How's Rue doing ??

[sipos]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 2:40pm

What's the general consensus? We're in Florida, fans of the ole Golden Girls, and wish we could see her (knowing it's not the quintessential female role or anything, but happy for her nonetheless).

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 2:43pm

Well when the NY Times revisited the show. I can't remember if it was Brantley or Isherwood. They didn't have very nice things to say about Shoshana and Megan - but they enjoyed Rue very much.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 2:44pm

I believe Jason Zineman wrote the Times piece that you are referring to, Ljay.

[sipos]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 2:52pm

Thanks guys, gals ...

[withoutlove78]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:23pm

i hated her performance. she obviously can't sing. she spoke every single note that was supposed to be sung...and her comedic timing was awful

[mijofly19]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:30pm

I couldn't stand her. She didn't sing in either of the songs where she has a singing part, and I found her voice to be annoying, especially when she comes out onto the balcony and talks about the wicked witch. When she finished her speech on the balcony the last word, witch, was like nails on a chalkboard. I have to say that Carole Shelly was much better.

[Swiftynifty15]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:30pm

I think Carolle was great. The part was small but she really did it well. I haven't seen Rue in it though.

[MuchHoopla]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:37pm

Honestly, I hated her! I saw her on 8/25 and was AMAZED by Shoshana and thought Megan was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. But Rue was NOT impressive, my dad thought so also. She can't sing and brings no comedy to the role like Carole Shelley did.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:40pm

This is essentially the problem with other people's opinions regarding the recasting of a role. They cannot look at the role objectively. They are so enamoured with Carole Shelley they can't 'not' compare any subsequent actress to her. Whether or not she sings the lines is irrelevant. I bet if Carole Shelley didn't sing the role either there wouldn't have been any complaints. On that note, I thought some of Rue's choices were great (pretty ambivalent to the students, except for elphaba). The only flaw is her accent. She can't really hide it so when she tries to hide it she sounds a bit odd in her delivery. But other than that, she is pretty enjoyable.

[AllNite429]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:45pm

I got into her more as the performance went on when I saw Rue. I didn't enjoy how her voice cracked at times and it sounded a little forced. But by the second act I started to enjoy her more. I also saw her in July... about a month and a half after she started in the role so maybe she was still trying to find herself.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:46pm

Fosse, I totally agree. and WTF is with people thinking this is such a demanding singing role? She has like 16 bars to sing in 2 songs. It's NOTHING. Carole didn't sustain every note.

And Rue has played many roles in MUSICAL THEATRE before.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:49pm

Also in the new playbills there is an article on her. She said they are letting her create her own interpretation, so she may still be experimenting with what works and what doesn't. She didn't have a year like Carole Shelley did before Broadway (rehearsals, San Francisco, and Previews).

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:51pm

^ Yep. She said in an interview she is still trying new things with her character.

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:54pm

I wanna see Rue so bad as Madame Morrible! Is she really that bad?!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:56pm

Well she has a good review from the Times and Bean/Hilty don't, so I guess that is satisfaction enough.

[birdboy782]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:57pm

Fosse, if you think the problem is people expecting the replacements to be the same as the originals, why do you think that those same people who really love Megan or Shoshana dislike Rue? If they like Megan or Shoshana's take, they're obviously open to some new interpretations -- so maybe that isn't the reason...does anyone know if it's true that she actually had all of her entrances posted all over the wings, because she didn't know them?

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 3:59pm

The Wicklyn's don't want to realize that Bean and Hilty are C List Broadway performers.

And Rue is a seasoned actress of television, film, and Theatre. Morrible isn't a role the tweens can relate to, so they worship Bean & Hilty because they can relate to the two young witches.

[sipos]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 4:04pm

I agree ljay, right on

[withoutlove78]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 4:13pm

To Fosse and Ljay-- I hated Shoshana. I thought Megan was pretty good. But, just because someone does not like Rue does not mean that it's because they're comparing them to Carole Shelley. I personally did not find Carole to be anything special, so what is your explanation as to why I don't like Rue? I'm not comparing the two. I didn't think Rue's performance was enjoyable. Bottom line.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 4:49pm

I was generalizing. The fact is. most people often prefer the first person they hear or see in a role because that is what they are accustomed to hearing or seeing. Shoshana and Hilty are mostly copies of Menzel and Chenoweth, with slight variations on their singing and performance. Rue McClanahan, being who she is, is allowed a broader interpretation because of her status as a seasoned pro. Do you really think they are giving the Elphabas and Glindas a lot of flexibility? I doubt it.

[peach]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 5:03pm

I saw Rue about two weeks ago.

I really enjoyed her! Yes, she speaks her singing parts. Big deal, Morrible is a character part, and doesn't sing all that much to begin with. It's not like she's got a number like Defying Gravity where the singing is the highlight.

Rue's take on the role is much different that Carole's. Carole played Morrible kind of snooty, looking down her nose, a bit know it all. Rue plays it almost like she's "been there done that, seen it all," and with an edge as if she's had a few martinis to boot. I thought she was quite funny. It was great to see the same lines delivered so differently and work - but in different way.

I liked Carole too, but Rue's take was so fun to watch.

[JustABernieFan]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 9:34pm

I'm planning to go see it too. I have never seen wicked yet, but I'm more compelled to go now b/c Rue M is in it. Hoping I'll find tickets after Labor day goes by.
I think she's signed on for 6 months, right?

[PJ]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 9:50pm

Nine month contract.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/30/05 at 3:53pm

I read an interview with her where she said her contract is up in January, but she would like to stay in the show as long as she can.

[JMVR]

Posted: 8/30/05 at 5:02pm

I liked her. I second everything peach posted above.