Joanna Gleason as Anna in The King And I- Page 2

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 9/4/11 at 1:47pm

AC as Mrs. Anna all the way!

[figaroindy]

Posted: 9/7/11 at 3:43pm

AC, my apologies - didn't mean to misspell you, and didn't mean to imply that you didn't know what you were talking about (I re-read my post, and it came off really snotty). I was referring to earlier posts on the topic (people actually saying "she couldn't do it" whereas you more "asked" the question).
....Actually, I'm usually in agreement with you on here.

[AC126748]

Posted: 9/7/11 at 3:48pm

No need to apologize, Figaro! I actually didn't know what I was talking about, and I'll freely admit it--I thought the role's range was more complicated than it actually is, given the vocal pedigree of the ladies who've taken it on. But it's obvious that any role written for Gertrude Lawrence doesn't need a brassy/belty/soprano-y singer necessarily.

That said, I'd love it if Christiane Noll played Anna.

[figaroindy]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 12:44pm

Noll is a great voice, for sure!

Just saw Liz Callaway here in Indy at the Cabaret at the Columbia Club..she sang a great "Something Wonderful" but that voice would also be a fun Anna.

She had a great story about passing on a lead in some show to remain in the chorus of "Merrily..." She joked she'd really made the right choice as the other show never opened whereas "Merrily ran two weeks!" I laughed out loud! She's a great cabaret performer...great show.

BTW - who is in your ID picture on your posts (I feel like I know that person...)?
Updated On: 9/8/11 at 12:44 PM

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 12:48pm

I believe that's Joe Mantello. Maybe in THE NORMAL HEART.

[AC126748]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 1:05pm

Yes, it's Joe Mantello in THE NORMAL HEART.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 3:22pm

You see? Sometimes the Pony Express gets through we learn something on the far side of the Hudson.

[newintown]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 4:30pm

Gleason is too cold and too old. Did she have Louis at 55? A miracle birth! And have you seen the awful face work she had? She looks like she was in a fire. But most of all, she lacks the warmth required for the role.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 6:30pm

Um, Anna Leonowens is a British governess who holds her own with the King of Siam. She isn't Frenchy from GREASE.

I can't speak for any recent work she's had done on her face, but I've found Joanna Gleason to be quite warm, on-stage and off.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 11:58pm

love the idea of Kate Baldwin as Anna

She was captivating in Finian's Rainbow. Prone to rather detesting old musicals, found this to production to be theatrical heaven. Kate and Cheyene were incredible

So wait, who is playing the King?

I have to admit to have never seen a professional version of the show - yep, I missed those tours that Yul Brenner did and somehow didnt find a way to score a ticket to the Lou Diamond Philips bus and truck revivial

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 9/9/11 at 11:16pm

I would love to see her as Phyllis sometime. It would have been terrific to have her opposite Bernie, but Jan is magnificent so I ain't complaining!!

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 9/11/11 at 9:19am

If accuracy is a concern, Anna was in her 30s when she was in Siam. She certainly has the warmth, grace and elegance for the role, and is one of the most engaging, likable stage personalities there is. I personally think Gleason would have been wonderful in the role decades ago. Apart from age, which is often something that might conceivably be overlooked, as it so often is on stage, she could still do it. But for the fact that Anna has a young son, there is no reason she can't be an older woman. But that "but" is significant.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 9/11/11 at 5:06pm

Per Wikipedia, Gleason is 61. Lansbury was 52 when she played the role on Broadway. Gertrude Lawrence was 53 (and literally at death's door--she died during the run).

So, yeah, Gleason's moment has probably passed. But I think she would have been perfect casting 10 or 15 years ago.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 9/12/11 at 3:42am

My memory is the same as Dollypop's: Lansbury mostly used her head voice when she played Anna.

Lawrence always sang with a lot of head voice, even though she was never able to sing terribly high. And the role took her up to a D, which was higher than women generally belted back then. Given the state of Lawrence's voice and the fact that she was never a strong singer, Rodgers actually pushed her a bit, taking her from a B to a D. Still, that's not rangy at all for a strong singer. He composed it very cannily so that you're never aware that the range of the role is rather limited.

Some women have belted the role, or used a belt-mix. But I think it never sounds quite right belted. It was written for Lawrence's tremulous soprano-like sound, and I think you want mostly a head-voice sound for the role. I think that's why so many trained voices and sopranos have sung it. It sounds best that way. But it's not a difficult role to sing.