams when she was in "Kiss of the Spider Woman". I thought Brooke was brilliant as Ruth, I enjoyed her way more than Donna Murphy and of course Brooke can be compared to Roz Russell, they are both actresses and they both played the same part.
"There wasn't a lot of support from agents or friends to take the risk of taking the lead in "Wonderful Town". The pay on Broadway is lousy, and if you bomb, the detonation is heard all the way to Hollywood. And people expect me to bomb. In their minds, I'm still the little girl in the CK ads, the half naked teen in Blue Lagoon. Even after 4 ys. of my own series, I'm still not taken seriously as an actress. But despite my own insecurities, I had to do this show(Wonderful Town), I knew it would grow me as an actress"
-Brooke Shields-
I repeat:
Why did they feel the need to make a "new" album with Brooke in GREASE and WT? I think that is kinda odd.
Supposively - the Weissler's offer it in her contract.
But for MANY reasons I doubt they'll do a new CR for her Roxie. The CHICAGO cast changes very very often.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
I don't see a new Chicago recording with Brooke in the future.
Back to Cabaret: A teacher of mine saw her and he said she was good. His wife detested her because she had no idea Sally was a coked-up no talent ho in this version. She was expecting Liza-esque vocals.
Updated On: 8/16/05 at 06:15 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/03
I think that was my site you saw reviews from.
I ended up seeing Brooke 8 times. This was only because I was so in love with Matt as the Emcee. Thinking back years later and re-listening, she was better than I realized. I'm not saying she was good, but she was certainly better than some understudies I saw, Molly Ringwald, and Jane Leeves. Her singing was absolutely atrocious and she was ridiculously ungraceful, but it somehow worked. I only truly cringed when she hit high notes. She made Sally an overeager pathetic wannabe. And yeah, I saw her in Wonderful Town...while her singing and dancing had really improved, her presence kinda left. Because as many off key notes and lumbering steps she made in Cabaret, you couldn't take your eyes off her.
Updated On: 8/16/05 at 07:18 PM
Yes. That was you. Great reviews you had on there..
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/03
Thanks.
I keep meaning to put up all my other ones...maybe I'll end up doing a kind of reflection.
only 1 person saw her?
Stand-by Joined: 7/29/05
I saw 3 Sally's. Brooke wasn't half bad, just a HUGE woman.
But she moved me quite a lot. and I didnt mind her singing wasn't that good. It kind of fitted the role.
I've heard some samples of her songs. And her singing wasn't that bad.
The singing did improve a lot though for WT. Thank God. Roxie will definitely be more successful than Sally.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/14/03
too bad they didn't make a new cast recording with her, but that's a Weissler thing. And I can almost gaurantee they wont make a new CHICAGO recording with her.
Um, Chicago is a Weissler show. However, the show is running well enough that I'm almost certain a new cast recording will not be made.
Besides, it's not REALLY a new cast recording -- they just put Brooke's vocals over the old recording. Ghetto, aint it?
If in Heaven you don't excel, you can always party down in hell...
I was surprised how good she was in WT because when I saw her in Cabaret, she was god awful!!!
CJR. It's me?? lol I know Chicago is a Weissler show, and Cabaret wasn't. I was saying too bad that didn't happen for Cabaret - because I was curious to hear her vocals. Anyway - it is pretty ghetto. Though WT was better - because they got to add Jennifer Hope Wills in as well.
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