James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

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James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Posted: 5/6/09 at 2:50pm

James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad will reprise their recent Broadway roles of Big Daddy and Big Mama in the West End production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, to once again be directed by Debbie Allen. They will be joined by U.K.-based actor Adrian Lester as Brick. The production will begin December 1 at a theater to be announced.
http://www.theatermania.com/london/news/05-2009/james-earl-jones-adrian-lester-phylicia-rashad-to_19000.html

David walked into the valley With a stone clutched in his hand He was only a boy But he knew someone must take a stand There will always be a valley Always mountains one must scale There will always be perilous waters Which someone must sail -Into the Fire Scarlet Pimpernel

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Posted: 5/6/09 at 2:53pm

She's going to be busy!

I wonder how long she will stay in "August:Osage County"?

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/6/09 at 3:06pm

No Anika Noni Rose?

She really was THE best part of the show, had her character down from day one and was simply mesmerizing, no one on that stage--including Jones and Rashad--were as fascinating as she was.

"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"

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/6/09 at 3:10pm

Too bad they are still going with Debbie Allen.

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/6/09 at 3:14pm

Well, it's a transfer of the Broadway production, which was directed by Debbie Allen.

It's not a new production.

"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/6/09 at 3:37pm

I wouldn't wish this production on anyone.

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/6/09 at 4:36pm

Well at least they got rid of their biggest problem: Terrence Howard...who is self-destructing even as we speak!

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/6/09 at 5:03pm

Anika was the ONLY good part of that show. Shame.

"I seem to have wandered into the BRAIN load-out thread... "
-best12bars

"Sorry I am a Theatre major not a English Major"
-skibumb5290

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/6/09 at 6:31pm

I disagree, TheActr, I thought Lisa Arrindell Anderson and Giancarlo Esposito made for a wonderfully obnoxious Mae and Cooper. They were both quite funny.
Anika Noni Rose, however, came out as the true star of the show. Hopefully they'll get her to star in this production too (unless she has decided to depart from it after the experience with la diva Terrence Howard).

#10

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/6/09 at 6:39pm

Anika was MAGNIFICENT. She would be wise to take this role in London. She could win an Olivier for it.

#11

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/6/09 at 6:44pm

wasn't there talk for a movie remake using this cast?

#12

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/7/09 at 2:55am

I disagree with you all to a degree. Anika was by far the most striking talent among the group, but she also had a different PART. A showier part with lots of difficult dialogue - which she handled FLAWLESSLY.

But Rashad was AWESOME in her role. She had her character DOWN PAT. And the very same goes for James Earl Jones. Big Daddy is a very straighforward, rather one-dimensional character, at least on paper, but his performance was RIVETING and a master class in acting. He was thoroughly in character.

Yes, I agree though, Terrence Howard seemed bored. He was not my reason for going at all. He did a good job, but just good. He seemed at points to be lumbering through it, like he was tired. His heart isn't in it. He will never do broadway again, no doubt.

2010

Feb. 28 - Looped, Feb. 28 - Next to Normal, March 4 - Hair, March 11 - A Little Night Music, March 24 - Time Stands Still, April 6 - La Cage Aux Folles, April 10 - Anyone Can Whistle (City Center), April 10 - Looped, May 9 - Enron, May 15 - A Little Night Music, May 15 - A Behanding In Spokane, May 30 - A Behanding In Spokane, May 30 - A Little Night Music, June 20 - A Little Night Music, June 23 - Red, June 23 - Sondheim on Sondheim, July 13 - A Little Night Music, July 18 - The Grand Manner (Lincoln Center)

#13

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/7/09 at 5:20am

If you had seen any of Rashad's recent roles you would know that the performance she gave in CAT was the exact same performance she gave in A RAISIN IN THE SUN, GEM OF THE OCEAN, BERNARDA ALBA, and CYMBELINE.

She repeats the same performance over and over and over again.

And I have no doubt she will give the same performance when she joins AUGUST this month.

#14

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/7/09 at 2:02pm

^ Well, I must say, it worked like gangbusters the night I saw "Cat," but, that said, I will certainly look for similarities if I catch her in "August." I'm sure the criticism is at least partially valid. :)

2010

#15

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/7/09 at 3:07pm

Trust me, the first time she gave that performance, it blew me away. She even won a Tony for it. But after that, it was the same performance for every role she has played. It's always the matriarch, played with the exact same voice inflections, physicality, and overall characterization. It lost its authenticity after about the fourth time.

#16

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/7/09 at 3:15pm

^ Wow. I believe you. I wonder how she could graft that performance onto the character of Violet Weston, though. Violet is so volatile and outrageous. I suppose we'll have to see.

2010

#17

re: James Earl Jones, Adrian Lester, Phylicia Rashad to Star in West End Ca

Posted: 5/7/09 at 7:25pm

To all my Brit friends.... run. Do not walk; simply run....away, that is.
This is the show that blew my James Earl Jones fantasy and had me searching for a way to draw blood so that I had a legitimate reason to leave the theatre.

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