Imelda Staunton & Jenna Russell to lead HELLO DOLLY in London — Page 3

qolbinau said: "I live in London. I’ve been to NYC loads of times. Of course Broadway historically and currently is much much better for musicals. I don’t find it tiring I just think we need to speak the truth. I think it’s because musicals are traditionally an American art form and the talent pool is much larger - it’s almost an unfair comparison. If we compared Europe overall to USA overall it would be a fairer comparison. Otherwise it’s like comparing a state to a massive continent.

Staunton is not Channing, Bette Midler, Bernadette or Donna Murphy. Jenna Russell is not Kelli (Bridges) or Ebersole (Grey Gardens. But there honestly isn’t many alternatives.

The USA is bad at some things and good at other things. And musicals are one thing they are consistently good at."

She has more talent in her little finger than Midler has in her entire body mass x

MarkBearSF said: "Oh dear gawd! What's next?

Imelda as Nellie Forbush?
Imelda as Maria?
Imelda as Squidward?"



After 'Hello Dolly', Imelda will be playing Fanny Brice in "FUNNY GIRL' for a two year engagement, and then going directly into "EVITA" right after. She's booked till 2025. After that, she's in discussions to remake Streisand's "YENTL" for the big screen in 2027.

SouthernCakes said: "Wait. So is Waitress closing in the West End? "

Yes

qolbinau said: "I live in London. I’ve been to NYC loads of times. Of course Broadway historically and currently is much much better for musicals. I don’t find it tiring I just think we need to speak the truth. I think it’s because musicals are traditionally an American art form and the talent pool is much larger - it’s almost an unfair comparison. If we compared Europe overall to USA overall it would be a fairer comparison. Otherwise it’s like comparing a state to a massive continent.

Staunton is not Channing, Bette Midler, Bernadette or Donna Murphy. Jenna Russell is not Kelli (Bridges) or Ebersole (Grey Gardens. But there honestly isn’t many alternatives.

The USA is bad at some things and good at other things. And musicals are one thing they are consistently good at. "

I'm sorry, but I see a lot of British theatre and Jenna Russell and Cynthia Erivo are as good as anyone we have on Broadway. Except, obviously, Audra.... Maybe Chen...

But Carly Bawden has always been Bway excellent in most everything I've seen her in. Eliza in Fair Lady, Squeaky Fromme in Assassins, Catherine in Pippin. She is a theatre queem at the moment in Ghost Quartet in the West End!!

Laura Pitt-Pulford is equalling Steph Block's Trina in Falettos at the moment and completely out performed her in Little Miss Sunshine. Her Charity Barnum, I wager, is the best since Glenn Close.

These are just a few of the musical Brit divas that are equal or better than a lot of our top tier show actresses.

Wait until you feast your eyes on Sharon D Clarke in Caroline or Change!

Victoria Hamilton-Barrett!!!

Updated On: 11/22/19 at 11:30 PM

Owen22 said: "qolbinau said: "I live in London. I’ve been to NYC loads of times. Of course Broadway historically and currently is much much better for musicals. I don’t find it tiring I just think we need to speak the truth. I think it’s because musicals are traditionally an American art form and the talent pool is much larger - it’s almost an unfair comparison. If we compared Europe overall to USA overall it would be a fairer comparison. Otherwise it’s like comparing a state to a massive continent.

Staunton is not Channing, Bette Midler, Bernadette or Donna Murphy. Jenna Russell is not Kelli (Bridges) or Ebersole (Grey Gardens. But there honestly isn’t many alternatives.

The USA is bad at some things and good at other things. And musicals are one thing they are consistently good at. "

I'm sorry,but I see a lot of British theatre and Jenna Russell and Cynthia Erivo are as good as anyone we have on Broadway. Except, obviously, Audra.... Maybe Chen...

But Carly Bawden has always beenBway excellent in most everything I've seen her in. Eliza in Fair Lady, Squeaky Fromme in Assassins, Catherine in Pippin. She is a theatre queem at the moment in Ghost Quartet in the West End!!

Laura Pitt-Pulford is equalling Steph Block's Trina in Falettos at the moment and completely out performed her in Little Miss Sunshine. Her Charity Barnum, I wager, is the best since Glenn Close.

These are just a few of the musical Brit divas that are equal or better than a lot of our top tier show actresses.

Wait until you feast your eyes on Sharon D Clarke in Caroline or Change!

Victoria Hamilton-Barrett!!!

"

I already have seen Sharon D Clarke in Caroline, or Change (and last night is Death of a Salesman). She was and is incredible. I do actually live in London and I’m not saying this as some kind of patriotic American lol.

If any of you have seen the movie Pride, you will know that Imelda will in all likelihood be a terrific Dolly. The character she played was warm, funny, and 'took over' when she needed to. I suspect that she will be a great Dolly.

The fact that I did not like her Gypsy, which I did not see live (too overwrought), does not mean that her Dolly won't be great. They are totally different characters.

I would love for her to do something on this side of the pond...I just don't want it to be Gypsy.

Plannietink08 said: " It’s going on a UK tour before itreturns to the West End. I think that’s a smart move personally."

It’s not returning to the West End anytime soon. That is the biggest PR BS I’ve heard in a while and will be quietly forgotten....

ukpuppetboy said: "Jordan Catalano said: "But you point out what a lot of peoples issues with her are - She’s brilliant on film but on stage plays everything like a coked out psycho."

She really IS fantastic on stage too butgiving performances that were meant for the whole house not a camera closeup so they translated quite badly for the live taping. I findAngela Lansbury’s vaudevillian Mrs Lovettto be in the same vein when Sweeney was filmed on tour. Imelda isa consummate professional of stage and screenso it was a very odd choice not to reign it in (especially notable in Gypsy where some complex subtlety would make the character so much more interesting to watch) but there we have it.They really should have chosen the studio (without an audience)like the NT’s Oklahoma.Still,live and in person her Mama Rose and Sallywere botha treat to witness. And her Baker’s Wife and Miss Adelaide are etched into the West End book of legend.."

Ecactly. I saw her do it brilliantly on stage and on screen it seemed a different performance!

Jordan Catalano said: "But you point out what a lot of peoples issues with her are - She’s brilliant on film but on stage plays everything like a coked out psycho. "

I’ve never seen her in a musical but she was fantastic in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? a few years ago.

Jarethan wrote: I have never seen her on stage. I do know that she has been associated with a lot of stage successes in London, and have wondered whether her problem with Gypsy was that she did not modulate her performance to reflect the fact that she wasn't playing to the third balcony, which a number of London theatre do have.

Imelda was playing to the far reaches of the theatre in the taped live performance of GYPSY that was released. Her performance won her the Olivier Award that year and some of the best reviews to ever come out of the West End for a performance. Even Ben Brantley flew over to review the production for The New York Times. Look at his review sometime...he praised Imelda and the whole production.

A performer who has taken direction, honed her performance and locked it in place once the production has opened, does not reinvent the wheel with the director for a one or two night taping. The purpose of the taping is to preserve the performance, not to reinvent it for television, home video, etc.

Mister Matt said: "^Or Dawn French."

Yes!!! Doesn’t Britain have a Bette equivalent? It’s amazing how the re-casting of the role after Bette slipped back into obvious traditional casting. Makes one think Bette’s casting wasn’t so much brilliant as just luck. Imelda’s Gypsy and Follies were off putting to say the least - they obviously like her in GB so it feels like a lazy money grab. You would think it was a commercial production or something!

Updated On: 11/24/19 at 07:59 AM