Sutton Foster is one of the most beloved actresses on Broadway and she sells tickets. It's just that she doesn't get that much exposure when she's appearing. She did Anything Goes for about a year in the 1000 seat Sondheim eight shows a week. That would mean maybe 400,000 saw her in the role. Good, but even with the wide selection of small screen entertainment we have now television delivers to millions in an hour. And it doesn't cost $140. If Kelli O'Hara is the reigning queen of Broadway actresses, when I drop her name it is rarely recognized outside of theater folk.
The industry should film these shows and control their exposure to the public with its own subscription television channel. That way they can keep the filmed version from cannabalizing other current live productions and discouraging new revivals. As Disney did, they can have a show disappear for years to build anticipation for its return. Broadway can certainly use the money. I thought that the Bandstand film set a good standard.
If Broadway stars became national figures appearing on Broadway then Audra and Kristin do not have to spend years doing forgettable TV shows like Private Practice and West Wing instead of starring in Porgy and Bess and On the Twentieth Century. Makes sense to me.
Sutton likes to joke about how late it was into her career when she realized that she had to learn to sing. I think it's true that she tends to avoid romantic ballads like "My White Knight" and "'Til There Was You." But Sutton succeeds in about everything she tries and I wouldn't bet against her.
As for the "scandal," I'm sure Shirley Jones must have been asked about it. From what I read she is a pretty tough lady and not like the saccharine personalities that she often portrays. In her mid-80s, she would give a straight answer. In fact, she won the supporting actress Oscar for playing a prostitute in the 1960 drama Elmer Gantry.
This is all she had to say about Winthrop in an interview.
Then-7-year-old Ron Howard played Marian’s little brother, Winthrop. What was it like working with him?
As a child star, he was brilliant. Now when I see his work I understand why he’s so successful in everything. He was smart — he knew what the business was about.
Updated On: 9/6/19 at 10:20 PM
