Maureen Moore in Grey Gardens this afternoon- Page 2

[C is for Company]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 12:57am

I knew something was up at the Walter Kerr today, normally I don't see people wielding torches and threatening to burn the theatre down.


Oh and from here on in, none of you boobs are to call me C, Company, C is for Company, or Monsieur Compagne. You shall call me Charlemagne, Charlotte, or The Divine Decadence.

[Kringas]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 1:00am

I'd like to be known as Hadassah, please.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 1:12am

Though Christine Ebersole is giving an amazing performance in "Grey Gardens," she is hardly the only actress capable of handling Big/Little Edie.

As a previous poster said, alot of the reason Ebersole is finding such tremendous achievement in the show is because of the strength of the material, and there's no doubt in my mind that other equally gifted performers will be able to do the same in the future (people like Faith Prince and Victoria Clark come to mind as potential candidates for the role.)

Maureen Moore is apparently producing wonderful work every time she goes on for Ebersole, and her success in the role just goes to show how open it is for interpretation beyond it's originator.

I will say, however, that I find Ebersole to be irreplacable in the sense that the Broadway production cannot run without her. I think it's safe to say that alot of the main business the show's been getting has been because of the word of mouth on her performance (as is evident by the near riots outside the Kerr when Moore is on,) and it continues to struggle even with such tremendous buzz.

My guess is that the show will close in October at the end of Ebersole's contract (the apparent casting going on for her replacement, I assume, will wind up being used to find the star of the national tour.)

Updated On: 6/10/07 at 01:12 AM

[B3TA07]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 1:22am

I still want to see Victoria Clark do it.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 1:27am

Although I don't think Victoria would fit into this at all, I'd be happy for her to take on ANYTHING as long as she is on a stage somewhere in a reasonable distance from my house.

[Sondheim Geek]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 1:32am

I personally think that the show will close with Ebersole, but I would LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to see Victoria Clark play Edie. The problem is, would she be a replacement? Would she go on tour?

Probably not... but a girl can dream

To be more on topic - I'm entirely disgusted by the behavior of that group. Get over it! See the damned understudy, and take the show as is! You're not seeing a monkey, you're seeing a wonderful HUMAN perfomer!

Poor Ms. Moore..

[rosekwbp]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 1:33am

I've seen Maureen and Christine in the show and Maureen is wonderful. I love watching her performance.

[Eos]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 1:54am

I've never seen Ms. Ebersole, but I saw Maureen Moore when I went to New York in April, and she was fabulous. She also looks ASTONISHINGLY similar to Edie in act two.
Real pity about the behavior of those folks. Hanging an entire trip on one performer is dangerous.

[Smartful Dodger]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 10:24am

Why wouldn't Clark replace? That seems silly.

Patti LuPone was considered to replace Bernadette Peters as Dot in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE but the producers went with Maryanne Plunlett instead.

And, Betty Buckley replaced Glenn Close in SUNSET BOULEVARD.

And, Jonathan Pryce replaced John Lithgow in DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS.

The list goes on, of course, but my point is that although one has a Tony in hand, it doesn't automatically exclude consideration from replacement opportunities. Honestly, these people are trying to make a living just like the rest of us. They don't simply wait for new projects to come their way. Just ask some of the folks who have won Tonys for great performances who can't get another job to save their lives.

Victoria Clark would be wonderful in GREY GARDENS.

[Hiram]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 10:35am

I saw Maureen Moore play Rose in GYPSY and she was brilliant! She is a great pro and a magnificent performer in her own right.

I fully understand wanting to see the miraculous Christine Ebersole in her already legendary performance. However, should she be unable to go on, you can't get much better than the underrated Ms. Moore.

[Blonde]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 10:36am

I thought Moore was wonderful when I saw her in GG. It makes me sad that people can be so negative towards her performance simply because she isn't ebersole. As other people have stated only ebersole is ebersole.

[joniray]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 10:49am

I'd very much like to see Donna Murphy in the role.

[moljul]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 10:53am

I've seen them both do the role and frankly, I prefer Moore. Though both were fabulous!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 11:04am

Maybe they should simply close the show on those days when "she" is not in it

This will do wonders for business but if people will get their knickers in a twist whenever she is out this may be an alternative. Whatever will they do when the show closes. Threaten to bomb the theater if they close it.

We saw Victor Victoria when Julie Andrews was out. We stayed & were quite pleased with Anne Runalfson as the understudy

Updated On: 6/10/07 at 11:04 AM

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 11:48am

joniray, I was about to say the same thing. I think I read somewhere that LoveMusik has a closing planned for very soon and I definitely think Ms. Murphy could handle the role.

However, my vote also goes for Victora Clark as well. That's legal, right?

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 12:15pm

I feel so bad for Ms. Moore. No one deserves that, especially when virtually no one has a bad thing to say about her performance. I would like to see her in the role at some point.

