It's Official! Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch to Star in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Starting 7/13- Page 3

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 6:58pm

Sorry but this is stunt casting plain and simple.

Desiree is supposed to have a European sophistication, not a Queens accent like Bernie has. It should be a Sophia Loren type not a Shirley Temple type.

And you have to believe that Madame Armfeldt was once a desirable lady, not the crass, loud foghorn of Stritch. It should be a Rosemary Harris type not a Shelley Winters type.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 7:01pm

Did you believe Peters was too Queens in INTO THE WOODS? SONG AND DANCE? GYPSY? Come on, she's an actor. She's about as tied to Queens as Betty Buckley is to Texas or LuPone to Long Island.

Updated On: 6/7/10 at 07:01 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 7:02pm

I thought Shelly Winters was considered foxy back in the day.

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 7:11pm

Anybody know yet how long they are going to be in it?

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 7:11pm

Until November 7th.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 7:21pm

Two of the great artists of the American musical theater will be performing in one of the greatest of all works of the American musical theater, alas, squandering their glorious talents in this idiotic production directed by one of the consummate morons in the English-speaking theater.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 7:25pm

Come on, they will no doubt be given plenty of room to make the show their own. The whole thing becomes deeper and more moving with a Desiree who really might have an age-related crisis. That alone puts a brand new, er, traditional stamp on this production. The whole concept of the 40ish Desiree seemed at odds with her eleven o'clock spot -- one of the most exquisite and emotionally satisfying numbers ever written for a woman d'un age certain, at least partially squandered, in terms of emotional depth and dramatic stakes, when delivered by a woman decidedly in her prime, no matter what century. I'm betting on Peters to restore some of the original luster.

[jovie27]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 7:28pm

Yipppe...i was right! LOL...very excited!

[Roscoe]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 8:04pm

As long as that glorious score is being performed by 3 people, and as long as Ramona Mallory plays Anne as a frigid little bitch with a voice that can etch glass, this production will suck. As long as Fredrik's big scene with Desiree makes no sense because no man in his right mind would choose Ramona Mallory's idiotic spoiled brat schoolgirl over Bernadette Peters' Desiree, this production will be a catastrophe.

As long as it has Trevor Nunn associated with it, it will suck.

Two great actresses will do their best, no doubt, but even they can't save this disastrous production.

I may be wrong. Maybe they'll get Bartlett Sher to doctor the show. Please God In Heaven, let that be the case.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 8:06pm

Why are my Corn Flakes yellow?

[ACL2006]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 8:46pm

It looks like they're signed throught Nov. 7, but the playbill article says tickets are on sale through Jan. 9 2011.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 8:53pm

Yes, it's November 7. It's been on Telecharge.

Performances resume July 13 starring Tony®, Grammy® & Golden Globe® Award winner Bernadette Peters and Tony® & Emmy ®Award winner Elaine Stritch. Casting after November 7 is TBD.

[alterego]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 8:55pm

Awful, awful casting.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 9:15pm

I'm with Goth. Why wouldn't it be considered stunt casting in this case? Many people here think it only applies to movie stars and TV actors, but casting two well-known and respected theater veterans as replacements can also apply. Especially since neither has been on Broadway in 6-8 years. That's certainly a big draw to fans and theater enthusiasts alike. Otherwise, they would've gone with lesser-known actors. And as is evident in this thread, several people are now eager to revisit the show or see it for the first time simply because of who's in it.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 9:17pm

Team Finneran!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 9:20pm

"and as long as Ramona Mallory plays Anne as a frigid little bitch with a voice that can etch glass"

LOL

[Sauja]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 9:24pm

I don't think you can argue stunt casting when two people who made their names in a composer's musicals are then cast in a production of his biggest hit. It's EVENT casting, sure. But I think what makes something "stunt" casting is that there's an element of danger involved. If it gets pulled off, it'll be amazing. Otherwise, it will be a disaster. Putting a pop star or a talk show host in a musical...stunt casting. Putting two huge musical theater actresses in a musical (even as replacements)...event casting. Totally fair if you want to argue that it's bad casting (though I personally think it's AMAZING). But I still don't think it counts as a stunt. Semantic argument to end now. :)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 9:26pm

Very true. "Event" casting is much different than "stunt" casting. I don't think they cast these two women thinking "Ok, THESE are names that are going to sell out the entire run in 10 minutes" I think this is amazing casting and a treat to musical theater lovers. There's a huge difference to me.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 9:27pm

Agreed. Calling this "stunt casting" is pretty idiotic.

[binau]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 9:30pm

"I'm with Goth. Why wouldn't it be considered stunt casting in this case? Many people here think it only applies to movie stars and TV actors, but casting two well-known and respected theater veterans as replacements can also apply."

The issue is that Stunt Casting has negative connotations where people are cast without any artistic thought/integrity/merit etc.. *only* for name value (they didn't cast Jerry Springer in CHICAGO thinking he would give the definitive performance of the role).

I might accept that Elaine Stritch is a *little* bit stunty, but Bernadette is not stunt cast because it seems people involved (except Nunn way back) think she is an inspired choice...

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 9:34pm

Stunt casting has nothing to do with casting respectable actors in challenging roles on Broadway.

Stunt casting would be grabbing the latest reality show "winner" and throwing them in a wheelchair to give that wooden ring speech.

When Mary Martin toured in Hello, Dolly! and Annie Get Your Gun, was that stunt casting? When Patricia Morison replaced Gertrude Lawrence in "The King and I," was that stunt casting?

When Paris Hilton plays Desiree on Broadway, THAT's stunt casting.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 9:37pm

No Besty, that'll just be amazing on so many levels.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 10:58pm

I hope the "something else" Peters mentions talking to Sondheim about was the Kennedy Center production of FOLLIES set for next summer.

[Brick]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 11:01pm

Best12bars nailed it, period.

Now, whether you think they are miscast is not the point. This isn't stunt casting.

I'm thrilled by this. And I enjoy that Stritch isn't perfect for this, knows it, and is determined to find a way. She is, after all, a fantastic actress.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/7/10 at 11:12pm

When Paris Hilton plays Desiree on Broadway, THAT's stunt casting.

And Fredrik left her because she gave him scabies?