Is Liz Smith wrong, as usual?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 12:33am

Liz writes: HOT RUMOR - that the multitalented "Chicago" Oscar-nominee, Queen Latifah, is being considered for a Broadway revival of Jerry Herman's enduring musical, "Mame."

:::

Now, during the Chicago hoopla whenever anybody asked Dana if she would do a Broadway musical she said she would leave that to the professionals.

Still, it's very intriguing and I would definitely go.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 12:37am

I would love to see the Queen on Broadway. I always thought she would do a great Mama Rose. When my friend and I were at the first preview for GYPSY last year we were talking about who else we would like to see play Rose and I said I'd like to see Latifah. This old man next to us just shouted out "No! No! She's too dark! She's too dark!" at the top of his lungs. Everyone in the balcony just stopped and stared at this old man. It was one of the funniest things I've ever experienced.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 12:39am

Do you think he meant she brings a certain gravitas to her performances? I hope?

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 12:40am

Not by the way he said it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 12:42am

Did he plunge off the balcony to his death? I hope?

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 12:51am

No, but he had about 200 people laugh at him. Plus, we made fun of him all night and followed him out still laughing at him.

[dry2olives]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 12:54am

Oh, I wouldn't go that far. Although I'm perfectly happy with non-traditional casting, there are those who, without being the least bit racist, believe that casting against type sometimes creates a false appearance of how race relations were in the period the play represents. I don't agree, but I can see how their need for historical accuracy can be disrupted without thinking it comes from racism.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 1:04am

Why couldn't GYPSY be done with an African American cast? What in that show wouldn't work if it was done that way?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 1:06am

Like you, and Ann Frank, I too believe that people are basically good. But "too dark" leads me to think that Phylicia Rashad might have passed muster for this fellow.

[dry2olives]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 1:30am

Again, let me repeat -- this is not my opinion.

However, it's true that a black woman in the 1930's would not get away with the pushy stuff Rose pulls in Gypsy. There are people who could not suspend their disbelief to see a black woman playing Rose for that reason.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 1:43am

Well, if people can suspend their belief enough to believe that a bunch of racist puppets are singing on stage, I'm sure they can stomach the thought of *GASP a black Mama Rose.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 4:49am

OK. Then rather than Latifah (who couldn't really handle all of the vocal demands of the role), how about Jennifer Holliday as Rose? Or Lillias White? Or Mary Bond Davis? Personally, it would be worth the price of admission to see what any of them would do with "Roses Turn."

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 6:16am

I think it's yet another example of Liz' schoolgirl crushes.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 6:22am

stunt casting

Posted: 5/21/04 at 8:17am

My favorite experience with color-blind casting was seeing a 'mixed' production of "The Sound of Music" with black nazis. There was also a black Mother Superior, which provided a gospel version of "Climb Every Mountain" that took me straight to heaven.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 5/21/04 at 8:35am

now That sounds interesting (the black Mother Superior) a gospel version of that song might be just what this current world needs...