Broadway Legend Joined: 12/30/08
Keeping everything crossed that Chita comes into this show to play Solange La Fitte.
What about Leslie Uggams or Karen Morrow for Hattie? And Len Cariou for Theodore? maybe too small of a role for him, but I think Leslie Uggams or Karen Morrow would do Broadway Baby well
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/30/08
Keeping everything crossed that Chita comes into this show to play Solange La Fitte.
What about Leslie Uggams or Karen Morrow for Hattie? And Len Cariou for Theodore? maybe too small of a role for him, but I think Leslie Uggams or Karen Morrow would do Broadway Baby well
Morrow also played Carlotta in the LA production in the early 90s!
What about Patty Duke? Can she sing? I know she replaced Andrea Martin as Aunt Eller in the Nunn-Stroman production of Oklahoma!
So I think it's safe to assume that the roles that are not open have been filled by ppl from the DC production...OR they are just waiting on contract negotiations..
I suggested Patty Duke either earlier in this thread or in another thread, so I think she'd make a compelling Carlotta. She's gone through so much in her life, so I think her take on I'm Still Here could be very moving. She's a little old for Carlotta, but she's only a couple of years older than Peters, so it would be OK for this production.
Keeping everything crossed that Chita comes into this show to play Solange La Fitte.
I love me some Chita but accents don't seem to be her forte. Think NINE.
Patty Duke used to be able to sing. Although not noted as a singer, she did release a couple of songs back in her early years. I believe she would give "I'm Still Here" the power and emotions only a fine actress, as she is, can.
I have an LP called "Patty Duke sings the songs of Valley of the Dolls." Trust me. She can not sing, unless she bought an entirely new voice since then.
I thought Regine was incredibly boring during "Ah, Paris!". Maybe she was tired?
She reminded me of Stritch in ALNM....dazed & confused.
I love the Patty Duke as Hattie idea.
Thrilled that Elias is transferring...I thought she was wonderful!
Karen Morrow would be a terrific addition to this cast, and I wouldnt mind Duke either...but would love to hear Morrow belt it.
We should start a Facebook page...Patty for Hattie!!!
I love me some Chita but accents don't seem to be her forte. Think NINE.
The casting notice describes Solange as
"Solange La Fitte:
AVAILABLE ROLE. Late 60s - early 70s. A star of the “Follies” who turned herself and her Frenchness into a brand. A perfume maven. Everything about her is a little bit too much, including her style and her accent. Sings “Ah, Paris”. In good shape, must move well. A character. Strong character belt with solid low range."
I think Chita's not so great French accent would be perfect.
I've got it! Patty can play Hattie, and her identical cousin Cathy can play Carlotta!!!
So I take it Elaine Page is transferring with this? I don't care for her. NY already had a pretty bad Carlotta with Christine Baranski last time, with all the exciting possibilities for the role, Page would be a real disappointment.
Love the idea of Patty Duke in this! She'd be a fantastic Hattie indeed. Not so sure about Chita for Solange, I guess why not, but I'm with those who found her French accent in NINE simply atrocious. Wouldn't mind to see Liliane Montevecchi finally play the role on Broadway.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/28/09
I'm not Paige's biggest fan, either, but she absolutely brings the house down with "I'm Still Here".
Paige's Carlotta is a league better than Baranski's. Paige can actually sing in tune and belt.
Well, at least that's good to know. I just find her completely unlikable as a performer, but I think that's just my personal dislike rather than a comment on her talent. I just think it's such a fantastic role, and have yet to see an actress I'd love to play the role actually cast in it. Hopefully Paige acts the role as well as she sings the song, (not directed at either bwayfan or Ljay, but others who have suggested 80-something year old women for Carlotta), sometimes people forget that there's more to Carlotta than singing "I'm Still Here" which is a bit misconception.
Count me in the group that was less than thrilled with Paige's mediocre version of "I'm Still Here." Most of the song sat too low in her tessatura, forcing her to speak (or rather shout and bark) far too many lyrics. Yes, she could (sort of) belt that last B natural, but it was heavily veiled in tone, and she had to backphrase enormously to get the air to do it, and then added a tacky K-mart fermata (not in the score) to show off that she could hold it longer than required. The whole rendition exhibited the suburban bad taste the old cockney always exhibits.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
Does Patty Duke credibly read ten or more years older than Ron Ranins, though? I guess it's not that important in the scheme of things, but with the entire cast skewing older to much older than actual ages of their characters, Patty Duke just seems way too young for Hattie.
I'm in the camp that enjoyed Paige as Carlotta. But yeah, no matter what you thought of her performance, she wasn't even on the same planet as Baranski, who was an angry, sullen, drunken Carlotta that couldn't sing a note.
Updated On: 6/22/11 at 01:01 PM
My friend turned to me after Paige finished singing and said "well that was different." I'm still not sure if that meant he liked it or not.
Not an Elaine Paige fan, her radio show drives me bonkers and she irritates me. I will say that she turned in a good performance in "The Drowsy Chaperone." She seemed perfect for that - and wasn't on stage long enough to annoy me.
Yeah, I wasn't thrilled with Elaine Paige either, but she grew on me a bit. My favorite is still Polly Bergen--I LOVED her in Follies. The best thing in that production, IMO!
@newintown
Did Karen Morrow also display suburban bad taste when she held the final note longer than usual in the Long Beach production?
And Elaine Paige, old or not, is not from London's East End.
Haven't seen Karen Morrow, but adding a fermata where one doesn't exist is bad taste. It's just plain old showing off. In concert, in cabaret, do what you want; in the show, sing it as written.
I may be no Londoner, but I do know that you can come off as a cockney without being born in a specific neighborhood. Posh she ain't. Tacky she is.
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