Here's a video clip of "The Slipper and the Rose" from 1977, you can see Annette Crosbie as the fairy godmother. She was delightful. Should make a great Granny for Little Red.
One of the things I love about Frances de la Tour is that she can be very imposing and almost frightening, and at the same time, completely sympathetic.
She's such a great choice for the Giant's Wife.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
I thought it was a nice touch in Chicago and Dreamgirls.
But Mama Mia!, Hairspray, Nine, Sweeney Todd, etc., didn't have them.
EDIT: Beyond Bernadette and Joanna, it wouldn't really make sense to movie audiences. At least those two have film credits. Maybe they tried, and they both said no.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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Entertainment Weekly says that Sophia Grace's publicist confirmed to them she was playing Little Red. This sounds to me like Rob Marshall & Co. had a change of heart during the rehearsal process and recast the part.
As far as Lilla's weight ... yes, in the screenplay I read, it describes Little Red as "a small, plump, little girl," but that doesn't mean it's the Bible.
She needs to eat like a pig in the opening scenes, and maybe they will go so far as to pad Lilla's costume a bit. She has a round face, and hopefully it's good enough for the part.
I have always thought a skinny Little Red made no sense based on the writing.
I also think that her "appetite" should be every bit as voracious as the Wolf's "appetite," which helps them play off each other.
"It was a full day of eating for both." (Actually, that line doesn't even survive, since there's no narrator.)
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Yeah, I'm disappointed about her weight, and I guess Sophia Grace brought that to the role (at least something about casting her had to make sense). Oh well, once again we see the skinny, pretty girl get the part, but that's Hollywood. I am glad someone talented like Lilla got cast though, it's clear Marshall didn't like what he saw during rehearsals; to be fair, it must be a daunting task for these kids to be in the same rehearsal room as Johnny Depp or Meryl Streep, no matter how well they did during the audition process, it must be almost impossible for a child to handle such big roles. I do feel bad for Grace, it must be so difficult to be replaced like this, but again, that's show business as they say. Besty, Frances de la Tour is perfection as the Giant's Wife, as you said, she'll be imposing, but she'll make the more interesting moments where she confronts Jack and the other characters about how he took advantage of her really stand out. I don't mind that they didn't include anyone from the Broadway cast, it's not like classics like WEST SIDE STORY or SOUND OF MUSIC bothered to do that (of course, many like CABARET, MY FAIR LADY and THE KING & I did).
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
The line "Grandmother first, then Miss Plump" seems to refer to her size, but I am not in the camp that thinks she needs to be plump. It doesn't matter to me.
I have to say the only thing that makes me more than a bit uncomfortable is that a 10-year-old has to go through the notion of being cast in a huge movie musical from Disney, then somewhere into the rehearsal process, she finds out that she is being replaced.
Yes, "that's show biz."
And that's life. But it's an extremely hard lesson to learn at such a tender age.
That little girl is growing up fast. I'm sure her "trust level" is very low as a result. About everything.
Yes, she "knows things now, many valuable things ..."
EDIT: I'm pretty sure in guessing that many of you out there remember that there's an enormous difference between 10 and 12 years of age. I was assuming that, because of the audition process, Sophia Grace had proven wise beyond her years. That she was (at least) able to "act" that she "knew things now" and convince everyone involved. Apparently, that is not the case.
And ray, I agree with your examples ... but all of those movies were made within a decade of the original Broadway production, some within just a few years, and the actors who went from the Broadway show to the film adaptation were playing the same roles. It's different than an "aged" cameo ... but it's also different in that "Into the Woods" (and Chicago, too) were made over two decades after their original runs.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
I love Annette Crosbie! I didn't know the name but when I went to that link of her as Catherine of Aragon, I recognized her. I know her from Ordeal by Innocence with Dunaway and Donald Sutherland. She was fantastic as the housekeeper. And Frances de la Tour had a great scene with Faye in Ellis Island. I am loving these new additions to the cast!!
If Lilla is closer to puberty than Sophia Grace was, that's even better! Then we we can have the sexual awakening subtext again!
You know something I also hope they don't do in this is what they did in some of the revivals, and that was Jack and the Baker climbing Rapunzel's tower to kill the Giantess. Because Rapunzel's tower was supposed to be so tall you could only get to the top by climbing Rapunzel's hair. If you could climb up it easily, it would defeat the plot point of the Prince and Rapunzel not being able to leave the tower together.
So here is the full, confirmed cast, in the credits order from the Disney press release:
The Witch ... Meryl Streep The Baker's Wife ... Emily Blunt The Baker ... James Corden Cinderella ... Anna Kendrick Cinderella's Prince ... Chris Pine The Wolf ... Johnny Depp Little Red Riding Hood ... Lilla Crawford Jack ... Daniel Huttlestone Jack's Mother ... Tracy Ullman Cinderella's Stepmother ... Christine Baranski Rapunzel ... McKenzie Mauzy Rapunzel's Prince ... Billy Magnussen Florinda ... Tammy Blanchard Lucinda ... Lucy Punch The Steward ... Richard Glover The Giant ... Frances de la Tour The Baker's Father ... Simon Russell Beale Cinderella's Late Mother ... Joanna Riding Little Red Riding Hood's Granny ... Annette Crosbie
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 9/17/13 at 07:07 AM
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