McDonald-led GLASS MENAGERIE revival in the works

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 9:27am

A private reading of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie was held earlier this week featuring Audra McDonald, Jonathan Majors, Danielle Deadwyler, and Edmund Donovan. The reading was directed by Kenny Leon and produced by Franco Productions.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 9:43am

Audra would be great in this role (but if Majors is Tom, he seems miscast) but I think Glass Menagerie needs to be put on a break for a while. 

Updated On: 4/12/23 at 09:43 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 9:56am

But where is Audra's GYPSY? If we go into next year without a production of it, it'll be the longest time Broadway has been without it since the original.

[fbueller]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:08am

Is a revival of this property really needed/wanted?  Audra should launch a new project.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:08am

Jordan Catalano said: "But where is Audra's GYPSY? If we go into next year without a production of it, it'll be the longest time Broadway has been without it since the original."

Audra hasn’t sung on Broadway since Shuffle Along in 2016. I wonder if she is interested in / willing to do musicals at this period of her life and career? 

Updated On: 4/12/23 at 10:08 AM

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:21am

Too soon.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:23am

It was only six years since the last revival why another now? Pass. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:24am

It sells tickets.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:26am

Kad said: "Jordan Catalano said: "But where is Audra's GYPSY? If we go into next year without a production of it, it'll be the longest time Broadway has been without it since the original."

Audra hasn’t sung on Broadway since Shuffle Along in 2016. I wonder if she is interested in / willing to do musicals at this period of her life and career?"

 

I’ve been wondering the same thing. But, and as much as I adore her, her plays sadly just don’t sell. So if she does want to do plays, they need to make sure she has some major Hollywood star power in there, too. 

 

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:31am

Kad said: "Audra would be great in this role (but if Majors is Tom, he seems miscast) but I think Glass Menagerie needs to be put on a break for a while."

Jonathan Majors also has... other issues beyond possibly being miscast.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:34am

KevinKlawitter said: "Kad said: "Audra would be great in this role (but if Majors is Tom, he seems miscast) but I think Glass Menagerie needs to be put on a break for a while."

Jonathan Majors also has... other issues beyond possibly being miscast."

Yes, he does, and I am surprised he was involved at all. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:35am

CarlosAlberto said: "It was only six years since the last revival why another now? Pass."

I know what you mean. That's why I was surprised back in 2017 when they had the last Menagerie revival when the most recent revival before that one was 2014. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:40am

Wick3 said: "CarlosAlberto said: "It was only six years since the last revival why another now? Pass."

I know what you mean. That's why I was surprised back in 2017 when they had the last Menagerie revival when the most recent revival before that one was 2014."

And there was the off-Broadway Roundabout revival in 2010. It had more NYC productions between 2010-17 than it had in the two decades before! 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:41am

jacobsnchz14 said: "It sells tickets."

No it doesn't! The Sally Field revival was a financial fiasco. There aren't any classic plays that sell tickets at a sustainable level on Broadway based on the title alone –– it's just a matter of artists and producers wanting to do them over other works.

Deadwyler is 40 and looks it. I suppose that could be another layer for Laura, but on paper she just doesn't seem right for this. I like Jonathan Majors as an actor (perhaps luckily I have never encountered him personally...), but he feels all wrong for Tom. Kenny Leon is a rather boring choice for this. I could see someone like Lileana Blaine-Cruz or george Wolfe bringing a lot more excitement to a play this oft-revived.

Some googling indicates "Franco Productions" is Jeffrey Richards, one of those Rudin-style people who seems to develop a lot of things but not all actually make it to the stage. Seeing as he produced OHIO STATE, perhaps he realizes that Audra needs a costar who's significantly more famous than her.

Updated On: 4/12/23 at 10:41 AM

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:43am

If memory serves, the last revival with Sally Field usually topped out in grosses around the $400K a week mark and was usually at 60-70% capacity, and always on TDF. 

I know producers probably want a classic play because it seems like a "sure thing" but I dont think there has been enough time between revivals for this to have the air of a big "event". For proof: see the Sally Field production mentioned above which was also only 6 years or so after the Cherry Jones production. Audra is perfection and would be wonderful in this play, but I hope she chooses something else. We need more time between revivals of Glass Menagerie or else it will flop financially just like the last one

[Kad]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:46am

The last revival also was not especially well received and fairly divisive, which contributed to its poor grosses. I’m not entirely sure it can blamed solely on Menagerie fatigue. 

[inception]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 10:46am

Unless they make it a musical, it won't sell any better than the last play she did.

How about reviving House of Flowers?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:00am

Kad said: "The last revival also was not especially well received and fairly divisive, which contributed to its poor grosses. I’m not entirely sure it can blamed solely on Menagerie fatigue."

I just don't think there is any market for commercially-produced Broadway productions of classic plays without a superstar cast. Even something like the Mark Strong A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, which came in from London with buzz and got the best reviews of any play that season, couldn't sell on Bway.

[bdn223]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:32am

jacobsnchz14 said: "It sells tickets."

Does it? the 2017 Sally Field led revival which began performances almost 3 years to the day after the 2013 Cherry Jones led revival closed flopped hard despite starring the legend that is Sally Field. I know its now been 6 years, double that gap, but its still less than the 8 year gap between the 2013 Cherry Jones led revival and 2005 Jessica Lange led revival (also a flop). The 2013 revival was a hit though, but then again it was also a lauded transfer instead of a straight to Broadway production. 

If she wants to do a classic meaty role though, I would much prefer a revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, as the 2020 revival played only 9 performances due to the pandemic and the Lett's Morton revival closed in 2013, and I think a 10yr gap is more then enough for it. I would love for her to star alongside Denzel Washington as George, John David Washington as Nick, and Danielle Brooks as Honey, although I think Jonathan Majors would be a fine substitute for Nick.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:35am

How about real-life married couple Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance as Martha and George? Perhaps alongside Jeremy Pope or Ato Blankson-Wood as Nick, and Gabby Beans or Lauren Ridloff as Honey.

Updated On: 4/12/23 at 11:35 AM

[All So Ozmopolitan]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:37am

Audra can do no wrong, but this thread immediately validated my underwhelming reaction. Of all the things to revive...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:48am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "How about real-life married couple Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance as Martha and George? Perhaps alongside Jeremy Pope or Ato Blankson-Wood as Nick,and Gabby Beans or Lauren Ridloff as Honey."

See now, that’s some next level thinking. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:51am

Jeremy Pope would, incidentally, be a much better Tom than Jonathan Majors. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:59am

Kad said: "Jeremy Pope would, incidentally, be a much better Tom than Jonathan Majors."

Yes he would be! Less famous, but a gay Tom would be infinitely better than a Tom who could bench press his other castmembers combined.

[perfectpenguin]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 12:06pm

Kad said: "Jeremy Pope would, incidentally, be a much better Tom than Jonathan Majors."

I would pay a good bit of money to see Jeremy Pope in this.