[Weez]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 12:53pm

Oh ffs, people are ridiculous. It's not like Moore pushed Ebersole in front of a train so she could go on tonight, and I wish people would realise that. I know I've mentioned this before, and I know this casts a certain light on me, but I flew to New York for Idina's final 'Wicked', and you remember how that turned out, right? Yes, I was disappointed, but I SUCKED IT UP, watched and enjoyed Shoshana, and still enjoyed the show anyway. And it's NOT cheap to fly from the UK to New York. People really do need to grow some manners. XP

[logan0215]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 2:14pm

I was at the show last night. I was in Brooklyn helping my brother on his house and at one point seeing Romeo & Juliet on standby, but then opted that if I were in the city by 7 we’d try to SRO Spring Awakening.

By the time I got in from Brooklyn, SR was out of SRO. I walked by the theater and saw the posters for Maureen. I didn’t see this “riot” but I did see people in the will-call line about 10 deep each time I passed through returning tickets. I was able to nab a student ticket at 7:30 and then had to run back and forth from 40th St. like a madman in order to get cleaned up for the show.

The curtain was held for 15 minutes, me just barely making it. There was a line outside that I thought was possibly a late group arrival but it was the return line. I missed the man from California.

The show itself was very enjoyable. Maureen played both roles beautifully, although seeming nervous in the first act. I felt like that was ok considering Edith is nervous in the first act due to hosting a party and simply neurotic in the second act. Her accent was quite good during the first, but a little British in the second.

She looked very much like Christine in the second act, almost uncanny (aside from being much shorter). In the second act we were able to grab the front row center seats, directly behind the conductor. I’m unsure if it was outshining or just a realization, but Mary Louise Wilson is absolutely brilliant, she was just so on last night. Maureen’s acting was great and she was able to bring little things in whereas much of the rest has to be based on impression both of Little Edie and of Ebersole as Little Edie. At the end of “Big House” she did this little adorable “encore” during the “send-out” she went back in the green door and came back out for a second bow. She was great as Big Edith in the first act, her “Will You” left something to be desired, but overall her acting was great, “Hominy Grits” got huge laughs. Her “Around the World” was quite good and she took quite pregnant Victoria Clark-esque pauses in “Another Winter” which was strikingly good. One phrase she turned her head and was so resonate that I was almost moved to tears.

The audience was very receptive tonight, much more then when I saw it with Ebersole which surprised me. I saw it both times on a Saturday evening. The curtain was interesting as Maureen is quite short comparatively speaking and when I stood she and I were almost eye-to-eye.

The most extraordinary thing happened after the show. A smaller group waited outside at the stage door, something I don’t do often but wanted to congratulate Maureen for her performance. Erin, Matt and the girls came out and then Maureen did, extremely surprised to see people had waited. She started around the arc of people and then offered anyone under 17 a trip backstage (I believe they were from a theater group but I’m unsure).

She got to me, stopped and went “Thank you so much, just thank you so much for being here tonight you have no idea, you were so great”I said “shouldn’t I be saying that???” She said I was her _____, I’m assuming a name for someone to be played off of during a show. She then brought the 17 and unders backstage but reappeared a few moments later, came around the barrier to leave and came up and hugged me! It was extraordinary! We chatted a little longer and I said I hope she gets more chances to go on and she said “Well Christine has worked her little tushy off, so I feel she may be taking some vacation soon” and then she introduced me to her and Christine’s assistant.

It was an eye-opening experience of just how important it is to be engaged in a performance on both ends of it.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 2:20pm

What a fantastic story! Sounds like Maureen would have been quite an experience to watch onstage.

I actually feel myself rooting more for Mary Louise to win than Christine. What she does is absolutely brilliant and watching the documentary, I'm still astounded at how perfect she looks and sounds onstage to match her counterpart. Her expressions and subtle looks are so enthralling to watch, just to see how far she goes in creating Big Edie.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 2:22pm

So is Maureen going on this afternoon as well? Anyone know?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 2:25pm

Judging by the state of Ebersole at the Tony dress rehearsel today, I'd say it's safe to assume Maureen will be on today.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 2:32pm

Christine is going on this afternoon. We asked the box office.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 6:36pm

She better not be out August 9th when I have my ticket!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 7:43pm

I hate to break the news but she is not the reincarnation of Jesus Christ

Yes she is good but not seeing a show because she is not in it is absurd

Nothing amazes me any more

Updated On: 6/10/07 at 07:43 PM

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 6/10/07 at 7:58pm

Wow, people can be such jerks.

When I saw Moore as Edith, I was upset that I was missing Christine.

Yesterday, I was upset that I didn't find out she was going on until after the fact. She's fantastic. Ebersole is wonderful, but she's not G-d.